Colossians 1:5b-6 (ESV)
[5b] Of this you have heard before in the word of the truth, the gospel, [6] which has come to you, as indeed in the whole world it is bearing fruit and growing—as it also does among you, since the day you heard it and understood the grace of God in truth,
Paul says that the gospel is bearing fruit and growing in the whole world. My first thought, when I read that, is to think, "Wouldn't it be great to live in a day and time when the gospel was bearing fruit and growing instead of living in the End Times when the strength and power of the church is waning and evil is increasing." But then I remember three things. First, Paul was in prison when he wrote this. He faced powerful opposition wherever he preached. False teaching along with twisted truth seemed to be everywhere. Yet, the gospel was bearing fruit and growing.
Second, I remember that Christianity is today the most widely followed religion in the world and that in many parts of the world the church is growing quickly. Just as you can't look at a thermometer in your back yard and know what the weather is like in another part of the country, so we cannot judge what the church worldwide is doing by looking at who is attending our church on a particular Sunday.
Third, Paul didn't say that the church was bearing fruit and growing. He said that the gospel was bearing fruit and growing. The power of the gospel is in the gospel, not in the church, the preacher, the congregation or our tradition. The power of the gospel is in the gospel, not in a particular presentation of the gospel or a particular method of manipulation to get people to pray a prayer. It is the Spirit of God and the truth of the gospel that changes lives. Evangelism is not about salesmanship. It is about resting in the Spirit to share the good news of Jesus and allow God to work in the hearts of people who hear.
The gospel is just as powerful, just as effective today as it was when Paul penned these words to the Colossians back in the first century. Nothing has changed. We still live in a broken, fallen world. The truth is still rejected and opposed. And yet, the gospel continues to bear fruit and grow. We ought to take heart and rejoice in that truth.
Father, it seems that it is easy get pessimistic about the influence of the gospel in my world, and then I hear a story of how you are working in someone's life. Thank you for that encouragement. May I be renewed in my passion for the gospel and my concern for the lost.
By His grace,
Rick Weinert
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