Colossians 1:7
7/5/10
Paul thanks God for the Colossians, because he has heard of their faith in Christ and their love for all the saints (1 Col. 3, 4). This point is worth pondering, because it shows that faith and love are gifts of God’s grace. To prove this point, you only need to consider a faithless and loveless person and his or her transformation. Only God can do this! Hence, the proper response for growth in faith and love is to offer thanks to God for creating or increasing these qualities in people.
This section also offers one of the means God uses to bring about faith and love, namely, the hope that is laid up in heaven, which Epaphras has been faithful to preach among the Colossians (1:7).
If Paul’s words are correct, then perhaps our contemporary focus on the “immediate” is a big hindrance to growing in faith and love. I suspect this is so, because robust love and faith have to be longsuffering, which can only take place when there is an unshakable hope reserved in heaven.
Do we ponder eternity and heaven with unshakable hope? If not, how can we live a life of faith and love? May God open our eyes to grow in wisdom and knowledge more and more (Col. 1:9).