A Reason for Thanksgiving

Colossians 1:3-8

[3] We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, [4] since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love that you have for all the saints, [5] because of the hope laid up for you in heaven. Of this you have heard before in the word of the truth, the gospel, [6] which has come to you, as indeed in the whole world it is bearing fruit and increasing—as it also does among you, since the day you heard it and understood the grace of God in truth, [7] just as you learned it from Epaphras our beloved fellow servant. He is a faithful minister of Christ on your behalf [8] and has made known to us your love in the Spirit.

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In a time when the early church was just getting its footing, Paul urged followers of Jesus to celebrate, not just the expanding response to the gospel across the world but also the increase of love for all those being saved. The truth of Christ is tied to our understanding of our salvation, but it is because we’ve been saved that the character of Christ we exhibit in our lives has increased intensely.  Have we lost sight of celebrating this? The fruit the gospel bears is still an amazing victory, as it was back then.

Transformation is worthy of rejoicing over.

Upon hearing the gospel, every individual has a reaction, whether acceptance or rejection. It stirs within us the condition of our rebellion. As Christ’s grace increases within us, it forces us to see how much His grace is needed. We come to see the vastness of the void that stands between us and God. What can only fill that void is Christ’s love shown through mercy and forgiveness. It reveals how far His love will go to reach us; that there is nothing, not even death, that can separate us from His love.

So would it not be logical that if He has made us a new creation, then this same love would continue to increase in our lives. Christ’s love does not stop at the edge of the void just shy of where we stand. His love covers us and thus pours out of us, revealing Himself to others. We have not just a new love for Christ but also a love for His body and the lost.

Each day, we should find a new appreciation for the joy of bearing and witnessing fruit. Experiencing the faithfulness of fellow servants, much like Epaphras, should cause within us praise and thanksgiving.

On one hand, we are experiencing how the Lord uses others to love us. On the other, it gives us the opportunity to enjoy expressing towards others that same love Christ is maturing in us.

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Questions

Q: How does understanding God’s grace change the way we treat others?

Q: Why is love for “all the saints” evidence of genuine faith?

Q: What role does hope play in helping Christians endure suffering?