Colossians 1:3-6
3 We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, 4 for we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love you have for all the saints 5 because of the hope reserved for you in heaven. You have already heard about this hope in the word of truth, the gospel 6 that has come to you. It is bearing fruit and growing all over the world, just as it has among you since the day you heard it and came to truly appreciate God’s grace.
Have you ever made a reservation? I’m sure you have. I’ve made reservations at hotels, at restaurants, and at rental car companies. When all goes well, a reservation is a great tool. They know to expect you and if they’ve done what they need to do, when you arrive at the place you have a reservation, they’re ready for you.
But sometimes a reservation doesn’t exactly work. I can remember going to a rental company to pick up a 15-passenger van back when I was the student pastor at The Crossing. I was taking a group of students to an overnight event if I’m remembering correctly. But there was only one problem. When I arrived at the rental company where I had the reservation, they weren’t ready for me. The van I was supposed to pick up wasn’t there. They left me hanging.
So that day, I drove all across Cincinnati and made countless calls to rental companies trying to find a 15-passenger van for later that day. Tickets for this event were already purchased. And I was worried. My hope was fading. Every place I went didn’t have what we needed. But hope returned when I pulled into my last option. I walked in, told them my situation, and they told me they had a van available and I could rent it. Victory!
The saints in Colossae knew a little something about having a reservation. Because they had heard the gospel of Jesus and responded to it, they had a hope reserved for them in heaven. And unlike how reservations can sometimes work here on earth, a reservation in heaven is sure, dependable, and never-failing.
But their reservation of hope in heaven wasn’t a passive wait-until-you-die kind of hope. No. Not even close. The gospel, when it is heard and responded to, produces fruit and it spreads. This is why the reputation of the Colossian church preceded them. Paul and others had heard about their faith in Jesus and their love for the saints because the gospel had taken root and was producing fruit in them and among them.
Today, may we walk with an awareness of the gospel and the reservation of hope God has made for us in heaven. When the seed of the gospel takes root in our lives, it produces faith and love. Let’s tend that seed and be ready to watch it grow, bloom, and change us from the inside out.
Onward, saints.
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