Colossians 1:5-6a
~17 min read
SERMON OUTLINE
💭 Consider this: How does this hope shape the way you live your daily life? In what ways do you need to grow in living with a greater awareness of God’s heavenly promises, rather than being consumed by earthly concerns?
TRANSCRIPT
Our text for this morning's message is taken from Colossians 1:5 to the first part of verse 6. Allow me to read for you. Colossians 1:5-6a, “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”. In our previous message, we had considered how the Colossians had lived out their faith and love so much so that — although the Apostle Paul had not started the church at Colossae nor visited the city — he had heard of their faith in Jesus Christ and their love for all the believers.
But how was it possible for them to live out their faith and love in such a way that they shone so brightly? It was possible because of something. And that is the word “hope”. In fact, faith, love, and hope are three vital components of the Christian virtues. And all of them are intertwined and connected to one another. It is the faith of the Christian who believes in his heart the Lord Jesus Christ that leads him to love the Lord his God with all his heart, with all his soul, and with all his mind; to love his neighbour like the way he loves himself; and even to love his enemies—to bless them who curse him, to do good to them who hate him, and to pray for them who despitefully use him and persecute him.
And both faith and love are based on the word hope. Take a moment and consider this: if there is no such thing as life after death, no eternal life, no resurrection, no heaven, and this is the only life we have, and when we die everything is finished—then our hope is based on this temporal life, whether it be 70, 80, or 90 years. And if that is the case, then you and I should just live every moment for ourselves, eat, drink, and be merry, because tomorrow we may just die and everything is gone. Such a hope is no hope at all.
Someone once said the word useless is one of the most dreadful words in the English language. To be called useless is a terrible thing. However, I believe that the most dreadful word is not useless but hopeless. Useless may be bad enough, but a useless person may someday still become useful. Without hope, there's nothing left. If there is no hope, all is lost. Hope is a most wonderful thing. It is a blessing that gives meaning to life. Hope is the very thing that causes us to do what we do—to live the way we live our lives. And this is what we want to learn from this passage. The title of our message is ‘The Blessedness Of Our Christian Hope’.
I. It Is Secured Eternally
The first thing we want to learn about this Christian hope is that it is secured eternally. Let us begin with verse five. “For the hope which is laid up for you in heaven”. The phrase “laid up” means stored up or reserved. And where is it laid up for you? It is in heaven. This world we live in has many hopes, dreams, and aspirations. But in life, there will always be unfinished work—unfinished paintings, unfinished songs, unfinished projects, unfinished buildings—and it is all because the people involved in them had died.
Some years ago, I had a friend who died while he was writing an email. He did not even have the opportunity to press the button, send, and I believe that unfinished email is still lingering somewhere in his inbox. There will be hopes that will always remain as hopes, dreams that will always remain as dreams, because death brings an end to all our aspirations. The Bible says: Hebrews 9:27 – "And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment." Death is not the end of everything. The unbelieving sinner will have to give an account for his sins. He will be judged and sent to eternal hell forever and ever. What this temporal life and this world can offer us is nothing but a dying hope.
I'm now in my mid-50s, and I'm beginning to see the realities of this human body dying. My hair is starting to fall. My bones and joints are starting to ache. No matter how much proteins and vitamins we invest in this body, no matter how much cosmetic we may spend on this body, we cannot erase the fact that, day by day, this body is dying. If this physical body is the only life we have, then we would be most hopeless.
But that was precisely how many people would live their lives. They will live their lives as if this physical body would last forever. They may not say it, but the way they behave will tell you what is in their minds; what is their mentality. They will live their lives as if this is the only thing there is to life. So they would invest all their time, resources, money, and energy to nourish this body. And they forget the soul. The soul is that part of us that will last for all eternity. Jesus said, ‘[For what profit have] a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?” (Mark 8:36).
Once, Napoleon, the French Emperor, was visiting a museum. There were many paintings and statues. And Napoleon saw a beautiful painting. He said to the person in charge, "That is a fine painting." The man replied, "Yes, it is called ‘Immortal.’" Napoleon asked, "How long will this painting last, and how long will a statue last?" The man replied, "Sir, the painting will last about 500 years, and a statue will last about 5,000 years." Napoleon turned and said to him, "And you call this ‘Immortal’?"
Indeed, nothing in this physical world will last forever. What the world can offer us is nothing but a dying hope. But the believers have a living hope. A hope that is secured eternally, because forever we will dwell in the heavenly mansion that Jesus has gone to prepare for us. Remember, Jesus said, "In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also." (John 14:2-3)
If you have your Bibles, maybe you can turn with me to 1 Peter 1:3-4. Allow me to read for you this passage. 1 Peter 1:3-4, "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to His abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you." Notice Peter calls it a lively hope, which means it transcends life and it is secured by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. Jesus said, "I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live." (John 11:25)
If Jesus did not resurrect from the dead, all our hopes would be destroyed. Our coming here this morning would be meaningless. Do you know why it’d be meaningless? Because today is called the Lord's Day—it was the day Jesus was risen from the dead. If Jesus did not resurrect from the dead, all our preaching would be in vain. Our faith would be in vain. All the apostles would be false witnesses because they claimed to have seen the resurrected Christ, and we would still be under the dominion of sin and death.
But Jesus Christ rose again from the dead on the third day, and He forever secured the believer’s lively hope in heaven. This lively hope will come to a complete and final fulfillment when we die or when Jesus comes for us in the Rapture. It will become a reality when we enter into the glorious presence of God and are in perfect fellowship with Him. It is this lively hope that enabled the Apostle Paul to say, "For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain." (Philippians 1:21) It is this lively hope that enables us to be willing to sacrifice the present for something we will receive in the future.
We all know that young children have a difficult time waiting for something they want. So, as parents, we have to warn them repeatedly not to sacrifice their future for something that is immediate. But that is the way the world behaves. The world wants what it wants now. Give it to me now! But as Christians, we have a different perspective. We are willing to forsake the comfort, enjoyment, and pleasures of this present world for the future glory that is ours in Christ Jesus.
That is the reason why missionaries are willing to venture into foreign lands. They have to forsake the comfort of their own homes to live in an unfamiliar environment with a different culture and language. They have to face difficult circumstances and, oftentimes, without proper food, medical care, and schools to send their children to. Yet, they are willing to accept all these challenges to preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Why? Because of the eternal hope in the future.
That is the reason why they are willing to sacrifice the present. That is the reason why you and I are also willing to sacrifice our time, resources, and energy to worship and serve God, to support the mission works, to persevere in sharing the Gospel—no matter how many times we face rejection, persecution, hostility, maybe even suffering, and all kinds of trials. People may give up, but we will not give up. Why? Because of the eternal hope in the future.
Look at verse four. This eternal hope in the future is "An inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away." (1 Peter 1:4) An inheritance is a wealth passed down that someone receives as a member of the family. Most people are very concerned about the inheritance they would receive from their parents or grandparents. They want to know how much they are getting. The Apostle Peter was writing to the Christians who were being persecuted, and he reminded them that, in the midst of their persecution, they ought to patiently wait for God's promise of His eternal inheritance.
He wanted them to increase in their knowledge of this eternal inheritance so that they would press on, no matter how difficult it might be. That was the reason why he described what kind of an inheritance it was. He said it is incorruptible, which means it is not liable to death; it is not subjected to destruction. Unlike our earthly treasures or inheritance that is transitory—it will come and go; it will perish when we perish—our eternal inheritance in heaven will never be subjected to destruction.
It is undefiled, means it cannot be stained or polluted. Everything in this fallen world is stained and polluted with sin. Only our eternal inheritance in heaven is undefiled. It fadeth not away, means, like a flower, it will not wither or die. It is an inheritance that will never lose its beauty and magnificence. Everything we have in this fallen world grows old. They will wear out. But what God has in store for us in heaven—our eternal inheritance—it will not be destroyed, it will not be defiled, and it will never grow old.
Not only is our eternal inheritance lasting, it is also reserved for us in heaven. Have you ever had something in your life, and it was so wonderful to have it? It was so precious to you, and then all of a sudden, it was taken away from you. Perhaps it was a relationship, a career, a promotion, money, or good health and strength. It is sad, right? But that is not going to happen to our eternal inheritance because it is permanent. It is fixed. It cannot be altered.
The original Greek word for "reserved" means "guarded" or "watch over." It carries the idea that, for those who put their trust in the Risen Savior, their eternal inheritance is carefully being guarded in heaven. God is keeping it, and if there is anywhere our Eternal inheritance is going to be taken away from us, it has to take someone greater than God to do that. Obviously, no one is greater than God. No one is able to steal it from us.
Remember, Jesus taught us, “Lay [not for] yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and [rust corrupt], and where thieves break through and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust do corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal. For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also (Matthew 6:19-21). If your heart is always focused on the Risen Savior, will He not also protect all the things that you have done in His precious name? Most certainly.
Dear friend, isn’t it wonderful to know that everything we do for God—for His glory, for His church, for His worship, for His service, for His gospel, for missions, for the souls of men—will never be forgotten? For they are done in view of this eternal hope in the future. One day, you and I will see the reality of this blessed home, and we will receive it in heaven.
II. It Is A Truthful Promise
Our second point is it is a truthful promise. Look at the second part of verse 5, “Whereof ye heard in the word of truth, the gospel”. In other words, this blessed hope, this eternal inheritance, is based on the Gospel in the Word of God. True hope can only be built on a true promise. Biblical hope is the confidence in someone who can perform what He has promised. We put our hope and trust in Him, our Lord Jesus Christ.
If someone promised to give you $1 million, you want to be certain if he actually has that amount of money, right? You also want to make sure if he is a man of his word—that he is credible. If he does not have sufficient money or he does not keep his word, then his promise will be worthless. It would be hopeless.
As fallen men and women living on the face of this earth, a man who is without Christ, without God, spiritual things are strange to him. He does not understand nor is he concerned about sin or the Saviour. He lives his life as if this is the only life there is. He lives his life believing that he is the master of his own destiny, he’s the architect to plan his own future. He is the one who directs his own path. ‘He is dead in trespasses and sins; he is walking according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air’ (Ephesians 2:1-2), that is, Satan. He is, by nature, a child of God’s wrath. He is absolutely hopeless.
At God's appointed time, death will knock on his door, and his soul will be taken away from him and be sent to hell, awaiting the final judgment. There is a price to pay for sin, as Romans 6:23 tells us, “For the wages of sin is death”. Not just physical death, but eternal and spiritual death as well.
Take a moment and consider all the sins you have committed in your entire life: the lies, envies, jealousies, bitterness, anger, immoralities, evil thoughts, hidden agendas, and so forth. Do you think you can get away from it? Do you think you do not have to give an account for the things you have done? Let us not fool ourselves; all of us have to give an account come judgment day. Though a man has to stand before God, and if there be any traces of sin found in his life — surely there will be — he will be sent into the Eternal Lake of Fire, where the Bible says the fire never stops burning (Revelation 20:10).
Thank God the Bible did not stop here. It went on to say, "But the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord" (Romans 6:23). As sinners, we are all enemies of God, and as His enemies, how can we come before His holy presence unless we are first reconciled to Him? That is why Romans 5:10 says, "For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of His Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by His life."
The word reconcile is a very unique word. It comes from the Latin compound word re-conciliāre. It carries the idea of restoring something that was there before. When we say the couple has reconciled, we imply that the husband and wife has been restored back to the relationship they once had before. That's the idea. Before the fall of man, Adam and Eve were in fellowship with God, but since the fall of man, every man and woman born into this world is an enemy of God.
Our situation is hopeless. We cannot make reconciliation, and even worse, we do not want to. But God is a loving and reconciling God. He knows that the only way for man to come into His presence is that sin must be out of the picture. The only way for sin to be out of the picture, He cannot dismiss it because He is too holy. He has to judge it. Sin has to be dealt with. Once it is dealt with, reconciliation can take place.
For that reason, God so loved us that He sent His only begotten Son into this world, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life (John 3:16). Jesus came into this world. He lived a perfect life, keeping the laws of God which you and I cannot keep. Ultimately, He went to the cross. He bore the full punishment of our sins. He died, He was buried, but He rose again on the third day. Jesus took our place on the cross, and once and for all, He put to death the enmity between us and God.
The sacrifice of our Lord Jesus Christ is sufficient to pay the penalty of as many as God will save, as many as will believe in the Gospel of Jesus Christ. This wonderful act of God is summarised into this one word: Gospel which means the Good News that Jesus has come to save us from our sins. But it will not be Good News unless you believe in it.
Dear friend, have you truly believed in the only one who can save you from the penalty of your sins, the Lord Jesus Christ? If you have, then you have this blessed eternal hope that is based on the gospel. It is a truthful promise because God cannot lie. The gospel of salvation is a salvation that will never be lost. Once you are saved, you are always saved. Jesus said so. Remember, He said, "No man can pluck you out of My hand" (John 10:28).
Yes, we may die; our bodies may go into the graves, but our souls will be with God in heaven. And when Jesus comes in the Rapture, our bodies will be risen from the graves to be united with our souls in a glorified body, and we will be with Him forever and ever. God said so, and it is a truthful promise. As believers, we cling onto this promise. Our confidence is not in men, but in our God who can perform what He has promised.
III. It Is Universal
Finally, this blessed eternal hope, which is based on the Gospel, is universal. Back to our text in Colossians 1:6, "Which is come unto you, as it is in all the world." In other words, the gospel is universal. The Gospel was for the Colossians just as it was for the whole world. Some people have this misconception that Christianity is a white man's religion, and it is untrue. It is a blatant lie. By the way, Jesus was born a Jew in Middle East. And in our modern time, He would not be classified as a white man. The Gospel is not only for the particular culture, race, or gender; it transcends ethnicity, culture, geography, and political boundaries. The gospel is for the whole world: whether Caucasian, Asian, Chinese, Indians, Africans, the Middle Eastern people, and so forth.
This is the blessedness of our Christian hope. It is secured eternally. It is a truthful promise because it is based on the Gospel, the Word of God, and God cannot lie. And it is universal. Dear friend, do you have this blessed eternal hope? If tonight death knocks on your door, if this is the last message you will hear, if this is the last hymn you will sing, where would you be for all eternity? If you have truly believed in the only one who can save you, the Lord Jesus Christ, then heaven will be your eternal home. You will have the eternal inheritance, and this blessed hope is forever and ever.
In the sweet by and by, in heaven, we will meet again. We will see the reality of this blessed home and receive it in heaven. But if you reject the only One who died on the cross to save you and was risen from the dead because of you, you remain in your sins. You will die in your sins, and once you draw your last breath and you swing into eternity, it will be too late because there's no hope for you. I pray that all of us will cling onto this blessed hope as believers.
The unbelievers have absolutely no hope so you and I have this awesome responsibility to share the Gospel, to bring it to them; to plead with them. Today is the day of salvation. Come and believe in Jesus Christ before it is too late. Once death knocks, the opportunity is gone. May the Lord have mercy and grant to us this boldness and courage to share the Gospel with our unbelieving loved ones, friends, and colleagues. May God also convict their hearts of their sins, that they will believe in the only Saviour and receive this blessedness of the Christian hope.
Let us pray. Our Father in Heaven, we give Thee thanks for giving us this opportunity to consider these two verses in regards to the blessedness of our Christian hope. Indeed, without hope, there's nothing left. Without hope, all is lost. And our hope is not rooted in the things of this world, which can provide for us nothing but a dying hope. It is not in this physical body, which is dying day after day. It is rooted in the confidence of someone who can perform what He has promised — in our Lord Jesus Christ, who came for us, died on the cross, and shed His precious blood to wash away all our sins.
And we who believe in Him, we now want to live our lives. We are willing to live for Jesus Christ, and we know that to die is gain because we will be with Him forever. And we are willing to sacrifice the present for something we will receive in the future, and that is this blessed eternal hope, this eternal inheritance that Thou has reserved, guarded, watcht over for us in heaven. We will see the reality of it when we see Thee face to face. Help us that we will live such a life to the glory of Thy precious name. We give Thee thanks, and we pray in Jesus' name. Amen.
THE BOOK OF COLOSSIANSA Faith And Love That ShinesA Faith And Love That ShinesColossians 1:1-4
The Blessedness Of Our Christian HopeThe Blessedness Of Our Christian HopeColossians 1:5-6a
The Transforming Power Of The GospelThe Transforming Power Of The GospelColossians 1:6b-8
The Need For PrayersThe Need For PrayersColossians 1:9
Prayer for Spiritual ExcellencePrayer for Spiritual ExcellenceColossians 1:9-12
Walk Worthy Of The LordWalk Worthy Of The LordColossians 1:10-11
What Does It Mean To Call God Our Father?What Does It Mean To Call God Our Father?Colossians 1:12
Message 3: What is Christ to you? My Covenantal Head!Message 3: What is Christ to you? My Covenantal Head!Colossians 2:4-9, 19
Message 4: What is a healthy and sound church? My Covenantal Haven!Message 4: What is a healthy and sound church? My Covenantal Haven!Colossians 2:7
Message 2: What is Church to you? My Covenantal Family!Message 2: What is Church to you? My Covenantal Family!Exodus 12:48-49, Colossians 2:11-12
