Faith that Bears Fruit
“Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him, rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving.” (Col. 2:6)
I wonder if you have ever suffered from the “impostor syndrome” – the sense that, although you occupy a role within a community of some kind, you’re not the real deal and you don’t really belong. Others are genuine and others fit in. But you’re just faking it – and soon enough everyone will find out. The feeling is common enough. Maya Angelou, a noted author, poet and activist, confessed to a strong sense of this herself. “Each time I write a book,” she says, “every time I face that yellow pad, the challenge is so great. I have written eleven books, but each time I think, ‘Uh oh, they’re going to find out now. I’ve run a game on everybody and they’re going to find me out.’” This sensation can be experienced in spiritual terms too. Perhaps you listen to a Bible teacher from elsewhere talk about what it means to know the Lord and you wonder if you have truly come to a personal knowledge of the Lord? The early followers of Jesus in Colossae had similar doubts. Fortunately, Paul’s letter to the Colossians provided the reassurance that they needed (and the clarity that we need today).
The recipients of Paul’s letter to Colossians were indeed true believers. They had received the gospel – they had responded to the message of Jesus and his salvation in repentance and faith. But they needed encouragement and reassurance. Evidently, there were those in their midst who were challenging their understanding of the truth. There were pseudo-believers and false teachers who were questioning whether the Colossian Christians had the complete gospel and possessed all they needed for true spiritual fullness. Consequently, Paul set out to reassure them that they were indeed real Christians who indeed received the real gospel.
Paul laid out an important principle in his letter to the church in Colossae—namely, that the authentic gospel results in fruitfulness. Notice that Paul writes, “grace and peace from God our Father” (Col. 1:2). Clearly, true followers of Jesus live under the gospel grace of Jesus—they know the spiritual fruit of peace with God, who is both Paul’s Father and theirs. Notice also that Paul writes in verse 3: “We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love you have for all their saints, because of the hope laid up for you in heaven.” Paul is truly thankful to the Lord for the way in which the gospel has taken root in the lives of these people. In particular, he sees three kinds of evidence of fruit in their: faith, love, and hope. Of course, these fruit are the result of the Spirit’s work. As Paul writes in verse 8, “[Epaphras has] made to known to us your love in the Spirit”.
Faith, love and hope. These are the marks of the true believer. These are the marks of true transformation. And so here’s the point: if we have truly received the authentic gospel, this fruit will be evident among us, and in our lives. If we wonder if we are authentic Christians, here are the three questions to ask: Do we have faith in Jesus; do we trust Him? Do we love people? Do we place our hope in all that is laid up for us in heaven? If you answer these questions in the affirmative, go forward in humble confidence and “See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ.” (v. 8). Put simply, “Let no one disqualify you…” (v. 18)