‘We Have Not Stopped Praying for You.’ (4)
[Colossians 1:9-14]
Third, the Apostle Paul prayed without ceasing to God for the faithful saints of the Colossian church, asking Him to enable them to bear fruit in every good work.
Look at Colossians 1:10 - "So that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God" [(Modern Korean Bible) "This means living a life worthy of the saints by faithfully living as believers in the Lord, pleasing the Lord in everything, bearing fruit in every good work, and growing in the knowledge of God"]. When we examine this passage, we see that the third aspect of Paul's prayer, as he prayed continuously for the faithful saints of the Colossian church, was for them to "bear fruit in every good work." Here, we need to recognize that this third aspect is related to the second aspect of Paul's prayer. The second aspect was that the faithful saints of the Colossian church would "please the Lord" (v. 10, Modern Korean Bible). In other words, those faithful saints who please the Lord in every way will inevitably bear fruit in every good work. Furthermore, the second aspect, "pleasing the Lord," is associated with the first aspect of Paul's prayer, which is that they would be filled with the knowledge of God's will (v. 9, Modern Korean Bible). Thus, when the faithful saints are filled with the knowledge of God's will, they will live in a manner worthy of the Lord (as believers in the Lord), pleasing Him in every way (second aspect), and bearing fruit in every good work (third aspect). Applying this to ourselves, we pray that God will fill us with the knowledge of His will, leading us to live as faithful believers, pleasing the Lord in every way, and bearing fruit in every good work. Another point to consider is that when Paul prayed incessantly for the Colossian saints to bear fruit in every good work, the term "fruit" refers to the "fruit of the Word." In Colossians 1:6, Paul mentions that from the day they heard and understood the grace of God in truth, the Colossian brethren were bearing fruit. This "fruit" not only involves an internal aspect of believing in Jesus and growing in the knowledge of God (v. 4) but also an external aspect of the Word bearing fruit and spreading worldwide (v. 6).
Pastor John MacArthur explained that spiritual fruit is the byproduct of a righteous life and identified five aspects of this spiritual fruit (MacArthur):
- The Bible teaches that spiritual fruit includes leading people to Christ.
Look at 1 Corinthians 16:15 - "Now I urge you, brothers and sisters—you know that the household of Stephanas were the first converts in Achaia, and they have devoted themselves to the service of the Lord’s people." Here, the Modern Korean Bible translates it as the household of Stephanas being the first to believe in Achaia, while the New Korean Revised Version describes it as the "first fruit." This refers to the initial fruits of the soul-saving work of preaching the gospel. The lesson for us is that the spiritual fruit we should bear includes leading those who do not believe in Jesus to Christ. When Paul wrote a letter to the faithful brethren of the Colossian church, as seen in today's passage Colossians 1:9-10, the third aspect of his continuous prayer for them was that God would enable them to bear fruit in every good work, and one of these "every good works" is leading unbelievers to Christ.
- The Bible teaches that spiritual fruit includes praising God.
Look at Hebrews 13:15 - "Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise—the fruit of lips that openly profess his name." By God's grace, we, as Christians who have believed in Jesus for salvation, are those who must continually offer a sacrifice of praise to God through Jesus. This is the fruit of our lips giving thanks to His name. What is the fruit of our lips? James 1:9-10 comes to mind: "With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it, we curse human beings, who have been made in God’s likeness. Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers and sisters, this should not be." If we are praising God with one mouth and cursing people with the same mouth, what kind of fruit are our lips bearing? How can we produce two completely opposite fruits with our lips? The fruit we should bear with our lips, fitting in God's eyes, is expressing gratitude and praise to God. Psalms 100:4 says, "Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name."
- The Bible teaches that spiritual fruit includes giving money, namely, the offering for relief.
Look at Romans 15:26-28: "For Macedonia and Achaia were pleased to make a contribution for the poor among the Lord’s people in Jerusalem. They were pleased to do it, and indeed they owe it to them. For if the Gentiles have shared in the Jews’ spiritual blessings, they owe it to the Jews to share with them their material blessings. So after I have completed this task and have made sure that they have received this contribution, I will go to Spain and visit you on the way." In this passage from Romans 15:26-28, when Paul wrote to the saints in Rome, he informed them that the saints in Macedonia and Achaia joyfully made a generous financial contribution to help the poor saints in Jerusalem. In other words, the saints in Macedonia and Achaia were financially assisting the poor saints in Jerusalem, and this can be referred to as offering for relief. This means bearing spiritual fruit in the eyes of God by materially aiding those in need. Just as the saints in Macedonia and Achaia cooperatively provided financial relief to the poor saints in Jerusalem, we can also consider it spiritual fruit when congregations, united in heart and mind, collectively contribute relief offerings to assist struggling churches.
- The Bible teaches that spiritual fruit includes living a godly life.
Look at Hebrews 12:11 - "No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it." When we, as erring children, receive discipline from our Heavenly Father, it is because He loves us and wants to guide us away from the wrong path toward the right one. The mature children who understand their father's heart will respect him even when receiving discipline (Heb. 12:9). Moreover, when our Heavenly Father disciplines us for our benefit, training us to obey Him and live according to His will, we should strive to live in obedience to God the Father (vv. 9-10). The Bible states that the purpose of God our Heavenly Father disciplining us is to bring about spiritual fruit, namely, a harvest of righteousness and peace (v. 11). This spiritual fruit, according to Pastor MacArthur, is living a godly life.
- The Bible teaches that spiritual fruit includes displaying a holy attitude.
Look at Galatians 5:22-23: "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law." When the apostle Paul wrote to the saints in the Galatian church, he first spoke about the works of the flesh in the preceding verses, listing various immoral behaviors and warning against them (Gal. 5:19-21). After addressing the works of the flesh, Paul then discusses the fruit of the Spirit in verses 22-23. Pastor John MacArthur states that this fruit of the Spirit represents a holy attitude.
Considering these five spiritual fruits mentioned by Pastor MacArthur and the fruit of the word mentioned in Colossians 1:6, I believe that when Paul prayed without ceasing for the faithful brethren of the Colossian church to bear fruit in every good work, it includes living a godly life and demonstrating a holy attitude. This spiritual fruit involves obeying the Word of God, leading a life marked by godliness, aiding each other economically, and proclaiming the Word of God to guide others to Christ, thereby praising God.