God's Grace Bears Fruit

If you were going to give a gift to anyone, no matter where they lived or who they were, what would it be?

Colossians 1:3–14 ESV

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. 9 And so, from the day we heard, we have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, 10 so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him: bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; 11 being strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy; 12 giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in light. 13 He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, 14 in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

We understand the will of God through the Word of God. Sunday night expired vs inspired. God has breathed it out and we breathe it in. Blackaby...

God’s will includes His desire for mankind to experience His grace. Grace is God’s plan for the world. Grace is what allowed Jesus to step into mankind and bring redemption, ‘a ransom for many’ if you will.

Not everyone gets all the grace God has to give. (common grace) BUT everyone who wants it does!

God’s Grace is both the answer for man’s need for significance as well as the fuel for our work in the world. For the man who thinks ‘there must be more to life than this’ God’s grace fills in the blank. It points us to Jesus who claimed He didnt come to be served but to serve. WPMOTY. God’s grace is the soil, the nutrients and the water for the fruit of our lives.

God’s grace through Epaphras shows up in taking the gospel to his home town where it bore much fruit!

John 15:5 ESV

5 I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.

John 15:16 ESV

16 You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you.

fruit is the character of the Christian - Christlike-ness - Love, joy, peace… are attributes of Jesus Himself. For those to grow in our lives is the natural outcome. You give a Vitis rotundifolia, or muscadine vine water soil and sun it will only be missing one thing: another vine close by. Cross pollination is necessary for almost all fruit bearers.

Fruit is the reproduction of the Christian. When Jesus told those listening to “go and make disciples, teaching them to observe everything I have commanded you” we understand they obeyed. They went and made disciples and taught those disciples to carry on what Jesus had commanded. Which included the command to go and make disciples.

refer and 16: fruit that is the character of the Christian - Christlike-ness

Picking up in verse 11, knowing the will of God gives us the power to persevere. The ability to live a life worthy of the Lord. Paul says it like this:

Paul says it like this:

Strengthened with Power - Power to persevere and power to overcome. Power of the armor and power of the body. Shield as the example: Wood, Leather (wet), Metal, Alloy. So the believer has both the protective power of the armor of God as well as the intrinsic power of Christ living in us. The Word of God, sword of the Spirit, is the link/crossover.

Steadfastness - Endurance - The strength to continue.

Patience - without complaining… are we there yet; I’m bored; how much longer?!

Joy - lumped together with thanksgiving, as in joyful thanksgiving.

Thanksgiving - salvation was initiated by God the Father and carried out by God the Son. Thankfulness to both are appropriate. But here we are pointed to being thankful to the Father. His role is highlighted:

Because He qualified us for the inheritance, rescued us from darkness and brought us into the kingdom. Now there is reason to be thankful!

Qualified for the inheritance by giving righteousness. The great grace exchange that happened at the cross. This was a supernatural exchange. Something only God could do.

It rescued us from darkness. No longer in the domain or under the control of darkness. Our today is filled with hope and our tomorrow is secured in His promise.

And it transfers us into the kingdom of light. Great contrast of dark and light. Light always chases darkness. Never the other way around. This was a redeeming statement. He has the right to transfer us because He has redeemed us. Payed the price for our freedom.

May walking with Him grow the experience you have to bring about wisdom. May wisdom be applied to daily living. May we be strengthened with power.