"because of the hope which is laid up for you in heaven, of which you heard before in the word of the truth of the gospel,
which has come to you, as it has also in all the world, and is bringing forth fruit, as it is also among you since the day you heard and knew the grace of God in truth;"
Colossians 1:5-6 (NKJV)
Several years ago there was a humorous and well know television commercial that featured a couple of elderly ladies at a fast food restaurant. They had ordered some hamburgers but when they received their order, one of the ladies looked at the hamburger with disappointment and said, "Where's the beef?" because the hamburger patty was so small. She was obviously expecting something bigger and better. Her idea was that by ordering this hamburger it would include much more beef than what she had received; for a hamburger to be a good hamburger there has to be some good beef.
When someone gives their life to Jesus there is a spiritual transformation, they become a new creation in Christ. While there may not be any outward evidence of this at first the Bible is very clear that every believer should have some fruit in their life, an outward demonstration of the inward change that has taken place. Paul wrote to the people in Colosse that the Gospel was "bringing forth fruit" in all the world as well as in them. The words Paul used here in the original Greek show a continual process that is taking place. Just as fruit is produced on a healthy plant there should be fruit seen in the life of a healthy Christian.
Why is it that some Christians seem to produce an abundance of fruit while others seem to have no fruit at all? We can find an answer for this in Colossians 1:5 where Paul talked about the word of the truth of the Gospel. Some people do not produce fruit because what they spend their time with is not the truth of the Gospel; they are producing something but it is not fruit for the Kingdom of God. We need God's Word to help us grow and develop spiritually so that the life of God on the inside of us is seen on the outside. So what about us? When people look at our life do they see fruit or do they ask, where's the fruit?
which has come to you, as it has also in all the world, and is bringing forth fruit, as it is also among you since the day you heard and knew the grace of God in truth;"
Colossians 1:5-6 (NKJV)
Several years ago there was a humorous and well know television commercial that featured a couple of elderly ladies at a fast food restaurant. They had ordered some hamburgers but when they received their order, one of the ladies looked at the hamburger with disappointment and said, "Where's the beef?" because the hamburger patty was so small. She was obviously expecting something bigger and better. Her idea was that by ordering this hamburger it would include much more beef than what she had received; for a hamburger to be a good hamburger there has to be some good beef.
When someone gives their life to Jesus there is a spiritual transformation, they become a new creation in Christ. While there may not be any outward evidence of this at first the Bible is very clear that every believer should have some fruit in their life, an outward demonstration of the inward change that has taken place. Paul wrote to the people in Colosse that the Gospel was "bringing forth fruit" in all the world as well as in them. The words Paul used here in the original Greek show a continual process that is taking place. Just as fruit is produced on a healthy plant there should be fruit seen in the life of a healthy Christian.
Why is it that some Christians seem to produce an abundance of fruit while others seem to have no fruit at all? We can find an answer for this in Colossians 1:5 where Paul talked about the word of the truth of the Gospel. Some people do not produce fruit because what they spend their time with is not the truth of the Gospel; they are producing something but it is not fruit for the Kingdom of God. We need God's Word to help us grow and develop spiritually so that the life of God on the inside of us is seen on the outside. So what about us? When people look at our life do they see fruit or do they ask, where's the fruit?
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