Colossians 1:1-8

I. WE ARE SAINTS BY POSITION (vv. 1-2).

A. What we do does not make us a saint, nor does an edict by some religious authority figure make us one.
B. We are placed in the position of saint by the pronouncement of God Himself.
C. It is our justification.

*1. Our sin has been placed to Christ’s account, on the cross;
*2. His righteousness was placed on us [to our account], by the pronouncement of God the Father. “…The LORD has laid on Him the iniquity of us all” (Isaiah 53:6).
D. Grace and peace are from God.
*1. If you have grace you can have peace;
*2. If you have real peace – peace with God – you have grace; God’s grace.

II. AS SAINTS WE GIVE THANKS AND PRAY FOR ONE ANOTHER (v. 3).

A. As a saint we can go directly to the throne of God; “Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need” (Heb. 4:16).
B. You or I need no go between who calls himself a priest – except or Great High Priest who is Jesus Himself.

*1. You and I are priests.
C. We, like Paul, are to give thanks, pray, glorify our Lord and Savior.
D. Pray always for one another.

III. SAINTS OF FAITH, LOVE AND HOPE (vv. 4-5).

J. Vernon McGee writes, “Here Paul links the trinity of graces for believers” (1) faith – past; (2) love – present; and (3) hope – future” (pg. 121).

A. Paul acknowledges the faith of this people – their faith in God and of Christ.

*1. He also acknowledges their “love” for their brothers and sisters in Christ.
B. The last of those attributes mentioned by Paul is “hope”.

*1. They had hope [the church at Colossae].
*2. This hope is the “Blessed hope” that is mentioned by Paul to Titus in chapter 2 verse 13, “Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Savior Jesus Christ…” (Titus 2:13).

IV. SAINTS WORLDWIDE FRUIT (v. 6).

A. In Paul’s day Rome was “All the world”.

*1. By the time Paul had sent these letters by the hands of Epaphras and the others the gospel of Jesus Christ had spread to every area of the Roman Empire.
*2. It is believed by some that it may have even gone as far as into Great Britain.
B. The fruit of a Christian goes forth and bears more fruit.

V. SAINTS, PRAYING ALWAYS, WILL BE COMPLIMENTARY OF THOSE WHO PROCLAIM GOD’S WORD AND THE GOSPEL (vv. 7-8).

A. Paul credits Epaphras – remember he is probably the pastor of the Colossian church.

*1. He would have been the one God used to bring the gospel to Colossae and saw the bearing of much fruit.
*2. Epaphras is recognized as being a “faithful minister’ and, a “fellow servant”
*3. He is also credited for being the source of information for Paul of the church.

a. Learning from this we see that Epaphras brought nothing negative of the people, but we do know that he brought word of a creeping element of a deceiving, demonic teaching which could cause problems later.
B. Paul had heard the good things about the church.

*1. He commends the pastor/leader.
*2. It is a good lesson to learn – we ought to do no less.

SUMMARY –

I. WE ARE SAINTS BY POSITION NOT BY WORKS.

II. AS SAINTS WE GIVE THANKS.

III. WE ARE SAINTS OF FAITH, LOVE AND HOPE.

IV. AS SAINTS WE BRING FORTH WORLDWIDE FRUIT.

V. SAINTS WILL BE COMPLIMENTARY OF THOSE WHO PROCLAIM THE GOSPEL AND PREACH THE WORD OF GOD.

From September 2006