Colossians 1:3-9. We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, 4 because we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love you have for all God’s people— 5 the faith and love that spring from the hope stored up for you in heaven and about which you have already heard in the true message of the gospel 6 that has come to you. In the same way, the gospel is bearing fruit and growing throughout the whole world—just as it has been doing among you since the day you heard it and truly understood God’s grace. 7 You learned it from Epaphras, our dear fellow servant, who is a faithful minister of Christ on our behalf, 8 and who also told us of your love in the Spirit.
9 For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you. We continually ask God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives.
In this letter of Paul to the Colossian believers, we are reminded of our true identity and the inheritance we have been given in Christ Jesus. God has brought permanent, life-altering changes to our existence and destiny through the “true message of the gospel” that reached us.
This message was not a human invention but was given by God to address the fundamental problems of humanity: the disasters of sin, the background of hell, and the power of Satan. This is a spiritual crisis that no amount of religious observance, law-keeping, or upright living can resolve. It is the universal problem deeply rooted in the human soul.
Because of His unconditional love for us, God did not spare His own Son, Jesus, but gave Him as a ransom for us (Mark 10:45). Everything is rooted in His marvelous grace. Even the saving faith we have is a gift from God, not a product of our own righteousness or intellectual effort.
We must remember that we once were spiritually dead (Ephesians 2:1), wandering aimlessly under the power of the devil (Acts 10:38). While we were trapped in that hopeless situation, God sent Jesus as the Christ—the Anointed One—to bridge the gap and bring us back to Him.
God was under no obligation to save us, yet He did so because He loved us with an everlasting love. We did not deserve His mercy; in fact, we were objects of His wrath, but He chose instead to pour out the riches of His grace.
On the cross, Jesus didn’t just provide a temporary fix; He settled all of our problems of the past, present, and future! Therefore, you who belong to Christ are no longer under the law of sin and death (Romans 8:2). Because you are hidden in Christ, God looks at you and finds you holy, blameless, and beyond reproach in His sight (Ephesians 1:4). Do not let the guilt of the past or the legalism of religion trap you. Know that you are under His grace.
No matter what your present circumstances might look like, trust in the God who is able to create anything from nothing. Do not doubt your faithful Father, who hears and answers every prayer. Remain anchored in His grace and peace. Continue to stand firmly on His Word, and you will see His promises fulfilled in His perfect timing.
Furthermore, God has entrusted us, His church, with the high calling of reconciling a broken world to Himself. When we were still His enemies, living under the power of sin and darkness, it took the sacrifice of God’s own Son to reconcile us. When we truly grasp the power of this wonderful message, there is no one we cannot reconcile with.
When we realize the magnitude of God’s love for us, there is no one we cannot embrace with a love that overflows from our own hearts. When we have tasted the joy of His forgiveness, there is no offense too great for us to forgive in others. As Christ’s church, we are called to be a community characterized by unconditional love, for love covers a multitude of sins (1 Peter 4:8).
Resolve to become a person who always speaks the language of faith, love, and hope. Make Jesus the absolute center of your speech and the motivation for your actions. As you continue to spread this message of reconciliation and live it out in your daily life, your church will become a living testament of light. On this platform, every searching soul can find the ultimate answer to life’s questions through the gospel. Like the Colossian Church, your community will become a spiritual fortress where prayer warriors push back the kingdom of darkness through the power of intercession.
You have been set apart, consecrated to proclaim to the world that Jesus is the Christ. God will fill you with the Holy Spirit, giving you the power to bring people back to Him. In every situation and every trial, carry the message of the gospel that brings the hope and healing only God can provide to your family, your church, your community, your nation, and the world.
Prayer: Father, I thank You for the gospel that has fundamentally changed my life. I pray that this message of grace would go out through me into all the world, bearing fruit in every heart and changing lives everywhere. Fill me with the strength to be a minister of Your reconciliation. In Jesus’ name, Amen.