Reflections based on Colossians 1:13–29.

Just in case you aren’t fully convinced, we are spending one more blog looking at how much Scripture proclaims Jesus to be the hope of the whole world! Here, Paul is telling the Colossians his own reasons for working so hard – because he longs to present people that are fully mature before God.

Again, we are told of the supremacy of Christ, how He has been in existence since the beginning of time and helped the Father create the world and everything in it. We are also told that God could only reconcile us to Himself through his Son’s sacrifice.

Interestingly, Paul also refers to the fact that God has made salvation available to the Gentiles too. Remember, in Acts 10, God showed Peter a vision about this, urging him to eat animals that had previously been thought unclean. When Peter resisted, God said ‘Do not call anything impure that God has made clean’ (v.15) and immediately God put him in contact with Gentiles, to whom Peter then continually preached salvation.

The hardworking nature of both these men challenge me on days when I’m weary. They both understood that this hope is for everyone, not just to be kept to ourselves.

How often do we judge those around us? We may think that a particular neighbour, colleague or family member would never respond to the hope we have in Jesus – but who are we to judge? Only God can look into the hearts of men and women and truly know where they are at.

Interestingly, we were discussing this very subject in our small group this week, and we admitted that we can have a tendency to decide ourselves who seems ready to hear about the gospel – and who doesn’t. Often it is actually our fear of others rather than God that keeps us silent, but let’s remember that it is through us that: ‘God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory’ (v.27).

Prayer: I’m sorry I sometimes judge those around me as not being worthy of, or interested in, Your love. None of us could earn our salvation – thank you that we don’t have to!