"...Of this you have heard before in the word of the truth, the gospel, which has come to you, as indeed in the whole world it is bearing fruit and increasing - as it also does among you, since the day you heard it and understood the grace of God in truth," - Colossians 1:5b-6 ESV
The 'whole world' in Greek is pas (Strong's G3956) kosmos (G2889) in the Greek and it refers to 'every culture'. The word cosmos is not a geographic reference... it is a social one.
The Gospel 'gets in' like a seed gets into the ground displaces the earth eventually obscuring the view of the soil. The cosmos is dead and grace is living. Philosophies may change the landscape of a culture or a soul but they do not produce seed that gives eternal life. Only the Gospel does that. It does that whenever it goes... if the soil will receive it.
I don't believe in Lordship salvation or moral salvation. I believe in Gospel salvation and sanctification. What do I mean by that?... This is what I mean... we trust in the character, nature and work of Jesus Christ and we are saved. The Gospel bears fruit because it is a proclamation made by The King of all there is. It is an invitation to a feast that works in our lives more and more as the day gets closer.
We don't change ourselves... the God of the Gospel changes us by setting us apart.
You might be looking for a change and saying, "Where is it?' but it is changing you as you hear it again and again. It is washing parts of your soul you can't see. We are the cloth in a vat of dye that is stained the color of grace and each new exposure makes the color brighter and more vivid. This color can never be washed out of us. God's mark on us is permanent.
Today is a day to break up soil, sow seed and water what has been planted. God will bring the harvest. He will do it in our soul and in our culture if we just keep sharing the Gospel. If we stop other forces will move in but if we continue then God will bring the increase.
--
No comments:
Post a Comment