Hearing and Learning the Faith: A Sermon on Colossians 1:6-7

Col. 1: 6which 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; 7just as you learned it from Epaphras, our beloved fellow bond-servant, who is a faithful servant of Christ on our behalf, 8and he also informed us of your love in the Spirit. 

 
The gospel is glorious.  It is awesome, fantastic and wonderful.  It has eternal value.  The gospel came to them.  They have the hope laid up for them in heaven.  The gospel is the word of truth.  What the Lord Christ spoke was the gospel, and His apostles learned from Him, and spoke the same divine gospel.  This gospel is not impotent to save.  This gospel is not a man-made invention.  This gospel is not a work of man-centered tradition.  This gospel is not a message from Satan, demons or the religions of men.  This gospel is not a cleverly devised tale of extraordinary portions based in fabrication. Rather, the gospel is indeed an awesome and divine message.  These days we see people who have great light revealed to them, and yet, they reject the gospel.  It is no different—people rejected the gospel in the past.  Genesis 3:15 speaks of the first gospel message, and I am sure Cain rejected it when he first heard it and preferred the ways of rebellion and wickedness; rather then the ways of trusting the Lord and doing what is right.  He knew of the right way and rejected it.  People, who know of the right way (that is, the gospel) and reject it, will have a greater judgment then those who do not know it is true and reject it.  We see other false prophets like Balaam who knew of the glorious God of heaven and earth (that is, the God of the Hebrews) and he rejected it to serve his foolish ways of error and mischievousness.  But the gospel of the Bible is a gospel that is meant to be proclaimed throughout the whole world.  This is the outward call.  God commands people repent and believe in His gospel.  We have the entirety of God’s Word today.  You can go to a bookstore, and they most likely they will have a Bible of the Old and New Testaments.  This means we have great light.  If people have greater the light, then, greater will be their rejection, and in turn, greater judgment and holy retribution from God alone to wicked reprobates.  But we see God working in the world through His people to proclaim His glorious truth of grace and peace.  The gospel spreads because God makes it grow and gives the increase all the most.  If the gospel were not of God, it would not grow and be the life-transforming message that it is.  We see a world full of self-help methods, and psychological methods that only complicate things in the life of people in spiritual terms.  People are very concerned about how they feel.  But it is in accord with the gospel to be people who mourn over sin.  Do you mourn over sin that shows repentance?  The Scripture speaks of those who laugh now but will spend an eternity in misery.  People are in desperate need of the gospel.  Some people are so blinded by sin that they do not understand that they have a desperate need for the gospel.  People say, “I do not feel I need this gospel you speak of.  I am doing fine in what I do now, and I will not leave my comfort zone.”  Theologians nowadays have a humanistic understanding of man.  They simply do not believe the radical corruption of man.  They simply fail to understand the total depravity of man.  Whether it is Arminianism (which says man has the ability to choose the gospel, or rather cooperate with His redemptive grace; to reject or accept); or Roman Catholicism (which says man has an island of righteousness in him); or Scientology (which says man is basically good), and so on—it shows that these groups have rejected the biblical understanding of man.  The Bible says nothing good dwells in my flesh; no one is good or righteous, and man does not have the ability to seek after a holy God because man is radically corrupt.  The only reason why a person accepts the gospel is because God makes men to differ.  The Holy Spirit is the One who changes the heart with the divine Word of God.  He is the One who makes us alive, and raises us from the dead; when He does this people respond in faith.  They willingly embrace the gospel, and believe it with all their heart. 

Jesus Christ is the all-sufficient Incarnate bodily Risen Savior and Lord.  Once you accept Christ as your Lord and Savior, you will abhor sin, turn from it in true and faithful repentance and cling to Christ over your sins.  We speak of accepting Christ and we mean believing Christ but really it is will Christ accept you?  Not what will you do with Christ but what will Christ do with you?  After regeneration (being born again) and justification (being declared righteous) comes sanctification (the pursuit of holiness).  There is a sense in which a believer has already been sanctified in Christ in a past tense.  Believers also go through sanctification in the present tense.  After all of this, in heaven we are glorified.  This is a wonderful reality for God’s people.  God will finish what He started.  God loses none that are His property.  The gospel is not a message of gloom or sadness.  Rather, it is a message of unspeakable love that Christ has for His people.  It is surely and truly the good news of my Lord and Redeemer Jesus Christ: “…except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish” (Luke 13:3 KJV).  If someone dies in their present condition of unrepentant life, he is lost forever.  If you are brought to a time in your life, which indicates that sin is your tremendous plague, in which you are offending God, which is your tremendous grief, and your heart is to please Him and honor Him, then God has given you hope.  This hope is in His Son, Jesus Christ.  “For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost” (Luke 19:10 KJV).

If you haven’t already done so, may you surrender to His Lordship, Saviorhood, and surrender to His control in your life.  Jesus blood can wash the foulest human person clean.  The grace of God can securely uphold the weakest person.  Jesus actually saves sinners.  When is the right time to be saved?  “…Behold now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation” (2 Cor. 6:2 KJV).  May you, yield your life to Christ.  May you give Him your all this day.  It’s upon Christ’s life; upon His death, that Christians trust in Him, for eternal life all their lives.  Trust in Christ’s life, His unified righteousness alone and His atoning death, Who rose triumphantly and victoriously from the grave in the same body He was crucified in yet His body that He died in, was a resurrected glorified body; therefore Jesus bodily from the grave, which demonstrated that He is Incarnate Divinity, and His bodily resurrection verified the work that He accomplished for His people on the cross in His selfless sacrificial atonement.  Jesus was ascended into heaven and He is enthroned in the heavens; and ladies and gentlemen, He is the Sovereign King!  Yes, He rules and reigns, and all government is subject to Him!

Let's turn to this following example.  Suppose there is a person and his name is F.  His entire life is an F.  He has tried it his own way all his life and he has failed miserably.  God looks down upon the earth and sees person F.  He gives him a failing grade; He gives him an F.  But because God Who is abundant and rich in the depths of His mercy (Eph. 1, 2); He choose to save person F, He will preserve that person unto the very end of life.  Since God choose to save person F, He will never ever leave nor abandon nor forsake person F.  Because, you see, person F, is now His property.  Now that person F is God's possession, God molds the believer (election unto holiness) in conforming the believer to the image of Christ.  Since person F is now saved by God all because of Him for God’s glory alone, He is given a passing grade to enter heaven on the basis of Christ's merits alone.  The believer is given an A+ not because of something the believer has done or will do, but because of the basis and grounds of Christ’s atonement alone; it’s Christ’s righteousness alone that avails to the Father, in order that His people may stand before God, clothed in the very unified righteousness of Christ Himself.  The Father, in accord with His beloved and holy will, accepts the sinner, through the work of Christ, which was made actual by the operational work of the Holy Ghost.  God loves His people that much, as to save them from their own sinful, selfish ways.  The author of Hebrews says:  “...how shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation…” (Heb. 2:3 KJV).  Christians know that true Christians truly believe because God truly worked in us and truly loved us and truly gave His Son for His true people that everyone that truly believes in Him should not perish but truly have or truly obtain real everlasting life (see John 3:16).  So, as Christians understand the true gospel of Christ, we are not to be ashamed of the gospel because “...it is the power of God unto everyone who believeth...” (Romans 1:16).  As the apostle Paul said to the Philippian jailor, so I say to you, “…Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved....”  (Acts 16:31 KJV).

The question is: what is the gospel that has come to them?  Or if I can personalize it, what is the gospel that has come to you?  We know Scripture speaks of a different gospel.  It speaks of another gospel.  That which is foreign to the Bible and to biblical Christianity!  We speak search the Scriptures and see the gospel that it teaches.  It does not teach justification by faith and works.  It does not teach a faith that is in carnality but a lasting, fruitful faith.   

Martin Luther asserted that the doctrine of justification is the cornerstone of the Christian church.  He asserted that the Christian church stands or falls on this particular doctrine.  The Reformation was the theatre of war for the truthfulness and heart of the gospel of grace.  Justification by faith alone is defined as an act by God Himself in which He makes right in His holy sight the ungodly sinner. The ultimate requirement for an ungodly human being is goodness and righteousness.  Christ supplies this righteousness in place of the regenerated believer.  The doctrine of justification is solely by faith, which is grounded by the merits of Jesus Christ solely.  It is not based in any way on our goodness or civil righteousness.  

Justification focal point is on the inquiry of grace and merit.  The dogma of justification by faith alone asserts that works are not sufficient, in part or in whole, to achieve justification.  Paul declares:  “…by the deeds of the law no flesh will be justified in His sight…”  (Romans 3:20 KJV).  The nature of justification is forensic.  Regenerated believers are counted to be righteous before a holy and just God because of the imputed unified righteousness of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ to our account.  The essential precondition for justification is faith alone.

Protestant Orthodox theology asserts that faith alone is the means in which justification is appropriated to His people.  Roman Catholic theology asserts that baptism is the focal means in which the cause of justification begins, and the sacrament of penance is secondary.  Penance in Roman Catholic theology is the secondary plank of justification.  This is for those who have back-slider into sin.  Works in sanctification are a requirement, such as, penance, which is congruent merit for justification.  Roman Catholic theology denies that justification is by faith alone.  Roman Catholic theology has the addition of good works for salvation with faith. 

That faith which justifies is a lasting, true and living faith.  That faith is not a mere empty profession of belief.  Faith is an intimate confidence that grasps to Christ alone for salvation of the soul.  It is penitent lasting faith which possesses Christ as Redeemer and Lord. 

The Christian Bible asserts, declares, proclaims and teaches that people are not justified by good acts.  The Christian Bible teaches that we are justified by faith apart from works in the righteousness of Christ alone.  The righteousness of Christ is accounted to God’s people.  Faith is the instrumental cause of the imputation of Christ’s beloved righteousness. 

There is transaction which takes place.  God transfers to His people the very righteousness of Christ by faith alone from regeneration.  Roman Catholic theology calls this a “legal fiction.”  It is hardly a legal fiction.  Rather, it is a legal fact that Christ’s righteousness is applied to the regenerate believer by faith alone!  The transaction is real, and the imputation of Christ’s righteousness is actual and true! 

The doctrine of justification separates erroneous theology from sound theology, hell from heaven, made inventions from Holy Scripture and non-Orthodox religions from Reformed Orthodox Christianity.  The doctrine of justification has eternal consequences.  The doctrine of justification is the heart of the glorious gospel of God.  The gospel of God is the andante for depraved sinners.  The gospel of God is clearly presented, defended, preached and proclaimed in Holy Writ.

          The gospel of God is the solid and unbreakable truth of how a person becomes right with his Creator.  Despite, the utmost significance and eternal importance of the gospel of God, non-Orthodox religions who counterfeit biblical Christianity have manipulated, distorted and replaced the gospel of God with the gospel of man, which is based solely on the imagination of depraved foolishness.  The gospel of God will always be what it is, because of God’s precious promises; despite man’s continuous misrepresentation of God’s holy message of grace.

          The inspired, infallible, authoritative, inerrant and preserved written Word of God declares the gospel of God, believed by true Christians.  The gospel of God consists of essential dogmatic doctrines seen in Holy Scripture, church hymns and early church history.  The gospel of God is the good news, because it is inspired truth, from God Himself.  Church history demonstrates that the church fathers believed God Himself justifies sinners without human works.

          The Church fathers believed that justification is by faith alone based on the righteousness of Christ alone.  Therefore, the Church Fathers support Holy Scripture and particularly the doctrine of justification.  Justification is immensely important.  The reason why the doctrine of justification has eternal importance is because it is the center of the gospel of truthfulness.  Justification is God’s action of pardoning the sins, transgressions, iniquities and guilt of sinners.  Justification means God accepts a sinner because of Christ after God has changes a person’s heart in regeneration by the Spirit of God.  We believe because we are saved.  We do not become saved because we believe.  The individuals’ sin is imputed to Christ and Christ’s righteousness is imputed to the sinner.  As once stated previously, salvation is by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone for the glory of God alone because of Scripture alone.

          The works of humanity are not sufficient in part of in whole to stand righteous before a most holy and just God.  The work of God is sufficient on the cross because of Christ’s work which is enough for the grounds of justification.  Faith is the means of justification.  Faith, in Reformed Orthodox theology, is the result of the regeneration of the Spirit of God.  The Holy Spirit changes the heart of the sinner to exercise faith through the person’s will.  The faith produced by the Spirit of God is a living, lasting and true faith, which is the instrument of receiving the imputation of Christ.  The faith is not a mere profession, empty, temporary belief; rather this faith is a possession, full and permanent work of God.  Faith is true commitment, obedience, confidence and trust in Christ alone for eternal salvation in which is eternal security for the believing sinner.  We, who are justified, have the real righteousness and/or merit of Christ. 

The epistle of Romans is a great theological epistle.  The epistle of Romans deals heavily with the doctrine of justification.  Romans chapter five explicitly presents the blessings of justification.  The five bless consequences of justification are, peace with God (Romans 5:1), access to God (Romans 5:2), assurance from God (Romans 5:3-4), the indwelling of the Spirit of God (Romans 5:5), preservation (Romans 5:6-8) and reconciliation to God by Christ because of His atonement (Romans 5:9-11).

When God grants His people to preach His gospel to the world, and it is not a man-made gospel, it will spread and bear fruit.  His will not fail to accomplish what God has designed it to do.  Who can stop His purpose and who can alter His will?  Is He not the All-powerful One who does what He wills?  So the gospel increased among the people, as it does in our time when the message is faithful to Scripture.  If it is not faithful to Scripture, it will not bear divine and true fruit and increase unto goodness and mercy.  But in their time, and in our time, we see false teachers teaching false doctrine.  We are to be committed to the Scripture in truth.  There are many people who have rejected the gospel, and yet, claim they believe the gospel.  We see in Romanism that there are millions of people who claim they know the gospel.  But when we examine their beliefs founded in the teachings of Rome in comparison to Scripture we know that something is wrong.  We know that something is amiss.  They claim to faithfully represent what Scripture says, and they claim to be the only true church of God on earth.  But when we examine their beliefs in light of divine Scripture (and we use Scripture interpreting Scripture) we can see their folly and man-made foolishness. 

But those who hear the gospel of Christ and believe; they are like us who now believe.  Matthew Henry wrote, “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.”  Some have believed before those, and they are in Christ before the others.  But when we all have believed we are all in Christ.  We read in Romans 16:7, Greet Andronicus and Junias, my relatives who have been in prison with me. They are outstanding among the apostles, and they were in Christ before I was.

Theodoret of Cyr wrote, “The “fruit of the gospel” refers to those who hear the gospel and respond with a praiseworthy life.  The “growth” is increase in the number of believers.”  (ACCOS, p. 3).

The gospel is about the grace of God in truth.  We are to hear about the gospel on a regular basis, and learn about the gospel throughout the week; throughout our lives.  The true gospel is always seen from what is revealed from the truth of divine Scripture. 

We see that Christ taught and preached the gospel:

Luke 20:1, On one of the days while He was teaching the people in the temple and preaching the gospel, the chief priests and the scribes with the elders confronted Him,

The gospel was preached so they may turn:

Acts 14:15, and saying, "Men, why are you doing these things? We are also men of the same nature as you, and preach the gospel to you that you should turn from these vain things to a living God, WHO MADE THE HEAVEN AND THE EARTH AND THE SEA AND ALL THAT IS IN THEM.

We are to do all things in the spirit of not bring hindrance to the gospel:  1 Corinthians 9:12, If others share the right over you, do we not more? Nevertheless, we did not use this right, but we endure all things so that we will cause no hindrance to the gospel of Christ.

We see that God has blinded the minds of those who see, but do not perceive, and who hear, and do not understand:  2 Corinthians 4:4, in whose case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelieving so that they might not see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.

When the gospel is believed, people will glorify God: 2 Corinthians 9:13, Because of the proof given by this ministry, they will glorify God for your obedience to your confession of the gospel of Christ and for the liberality of your contribution to them and to all,

Do not accept a different gospel:  2 Corinthians 11:4, For if one comes and preaches another Jesus whom we have not preached, or you receive a different spirit which you have not received, or a different gospel which you have not accepted, you bear this beautifully.

For the glory of Christ and the continence of the gospel:  Philippians 1:27, Only conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or remain absent, I will hear of you that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel;

We ought to defend and confirm the gospel by Scripture:  Philippians 1:7, For it is only right for me to feel this way about you all, because I have you in my heart, since both in my imprisonment and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel, you all are partakers of grace with me.

We ought to pray that our circumstances led to the advancement of the gospel:  Philippians 1:12, Now I want you to know, brethren, that my circumstances have turned out for the greater progress of the gospel,

The gospel is the power of God the Holy Spirit:  1 Thessalonians 1:5, for our gospel did not come to you in word only, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction; just as you know what kind of men we proved to be among you for your sake.

When God’s true gospel is spread about there is always opposition:  1 Thessalonians 2:2, but after we had already suffered and been mistreated in Philippi, as you know, we had the boldness in our God to speak to you the gospel of God amid much opposition.

The gospel advances when people who are approved by God speak the truth of the gospel:  1 Thessalonians 2:4, but just as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel, so we speak, not as pleasing men, but God who examines our hearts.

Angels desire to look into divine things of the gospel:  1 Peter 1:12, It was revealed to them that they were not serving themselves, but you, in these things which now have been announced to you through those who preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven--things into which angels long to look.

We see that Epaphras was a man who spoke of the truth of the gospel.  People learned it from Him.  He must have been trained and was well-equipped to speak the whole counsel of God to God’s people.  Are you a person something can learn the things of God from?  Are you still immature in your faith, or have you grow in knowledge and maturity to reasonably communicate your faith to others?  Teachers ought to use Epaphras as an example.  He is in contrast with false teachers who are not bondservants or true people of God.  He had a ministry from Christ while false teachers have a ministry from Satan as his messengers. 

Again Henry wrote, “He calls him his fellow-servant, to signify not only that they served the same Master, but that they were engaged in the same work. They were fellow-labourers in the work of the Lord, though one was an apostle and the other an ordinary minister. 2. He calls him his dear fellow-servant: all the servants of Christ ought to love one another, and it is an endearing consideration that they are engaged in the same service. 3. He represents him as one who was a faithful minister of Christ to them, who discharged his trust and fulfilled his ministry among them. Observe, Christ is our proper Master, and we are his ministers. He does not say who is your minister; but who is the minister of Christ for you. It is by his authority and appointment, though for the people's service. 4. He represents him as one who gave them a good word: Who also declared unto us your love in the Spirit, v. 8. He recommends him to their affection, from the good report he made of their sincere love to Christ and all his members, which was wrought in them by the Spirit, and is agreeable to the spirit of the gospel. Faithful ministers are glad to be able to speak well of their people.” 

We are to speak the truth of God in grace and peace.  We are all accountable to God for what we say about Him.  We must speak the truth seasoned with salt and grace.  The Bible speaks of him as a fellow beloved bondservant of Christ.  Can you speak that way of someone?  Are you a bondservant of Christ?  He described as faithful.  He was faithful to the gospel.  He was a man who stood for the true things God.  We see so many teachers today we are not faithful, and we teach spiritually foolish things, and it spreads like wild fire.   

Calvin wrote, “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.”   

Can your pastor describe of you your love in the Spirit?  We are to be people of love in the Spirit of God.  We are to love and be known for our love.  Let us understand and learn the Faith so we can grow in love for our great, and awesome God.  Amen.