“Reasons to Give Thanks” (Part 2)

This week, we are considering Colossians 1:3-8, and seeing reasons for giving thanks for the assemblies we serve as shepherds and leaders. Monday we saw that, though the Colossian church was far from perfect, Paul could nevertheless give thanks for them—and he began by giving thanks for their faith. Today, he adds two more good reasons for thanksgiving. The next is:

Their Love For All The Saints (v.4)

This is huge—and tough, too. The word Paul uses for love is “agape”—which speaks of sacrificial love. It is divine love that always seeks the welfare of the one loved, even at great personal cost. It is John 3:16 love—and Paul said they had it—get this—“for ALL the saints”! This is the love that truly prepares us for heaven, for, as Jonathan Edwards said, “Heaven is a world of love.”

The problem is, do I have that kind of love for all the saints? Here is what John said on the subject…

“Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. The one who does not love does not know God, for God is love.” (1 John 4:7-8)

John doesn’t leave any room for leakage, does he? If you track the entire passage (1 John 4:7-20), you are confronted by several powerful facts…

• v.7- Love is evidence of true salvation and relationship with God;
• v.8- The absence of love may reveal an absence of relationship with God;
• vv.9-10- God’s love becomes the model and standard for all love;
• v.11- God’s love for us should be the motivator for our love for each other;
• v.12- Mutual love evidences the indwelling presence of God in our lives;
• v.13-16- God’s love is the fundamental reality of the believer’s life, both here and forever;
• v.17- Only with perfected love evidenced in us will we have confidence at the judgment seat;
• v.18- Fear is the antithesis of love;
• v.19- We are only able to love as an expression of His love in us;
• v.20- We cannot claim to love God if we are incapable of loving our brother.

Now, this is not easy—but it is clear. Paul’s commendation of the Colossian believers is a clarion call to all of us, that the love of God would be shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Spirit. Is it?

But not only does he give thanks for their faith and love, he now adds:

Their Hope Of Heaven (v.5)

What a great outline—faith, love, hope! What is hope? Not a hunch, a wish, or a feeling. Hope is looking forward in confident expectation. Notice…

• “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,” (1 Pet. 1:3)
• “And we desire that each one of you show the same diligence so as to realize the full assurance of hope until the end,” (Heb. 6:11)

Where does this “anchor of hope” come from? Our hope is rooted in the resurrection of Christ! Notice 1 Cor.15:19…

“If we have hoped in Christ in this life only, we are of all men most to be pitied.”

Paul’s answer? “But now is Christ risen from the dead!” (v.20). In vv. 12-18, he lists all the things that would be true without the resurrection—and the result is that, like the lost, we would be without hope in the world. BUT- because of the certainty of the resurrection, we have hope. Hope is rooted in and validated by the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Join us Friday as we wrap up this discussion with another good reason to give thanks.