Todays readings … Ezra 9, Hosea 10. Colossians 1
“BEARING FRUIT”
For the rest of this month our New Testament readings are the letters of Paul. It was a most remarkable time; the religious thinking of a great number of people was turned upside down in many countries in just a generation or two. We are now reading about the ecclesia at Colossae. This city is in an area of south western Turkey.
It is interesting that it was not established by Paul, it is not mentioned in Acts. It is in the district Phrygia, which is mentioned. [Acts 16 v.6; 18 v.23] Epaphras [1 v.7] is the main preacher that had taught them the gospel.
It is easy to get the impression that Paul led the way in all the preaching in that era.
But having heard of their commitment to the Gospel Paul says, “we have not ceased to pray for you” And what does he pray for? “asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord fully pleasing to him, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God” [v.9,10]
Those words leave little more to be said except to stress that the foundation for us to succeed in bearing fruit is in our being filled with the knowledge of God’s will, results in to the works we do in living our lives for Christ! In Paul’s time, he could write, “the gospel which has come to you, as indeed in the whole world, it is bearing fruit and growing” [v.5/6]
Today, the opposite is happening, in Australia the gospel is being largely ignored, except by those who are really thinking about the meaning of life – and they are bearing fruit with difficulty. The USA used to be quite a christian minded country, but not today, judging by the kind of President they have just elected.
May we not be ashamed to prayerfully ask Christ for help in this godless world, he is our King, he knows the challenges we face.
