The Believer's Gospel

Scripture: Colossians 1:15-23

Sermon Title: The Believer’s Gospel

We began our series through the book of Colossians last week, a series I’m calling “Christ and the Believer,” because that is the framework for much of what Paul wrote to his audience. Here’s your reminder of where Colosse was—that blue star with an outline. It was a bit inland from the northern coast of the Mediterranean Sea. Back then it was in the region of Phrygia in Asia, which today is the country of Turkey.  

Chapter 1 began as most of the New Testament epistles, or letters, do. Who was this by and who was this for? Verse 1, it was written by “Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God,” literally that means he was one who was sent of Christ by God’s will, “and Timothy our brother, To the holy and faithful brothers in Christ.” We heard how these don’t seem to be people who Paul had met yet or been to their city, but he had heard enough about them and their faith, and he encouraged them by speaking of their inheritance stored up, or reserved for them, in heaven.

It’d be easy and normal to think that Paul will move onto instructions for them, to rebuke and encouragement for some problem, some sin that they were dealing with. Yet as you’ve heard me say, he tells them about Jesus with a very theological message. Yes, he’ll tell them about the cross and what that was for, but Paul paints a far more expansive picture of who Jesus is and what he’s done than just that. Before we begin our passage, let’s hear how we got here by reading verses 13 and 14, and then we’ll continue on.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, what is “gospel”? Maybe you’ve been talking to someone before and one of you describes something that has nothing to do with the Bible or the faith as “gospel.” In that moment, it can be somewhat fluid what is meant and what is understood. We might be communicating something just sounds really good; a clearer way of saying that is, “It’s like music to my ears.” Or we may use it graciously or mockingly to label something as an unquestionable truth; “Whatever so-and-so says is the gospel.” We mean either that person doesn’t need to be questioned, they’re a great authority, or we’re calling them dumb, they talk too much.

Let’s bring it back to the Bible and our Christian faith, though.  If you’re around churches long enough, you should hear that word. We refer to the books of the Bible—Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John as the Gospels. Some churches have “Gospel” in their name. We find it in most, if not all, English translations of the Bible. In the book of Colossians, it shows up twice. The first time was back in verse 5, Paul speaking to the hope believers have in heaven, he says, “…you have already heard about [that] in the word of truth, the gospel that has come to you.” Then it’s in verse 23, “…If you continue in your faith, established and firm, not moved from the hope held out in the gospel. This is the gospel that you heard and that has been proclaimed…” What’s he talking about?

The Greek word is evangelion. You can probably hear some English words we have taken from that—words like evangelism and evangelize. Those stem from that Greek word, but how evangelion is often translated is the word “gospel,” which is then usually defined as “good news.” Gospel is good news. According to a theological dictionary, beyond Scripture, it was used in the ancient world as “news of victory.” If there was a political victory, or especially a military victory, when someone proclaimed that for celebration, they were sharing gospel!

It’s something to be excited about; it’s promising and blessing. But in order to address what Paul is bringing up here, we have to ask a bit different question: what is the gospel? We could go back to Acts 2, as we have before. Peter finished addressing a crowd with these words, “‘…God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ’…They were cut to the heart and [asked], ‘…What shall we do?’ Peter replied, ‘Repent and be baptized every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirt…’” That’s the gospel, isn’t it? Seeing Jesus as the forgiver of sins, as the Savior—yes, it is.

Paul brought up the cross in Colossians 1. In verses 19 and 20, how can anyone have peace with God? It is through the blood of Jesus, “shed on the cross.” Verse 22, “…Now God has reconciled you by Christ’s physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation.” When it comes to the question of what the gospel is, the good news for why you or I or anyone else can be saved, an essential, non-negotiable piece of the answer is Jesus Christ died for us. No one else’s death or life can accomplish what his did. The good news that the believer gets to hold on to, particularly on our side of history, is we know who the Savior is and that he’s already done this. We’re not waiting, wondering when he’ll come or who he’ll be.

Jesus is our Savior, that’s the gospel. So too, the gospel contains the good news Jesus is our Lord. There are different ways to work through and present what’s in verses 15 through 20, all the things Jesus is named there. The way I invite us to look at it this morning is taking the end of verse 18 as a summary—“…So that in everything he might have the supremacy.” Supremacy has a lot of baggage in our time, so what are we talking about? The Greek word here is protevo, or proteuo, and it can be defined as having the first place. In other English translations, instead of supreme or supremacy, you can find the word “preeminent.” Eminent is something famous, respected, noteworthy, renowned. Pre in this case entails being above or ahead of. Jesus Christ is over, above, and before and ahead of everything else we can possibly know.

           When we remember that Jesus is truly our Lord, there’s a vastness in what we’re proclaiming. He is Lord of all creation—because he was there, “He is before all things,” “…By him all things were created…by him and for him…and in him all things hold together.” Light and darkness, the sun, moon, and stars in our galaxy and in however many he alone knows there to be. The water that covers the globe and the skies and atmospheres—they’re all his. The land, the vegetation, the smallest moss and the biggest tree, the soil, clay and sand, the animals, the birds, the insects, creatures that we enjoy and that we’re frightened by—all by him and for him.

So, too, humanity: men and women, who can reproduce, who can grow and develop into maturity, who can think and feel. We are created by and for him. Jackie Hill Perry, a Christian woman who is a poet and artist, has a book in which she shares her life story, how God led her out of identifying and living as a lesbian. Part of her journey included this realization, “If I were able to see God’s goodness in all that He’d made, including me and my woman-ness, then I would’ve easily understood that my body was not left out from the words of Colossians 1:16…My hands, head, face, legs, hips, hormones, private parts, voice, feet, fingers, feelings, were all made by Him and for Him. Apparently, this body was never mine to begin with—it was given to me from Somebody, for Somebody. Somebody who’d made it for glory and not shame. Until I got to know Him though, my identity would be made up of whatever dust that flew from the devil’s feet as he ran through the earth.” Our understanding of creation from human psychology and sexuality to the study of insects and physics and astronomy and everything else is to be shaped by the good news, the gospel, that Jesus is Lord of all of it. He is supreme and has the first place in all of it.

He is Lord of creation. He is also Lord of the church. Verse 18, “…He is the head of the body, the church…” When it comes to the church’s leadership, who is at the top? Who directs, who governs, who holds us accountable, who is leading us in mission and purpose? It’s not me as a local pastor here at Baldwin CRC—I’m not the top. It’s not a president or executive director or general secretary of a denomination. It’s not the pope. Christ is the head of the church—no one can take his place. It’s his church; he rules it by his will. If anyone would try and take that away, to call it their own church, solely their ministry; they’re taking what does not belong to them. They’ve deviated from the gospel.

Notice what Paul pairs that with, though, “…He is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead…” How is the church defined? It’s what we looked at last week, that we—the members, the parts of the body—get to look forward to eternal life. We are people will be born again, or resurrected, from death. Why? Because Jesus was the beginning and firstborn from the dead—he came back to life. He conquered the grave. The story of his creation is not one that quickly was corrupted by his creatures’ sin and lost forever. No, the story of God’s creation is a long story that involves him showing his love and restoring that which we blemished. He is Lord of the church for which we give him glory and we trust him.

Finally with this point, he is Lord of us, the only one who justifies and sanctifies us. I’ve already highlighted some of this in looking at Jesus as our Savior, but listen to this from verses 21 through 23, “Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of your evil behavior. But now he has reconciled you…to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation—if you continue in your faith, established and firm, not moved from the hope held out in the gospel…” The gospel is not that any of us or some other person on this planet during our lifetime can do anything for us; it is solely about the work of Jesus.

Who does he do his work to or on, decent people, right? Pretty righteous people, right? People that have their lives all put together, but just need to get over that little hump of sin or doubt? No, Jesus is Lord of us, who were once alienated—foreigners, strangers to God, and enemies of him. Recognizing him as Lord is good news because it means acknowledged that he’s made us his own, his sons and daughters, brothers and sisters with Jesus, and ultimately his bride. He knows all of our offenses, all of our rebellion, and yet he sees perfect holiness because of Jesus.

The gospel is incredible, isn’t it? Jesus has the supremacy, “He is the image of the invisible God…all God’s fullness dwells in him.” If we’re looking for hope, if we’re looking for answers, if we’re looking for what’s right, what’s wrong, what is sacrificial love? It’s all here. God is in charge of everything; nothing can thwart his plans for and the proclamation of his victory!

           There’s one more aspect that this passage and others put before us that we shouldn’t overlook. That is, the gospel is exclusive. I’m not talking about the election of God, those who are chosen to be saved versus those who aren’t. What I mean this morning by exclusive is that the gospel is unique. Its uniqueness is not in the way of snowflakes that just as there are many snowflakes, all distinct, none the same, but still snowflakes; there are not many different gospels, all distinct, but still saving gospels. No, the Christian gospel, the Christ-rooted and centered gospel, is the only true and saving gospel for any person.

What Paul preaches here is not just the Colossian gospel; it’s the only gospel. That’s what we heard in verse 23. Paul encouraged this body to “continue in [their] faith…not moved from the hope held out in the gospel.” What he had written to them was “the gospel that you heard and that has been proclaimed to every creature under heaven, and of which [he had become] a servant.”

He makes a similar point in Galatians 1:6 through 8, “I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you by the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel—which is really no gospel at all. Evidently some people are throwing you into confusion and are trying to pervert the gospel of Christ. But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let him be eternally condemned!” A couple verses later, he writes, “…The gospel I preached is not something that man made up. I did not receive it from any man, nor was I taught it; rather, I received it by revelation from Jesus Christ.” It’s why he also writes to Timothy in 1 Timothy 1:15, “Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners…”

The gospel is exclusive. It’s why we’re called to be on the lookout for false doctrines and false prophets, to not be led astray by false teachings. How can we do that? Because we, who are believers, should know what is at the core of our faith, what is essential for our salvation—that Jesus is our Lord and our Savior. We must be careful to not add on unnecessary things that go beyond or that attempt to update or change the teachings of Christ. The point is not just to keep the wrong out, but it’s also to guide people to the only hope, the only source of mercy—Jesus.

Brothers and sisters, this is our foundation. This is our good news, our victory, what has been done and done for us and for all who will call on the name of the Lord. Remember how good it is, come back to this as spiritual food and drink for nourishment over and over again. Do not elevate anyone or anything else to the place that Jesus the Christ must hold for us. Amen.