Bearing Fruit in the Grace of God in Divine Truth: A Sermon on Colossians 1:6

Col 1:6: which has come to you, just as in all the world also it is constantly bearing fruit and increasing, even as it has been doing in you also since the day you heard of it and understood the grace of God in truth;  NASB

Matthew Henry writes,

They heard of the hope laid up in heaven in the word of the truth of the gospel. "Which has come unto you, as it hath to all the world, and bringeth forth fruit, as it doth also in you, v. 6. This gospel is preached and brings forth fruit in other nations; it has come to you, as it hath to all the world, according to the commission, Go preach the gospel in all the nations, and to every creature." Observe, (1.) All who hear the word of the gospel ought to bring forth the fruit of the gospel, that is, be obedient to it, and have their principles and lives formed according to it. This was the doctrine first preached: Bring forth therefore fruits meet for repentance, Matt. iii. 8. And our Lord says, If you know these things, happy are you if you do them, John xiii. 17. Observe, (2.) Wherever the gospel comes, it will bring forth fruit to the honour and glory of God: It bringeth forth fruit, as it doth also in you. We mistake, if we think to monopolize the comforts and benefits of the gospel to ourselves. Does the gospel bring forth fruit in us? So it does in others.

We ought to see the world as it goes on as fruitless.  That is, bearing no good fruit but bad fruit.  It is a world of fruitlessness; a world of self-righteous deeds; a world of filthy rages before a holy, mighty and just God.  The deeds of the flesh are what characterize the world.  As the world rushes on in wickedness and sin and immorality, we are to be lights in a world that has marred the image of God, and that is a dark and corrupt world of iniquity.  We see in our world a world of sin, and it seems like it just gets worse and worse.  But as Christians we are to be lights in the world.  We must bear good and valuable fruit, for it is by, through and in the Blessed Savior that this is done.  It is certainly not done apart from Him, for apart from the Blessed Incarnate Lamb of God, we can do nothing.  He is the Incarnate Vine of God and through Him we can life and bear good fruit.  Are goods are to mirror the deeds of the Lord Jesus Christ, for is He not an example in all things for us?  Didn’t He perform righteous deeds of mercy and charitableness to a world of misery and sin?  We ought to bear fruit of goodness and mercy.  We see that the Blessed Lord performed wondrous miracles and signs that attested His deity.  What a glorious thought!  He is the One who are to model.  He is the One who are to behave like.  He is the One who are to act like.  Granted, I do not mean that we are gods of any sort, for we are fallen creatures, and He was and is the Impeccable One, the Sinless Savior.  If we behave like Him, we will do acts of goodness and righteousness.  The world sees Jesus and thinks He is merely an example they should follow.  We certainly know differently.  He is surely our example in all things, but He is much more then our example.

          He is the One who was bore by the Spirit of Goodness.  He is the One who lived a perfect, sinless and spotless life.  He is the One who taught from the Father righteous and pure words that form the Gospel themselves.  He is the One who performed matchless deeds of goodness that cannot be equaled.  He is the One who died a death no mere man can die; who atoned for the sins of His own to His Beloved Father.  He is the One who provides a foreign righteousness that is not of this world.  It is pure, sinless and perfect.  It is His very own spiritual garments which He provides for His own.  There is no righteousness none to God that is better then the imputed righteousness of the Lord Jesus Christ.  Why, then, do sinful, poor, and fallen creatures want the sinful rages of filth from this world?  It is because their hearts desperately wicked and hopeless sick.  From their totally depraved hearts, they reason about their good deeds yet it avails them nothing before God, for is He not perfect, holy and without the slightest darkness?  Yes, He is the One who rose bodily from the grave, and who rose victoriously for our justification.  He is the One who ascended on High, and sits on the right hand of God, and who makes constant intercession for His beloved people on earth.  Calvin says:

6 As also in all the world it brings forth fruit. This has a tendency both to confirm and to comfort the pious — to see the effect of the gospel far and wide in gathering many to Christ. The faith of it does not, it is true, depend on its success, as though we should believe it on the ground that many believe it. Though the whole world should fail, though heaven itself should fall, the conscience of a pious man must not waver, because God, on whom it is founded, does nevertheless remain true. This, however, does not hinder our faith from being confirmed, whenever it perceives God’s excellence, which undoubtedly shews itself with more power in proportion to the number of persons that are gained over to Christ.

In addition to this, in the multitude of the believers at that time there was beheld an accomplishment of the many predictions which extend the reign of Christ from the East to the West. Is it a trivial or common aid to faith, to see accomplished before our eyes what the Prophets long since predicted as to the extending of the kingdom of Christ through all countries of the world? What I speak of, there is no believer that does not experience in himself. Paul accordingly had it in view to encourage the Colossians the more by this statement, that, by seeing in various places the fruit and progress of the gospel, they might embrace it with more eager zeal.

Since the day ye heard it, and knew the grace. Here he praises them on account of their docility, inasmuch as they immediately embraced sound doctrine; and he praises them on account of their constancy, inasmuch as they persevered in it. It is also with propriety that the faith of the gospel is called the knowledge of God’s grace; for no one has ever tasted of the gospel but the man that knew himself to be reconciled to God, and took hold of the salvation that is held forth in Christ.

In truth means truly and without pretense; for as he had previously declared that the gospel is undoubted truth, so he now adds, that it had been purely administered by them…For while all boast that they preach the gospel, and yet at the same time there are many evil workers, (Philippians 3:2,) through whose ignorance, or ambition, or avarice, its purity is adulterated, it is of great importance that faithful ministers should be distinguished from the less upright. For it is not enough to hold the term gospel, unless we know that this is the true gospel…

The gospel was proclaimed by Christ, and do you see how He is more then just an example?  What Jesus did here on earth in His private and public ministry, is truly amazing and nothing less then awesome.  He directed people to Himself.  Because of Jesus and what He did for His own, His people have the assured confidence of bearing fruit because He has set us in Him, and without being in Him we could surely do nothing at all.  God wants His people to bear fruit, because He is a Good God, and a God who wants glory for Himself.  He always does what is right and lawful, and if He always does what is right and lawful—wanting glory for Himself is perfectly acceptable.  Because God wants glory for Himself, we ought to want it to, because doesn’t the God of all grace do what is right and holy?  He always does what right, and it is right for His beloved people to perform righteous deeds. 

          Let us turn to that blessed book, Galatians, which speaks to the reality of the deeds of the flesh, and the fruits of the Spirit:

16But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh.

 17For the flesh sets its desire against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; for these are in opposition to one another, so that you may not do the things that you please.

 18But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the Law.

19Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are: immorality, impurity, sensuality,

 20idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions,

21envying, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these, of which I forewarn you, just as I have forewarned you, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.

22But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,

23gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.

24Now those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.

25If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit.

26Let us not become boastful, challenging one another, envying one another.

In the world by those who are its own we see the appearance of righteousness but not the actuality of righteousness.  Calvin called it civil righteousness.  It will never avail before God as saving merit.  Only the merit of the Lord Jesus Christ avails in the place of sinners.  There is no other merit that avails in the place of sinners. 

          We must in the Spirit as children of God; sons and daughters of God; pilgrims that are His own and people who love bearing fruits.  Isn’t the imputed righteousness of Christ the foundation for practical righteousness?  Isn’t being in Christ the starting point and the foundation sinners need to bear much fruit?  Let us, then, bear the fruits of the Spirit, for only His elect can do it in actuality.  For it is the fruits of ‘love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control.’  These are wonderful fruits of the Spirit of God, and either God’s people have all of them or none of them.  We must live by the Spirit of good fruit, and bring glory of our Lord who lives, and sits at the right hand of God. 

          We see that the world goes on in the works of the flesh ‘immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions, envying, drunkenness, carousing.’  Before we were converted we conducted ourselves in these works.  We were children of wrath and sons and daughters of disobedience.  We lacked repentance and bearing good fruit to the glory and honor of our Savior and Lord and King.  The Lord Jesus is the Lord of glory, and He has designed in His that we be people of bearing much fruit.  We must submit to His Word, and live it out in our daily lives.

          Have you lived out the fruits of the Spirit in your life?  Have you committed some of the works of the flesh?  Where is your repentance?  Where is bearing fruits of repentance?  How will you stand when the evidence is weighed on your Christian walk with Christ?  Will God have all the evidence He needs to demonstrate that you are a Christian?  What if Satan came, would he know you were a Christian?  How much glory to you want Christ to have?  If you do not bear fruits as you ought, though you bear them nonetheless, where do you think you can improve?  All our works are tainted with sin because we are imperfect people; sinful people; corrupt people.  But we need the grace of God to enable us to bear fruits of the Spirit.  If we bear fruits of the Spirit we will give glory to the Lord who chose you out of His graciousness but not from obligation. 

          Do you want to show the world who you belong to?  We are not to sinfully do works before men to get a reward from them because as we know the Lord Jesus says it is wrong and it should be abhorred.  We are to abhor the works of the world.  We are to abhor deeds of wickedness which some religious Jews did at that time.  Why should we be conformed to the world, when it was Christ who purchased His own out of the world, and now keeps us in the world to bear much fruit of goodness and mercy?  Shouldn’t desire to show our fruits?  Have you noticed the fruits you bear?  Yet we are not to be boastful, puffed up, arrogant or prideful.  We are to do good works so that the unbelieving world will glorify Your Heavenly Father who is the great Ancient of Days, and who is the Father of the Lord Jesus Christ, and who has a Beloved Spirit who precede from the Father and the Son. 

          We are to be obedient as the Son was obedient to the Father.  We are to follow His will, and our meat and drink is to do His beloved will and follow it with our very lives.  When the gospel is embraced, fruit will come, and it is a glorious thing.  Let us sing together…

When we walk with the Lord in the light of His Word,
What a glory He sheds on our way!
While we do His good will, He abides with us still,
And with all who will trust and obey.

Refrain

Trust and obey, for there’s no other way
To be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey.

Not a shadow can rise, not a cloud in the skies,
But His smile quickly drives it away;
Not a doubt or a fear, not a sigh or a tear,
Can abide while we trust and obey.

Refrain

Not a burden we bear, not a sorrow we share,
But our toil He doth richly repay;
Not a grief or a loss, not a frown or a cross,
But is blessed if we trust and obey.

Refrain

But we never can prove the delights of His love
Until all on the altar we lay;
For the favor He shows, for the joy He bestows,
Are for them who will trust and obey.

Refrain

Then in fellowship sweet we will sit at His feet.
Or we’ll walk by His side in the way.
What He says we will do, where He sends we will go;
Never fear, only trust and obey.

Refrain

          We ought to understand that it by God’s grace that we perform the fruits of the Spirit.  We bear fruit in the grace of God.  Unbelievers cannot bear the fruit that we bear because it is in the grace of God.  We are to be bearers of fruit and increase in the bearing of fruit.  Will this not bring glory to the One who enables you?  We are to bear fruit in all the world as true Christian people.  When someone sees that we bear fruit, and it is not in a sinful way to get a reward from people, they will surely glorify God in that because it is what divine Scripture teaches. 

          Let us turn to the New Testament epistles and see what Scripture says about fruit:

Romans 1:13, I do not want you to be unaware, brethren, that often I have planned to come to you (and have been prevented so far) so that I may obtain some fruit among you also, even as among the rest of the Gentiles.

Romans 7:4, Therefore, my brethren, you also were made to die to the Law through the body of Christ, so that you might be joined to another, to Him who was raised from the dead, in order that we might bear fruit for God.

Ephesians 5:9, (for the fruit of the Light consists in all goodness and righteousness and truth),

Philippians 1:11, having been filled with the fruit of righteousness which comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.

Philippians 1:22, But if I am to live on in the flesh, this will mean fruitful labor for me; and I do not know which to choose.

Colossians 1:6, which has come to you, just as in all the world also it is constantly bearing fruit and increasing, even as it has been doing in you also since the day you heard of it and understood the grace of God in truth;

Colossians 1:10, so that you will walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, to please Him in all respects, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God;

Hebrews 12:11, All discipline for the moment seems not to be joyful, but sorrowful; yet to those who have been trained by it, afterwards it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness.

James 3:17, But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, reasonable, full of mercy and good fruits, unwavering, without hypocrisy.

James 3:18, And the seed whose fruit is righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.

Jude 1:12, These are the men who are hidden reefs in your love feasts when they feast with you without fear, caring for themselves; clouds without water, carried along by winds; autumn trees without fruit, doubly dead, uprooted;

Augustine says On Christian Doctrine about love:

28. Now he is a man of just and holy life who forms an unprejudiced estimate of things, and keeps his affections also under strict control, so that he neither loves what he ought not to love, nor fails to love what he ought to love, nor loves that more which ought to be loved less, nor loves that equally which ought to be loved either less or more, nor loves that less or more which ought to be loved equally. No sinner is to be loved as a sinner; and every man is to be loved as a man for God's sake; but God is to be loved for His own sake. And if God is to be loved more than any man, each man ought to love God more than himself. Likewise we ought to love another man better than our own body, because all things are to be loved in reference to God, and another man can have fellowship with us in the enjoyment of God, whereas our body cannot; for the body only lives through the soul, and it is by the soul that we enjoy God.

He adds:

42. But sight shall displace faith; and hope shall be swallowed up in that perfect bliss to which we shall come: love, on the other hand, shall wax greater when these others fail. For if we love by faith that which as yet we see not, how much more shall we love it when we begin to see! And if we love by hope that which as yet we have not reached, how much more shall we love it when we reach it! For there is this great difference between things temporal and things eternal, that a temporal object is valued more before we possess it, and begins to prove worthless the moment we attain it, because it does not satisfy the soul, which has its only true and sure resting-place in eternity: an eternal object, on the other hand, is loved with greater ardour when it is in possession than while it is still an object of desire, for no one in his longing for it can set a higher value on it than really belongs to it, so as to think it comparatively worthless when he finds it of less value than he thought; on the contrary, however high the value any man may set upon it when he is on his way to possess it, he will find it, when it comes into his possession, of higher value still.

We are to be obedient sons and daughters of Christ.  To be obedient to Christ is to follow His commandments, and when we do that, we show we love Him.  We demonstrate a divine love from above.  When we obey we show that God is our God and we follow Him.