Title: The Fruit of the Gospel
Contents
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Isaiah 53
4. Surely he bore our sorrows and bore our sorrows, but we thought that he was chastised, smitten by God, and afflicted.
5. He was pierced for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities; His discipline gave us peace; His wounds made us healed.
6. We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way, and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of our company.
Colossians 1
3. Whenever we pray for you, we give thanks to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
4. hearing of your faith in Christ Jesus and your love for all the saints,
5. Because of the hope laid up for you in heaven, that you have heard the truth of the gospel before.
6. Since this gospel has already come to you, from the day you heard it and truly understood the grace of God, it is growing and bearing fruit as among you and also in the whole world.
7. In the same way you have learned from our beloved Epaphras, a servant with us, who is a faithful servant of Christ for you.
8. You are the one who revealed your love to us in the Holy Spirit.
Content
Title: The Fruit of the Gospel
Text: Isaiah 53:4-6, Colossians 1:3-8
Among the news, there is ‘good news, bad news, mediocre news’. Good news, good news, makes us happy. Because it invigorates and gives courage to life. Bad news, bad news, makes us sad. Because it makes you lose motivation and courage in life. Mere news brings fatigue, meaninglessness and boredom to life. So I don't have special expectations whenever I deal with news media, but I still go through the newspapers and listen to the announcers. These criteria work in classifying the types of news. ‘What is it? What does it have to do with me? Where does the news come from?’ Even the best content may have little to do with me. And if the source isn't credible, it won't help much.
The Gospel has all the conditions for good news. It is the story of God's love. It contains God's unbreakable love for us. This is love news that God has removed all obstacles to that love. what kind of love The cross is the answer. How is it related to me? Of course, it is love for ‘sinners like me’ (Isaiah 53:4-6). The source is also reliable. Because it is from God the Creator. Because it is the work of salvation accomplished by the Savior Jesus Christ. This is because it is the message that was written through the work of the Holy Spirit (the Bible) and delivered to our hearts. There are some who sang, “Is there no greater blessing than Immanuel’s blessing that God is with me?” This news transcends places. It transcends time. It transcends all our circumstances, our shortcomings and our failures.
This good news was written and passed on by those who risked their lives intoxicated with that love. Among the 27 books of the New Testament, there are 21 letter types. Among the remaining six books, the Gospel of Luke and Acts were expressed in letters written to a convert named Theophilus. It's easy to understand why the Bible is called a 'letter of love'. The word ‘Gospel’ means ‘God-story’ and is a translation of the Greek word ‘evangelion’. The biblical basis is Isaiah 61:1-3 and Jesus' quotes from the synagogue in Capernaum (Luke 4:16-21). It reminds us of 'preaching the year' and 'preaching the day of God's vindication'. So the gospel rejoices in the hearts of those who hear it. It is John 3:16 that expresses the content in one verse.
Today's New Testament text (Colossians 1:3-8) specifically expresses this response of joy. It is the content of the true life that we receive through the gospel. Faith, love, hope. It is also the content of eternal life on earth. 1) Faith (past). It's about Jesus. It is accepting the work of salvation that God has accomplished for us through Jesus Christ. It is believing that sin has been dealt with and the door of salvation has been opened. 2) It is love (currently). It's about people. It is the attitude of life toward the brothers of faith (John 13:34,35). 3) Hope (the future). It is based on God's promises and is about our eternal destiny. Faith, love, and hope are the fruits of the gospel that are revealed to those who hear the gospel properly (Colossians 1:6).