Faith, Love, and Hope

Introduction

The letter to the Colossians was written around 60 A.D. while Paul was imprisoned at Rome. Colosse is a city located about 100 miles inland from Ephesus in the same vicinity as Laodicea and Hierapolis. It would be in modern day Turkey.

The church at Colosse was not founded personally by the Apostle Paul but was likely founded by Colossian believers who came to faith while Paul was in Ephesus namely Epaphras and Philemon.

Paul begins this letter to the church at Colosse with a standard greeting stating his authorship and more importantly his authority. Paul identifies himself as an apostle of Jesus Christ which position should provoke respect and obedience in the minds to the believers in Colosse.

Notice here that Paul’s apostleship was not by his own will of by the will of men who might have recognized some superior ability in him but truly it was his by the will of God. It is God who had chosen Paul as the apostle to the Gentiles and had given him authority to preach the gospel the them and to teach and instruct them in the Word of God.

We also see the audience for which the letter was intended “the saints and faithful brethren in Christ” at Colosse. We know that the letter is to the church and this statement is descriptive of the makeup of any true New Testament Church.

The word “saints” speaks of those who are holy or set apart unto God while “faithful brethren” is descriptive of their practical behavior as being that which is proof of their faithfulness to Christ.

He then uses the introductory greeting so common to his letters reminding them of the grace and peace that comes from God through Jesus Christ.

Once the introduction is complete Paul moves to thanksgiving to God for the virtues that he has heard of by the testimony of others who have been among or around them.

The life of every true believer should be marked by these three virtues and these should be evident to all those who we are associated with.

Note that these were not virtues that the believers in Colosse had professed themselves to possess but instead these were ascribed to them by the testimony of others.

Paul gives thanks to God first for their:

Faith (Vs. 4a)

Faith is not believing something in spite of the lack of evidence or believing against logic and reason as some wrongly assume.

Faith is, in the biblical sense, being persuaded or convinced that something is true based upon solid evidence and logical reasoning and trusting it with your life.

The object of faith is also vitally important. There are unfortunately many in the world today who profess to be people of faith but the object of their faith is something other than Christ and thus their faith is rendered useless and worthless.

Paul had received word of the faith of the believers in Colosse and that it was rightly centered upon Jesus Christ. We must be careful that our faith is not in man or in ourselves but is focused upon Jesus Christ.

Faith in Christ was vital to their redemption as it is to ours John 3:18/ John 1:12/ I John 5:13

The faith spoken of here is certainly saving faith but salvation is only the beginning of our walk of faith. Not only are we saved by faith but we walk (live) by faith in Jesus Christ as well.

Faith in Christ is also vital for living the Christian life- Galatians 2:20- Paul describes the effectiveness of faith which has enabled him to live for Christ.

At High Plains Baptist Church we should be known for our faith in Jesus Christ as the means of salvation and also as the means for living a life that brings glory and honor to God.

Sincere faith is never alone and will always produce fruit in the life of the believer. This was true of the believers in the church at Colosse because their faith had produced:

Love (Vs. 4b)

Not only had Paul heard of the faith of the church at Colosse but he had also heard testimony of the love they had toward one another and to all the saints.

This love was certainly the product of their faith in Christ. In fact this love for fellow believers is often presented as a strong evidence of sincere faith without which one should be suspicious of the sincerity of an individuals faith.

Jesus himself put forth love of the brethren as one of the proofs of a true disciple. John 13:34-35- by this shall all men know

The church at Colosse was not divided into cliques or separated by social class or ethnicity but all of them loved one another.

The love of the church at Colosse extended even outside of their regional boundaries to all the saints. These believers loved not only those within their own local gathering but all who were considered to be saints in Christ Jesus.

At High Plains Baptist Church we should be known for our love of the saints. This means we must certainly love one another but also that we should love all those who are saints.

We should never harbor animosity or ill will toward a brother or sister in Christ whether they are within our congregation or another.

There may be times when we have disagreements and even conflicts with a brother or sister in Christ but love should always prevail and we should never live with unresolved anger or bitterness towards a fellow believer.

I John 3:14- we know because we love/ I John 4:20-21- love god love brother.

Those who observe our interactions with our brothers and sisters in Christ should never have reason to question our love for one another.

The church that loves in this manner presents a strong and stirring testimony for the Lord Jesus Christ and the effectiveness of faith in Him.

The final virtue that Paul is thankful to God to hear is present among them is their:

Hope (Vs. 5)

Biblical hope is not a wishful thinking or dreaming that something may perhaps come to fruition. Biblical hope is looking forward with eager anticipation and strong confidence in the sure promises of God.

Biblical hope is more a confident expectation than it is a wishful anticipation.

The hope that Paul is referring to is “laid up in heaven” meaning it is safe and secure and cannot be done away with.

The hope that we have in Christ should be evidenced as we live with eternity ever in view knowing that this life is but a fleeting moment given to us to prepare.

The hope that the believers in Colosse possessed originated with their reception of the Word of Truth, namely the message of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Our hope also originates in the hearing and reception of the gospel. The gospel is the foundation upon which our hope is established.

Romans 8:18- sufferings of the present/glory of the future

We who believe on Christ should have an unshakeable hope that distinguishes us from a world without hope.

Christians should exhibit hope even in the midst of trials, hardship, and difficulty.

Because of the gospel we have the hope of eternal life, the hope of a waiting inheritance in heaven, the hope of rewards stored up for us in eternity.

The writer of Hebrews appropriately describes the hope of the Christian as that which anchors his soul (Hebrews 6:19)

We ought to live differently than those who do not know Christ because of the blessed hope that we have. (Titus 2:12-13)

Conclusion

Faith, love, and hope should be evident in the life of every Christian.

These character traits are what separate us from a lost world. These three virtues should make us distinct amidst a world that is faithless, hate-filled, and hopeless.

Are these character traits visible in your life? Would you be recognized as a Christian because of your faith, your love, and the hope that you have?