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Hope from the gospel
Colossians 1:3-5
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.
Just as he does in 1 Corinthians 13:13, Paul brings into play here his formula of faith, hope, and love. Here, he explains how our faith in Christ Jesus and our love for all the saints are brought about. They are motivated by the hope laid up for us in heaven-the hope that we now have because we have heard “the word of truth, the gospel” (v. 5). This precious promise of Christ is that “you, who once were alienated and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds, he has now reconciled in his body of flesh by his death, in order to present you holy and blameless and above reproach before him” (vv. 21-22). Our hope is not merely to make it to heaven, but to stand before Christ as blameless when we get there. Because of the faithfulness of Christ, this is a hope and a guarantee. I know I need to dwell on the gospel a lot more than I do…the Spirit will use it to change my heart, building my faith in Christ Jesus and my love for fellow Christians.
Serving the Lord Christ
1 If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 2 Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth…. 22 Slaves, obey in everything those who are your earthly masters, not by way of eye-service, as people-pleasers, but with sincerity of heart, fearing the Lord. 23 Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, 24 knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ.
–Colossians 3:1-2, 22-24
This was a sobering reminder of how important it is to have Christ as Lord of every part of my life. It’s easy to feign commitment to Him but then slack off at work and waste time on the Internet or just goofing off. This is dishonoring to my real boss—the Lord Christ. It all comes down to whether or not I’m willing to set my mind on things above. Is Christ merely one of many priorities, or will I reject everything but Him, viewing all things through the lens of a God-glorifying attitude?
