We give thanks to God and the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you, Since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus, and of the love which ye have to all the saints, For the hope which is laid up for you in heaven, whereof ye heard before in the word of the truth of the gospel; Which is come unto you, as it is in all the world; and bringeth forth fruit, as it doth also in you, since the day ye heard of it, and knew the grace of God in truth As ye also learned of Epaphras our dear fellow servant, who is for you a faithful minister of Christ; Who also declared unto us your love in the Spirit. Colossians 1:3-8
What distinguished the early Christian Church from all other religions and allowed it to spread? What caused the early Christians to be fruitful in their endeavors? And what seems to be the stumbling block for the present-day church? How do we uncompromisingly hold fast to truth while at the same time do so with a spirit of love?
What stood out most in the early church were the selfless acts of kindness, love and community among the believers; as well as their willingness to suffer whatever consequence of standing firm for the truth of the gospel. They also were quick to do random acts of kindness for even those who persecuted them. Humility, servitude, kindness and the willingness to suffer for the furtherance of the gospel marked the early church and drew people in. This is something we must remember and not get caught up in the “me” society of Christians who act for the sake of gaining ourselves anything.
the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. Galatians 5:22-23
The church of Colossae was known for their spirit of love. This is more than mere actions of love, it is the heart of love pulsating through their veins.
though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned,[a] but have not love, it profits me nothing. 1 Corinthians 13:3 (NKJV)
Yet, love must never mean compromising the truth of the gospel either. That was a major reason Paul was writing this letter to the church of Colossae. Without the truth of the gospel of Jesus Christ, there could be no indwelling of the Holy Spirit and no fruit of the Spirit.
So, without compromising truth; we must learn to stand firm in a manner that fits who we are in Christ, the children of love.
Often this means yes, we go into the dangerous trenches to help those in need; while proclaiming the truth of the gospel every step of the way. Love is what compels me to continue writing, posting and teaching the gospel here. If one person learns of Christ, then every hour spent, every dollar I invest has been well spent. That is why if you note, I do not ask for any money; nor do I have any advertising on my site beyond the one ad for my son’s art website. Love is why I am a part of Crossing Kids, In2Action, and want to join a Juvenile Jail Ministry I just learned of. This I say with great humility for my love can only be possible because Christ first loved me and gave His life for me. As I surrender to that love of Christ growing in my heart. As He works transforming my heart, removing the chaff; then, His peace, love, and joy grows in me. The desires for material things fade away.
“Love is a command, not just a feeling. Somehow, in the romantic world of music and theater we have made love to be what it is not. We have so mixed it with beauty and charm and sensuality and contact that we have robbed it of its higher call of cherishing and nurturing.” Ravi Zacharias
So, it is as we continue our study in the book of Colossians; we need to pay close attention to learning how to stand firm, uncompromising for the truth of the gospel, while at the same time doing so in the Spirit of Love.
Truth that is not undergirded by love makes the truth obnoxious and the possessor of it repulsive Ravi Zacharias
[bctt tweet=”Without Christ, my own selfish desires would ultimately win Yet, in Christ I can do all things” username=”effiedarlene”]
[bctt tweet=”The fruit of the spirit is love Often, to produce the sweetest fruit; the vine must be pruned” username=”effiedarlene”]
[bctt tweet=”I must be willing to be pruned so that God’s fruit of love can nourish the world” username=”effiedarlene”]
I do want to end with a story that exemplifies this kind of love. I read this story once; but, do not know to whom to give credit.
There was a little girl who had a very rare disease from which she was most likely going to die. Her only chance of recovery appeared to be a blood transfusion from her 5-year-old brother, who had somehow survived the same disease and had developed the antibodies needed to combat the illness.The doctor explained the situation to her little brother, and asked the little boy if he would be willing to give his blood to his sister. I saw him hesitate for only a moment before taking a deep breath and saying, “Yes, I’ll do it if it will save her.”As the transfusion progressed, he lay in bed next to his sister and smiled, as we all did, seeing the color returning to her cheeks. Then his face grew pale and his smile faded. He looked up at the doctor and asked with a trembling voice, “Will I start to die right away?”Being young, the little boy had misunderstood the doctor; he thought he was going to have to give his sister all of his blood in order to save her.
So, the question is.
[bctt tweet=”How much are you willing to lovingly give up to save one soul with the truth of the gospel?” username=”effiedarlene”]
It is a question I ask myself often. Only through prayer, surrendering to Christ can I ever say yes.
I would love to here about your journey; please scroll down to comment below.
New King James Version (NKJV) Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved
©Effie Darlene Barba, 2016
Disclosure of Material Connection: I have not received any compensation for writing this post. I have no material connection to the brands, products, or services that I have mentioned. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.