Nov 8, 2018
Paul cared. Not passively, but actively. He put his life on the line so that others might hear the good news of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and grow in their likeness to Christ. Paul was a teacher, preacher, disciple-maker, and church planter. He had a passion for the people of God and a no-holds-barred style of ministry that kept him on the road or locked up in prison for his efforts. In Colossians 1:24-2:5, we have Paul’s strong words of encouragement, written to the believers in Colosse, and written from his house arrest in Rome. Here he was, unable to visit the brothers and sisters in Colosse, but using his pen to pass on a message designed to encourage spiritual growth among them. He actively cared for them. He personally invested in them. He sacrificed himself on their behalf, just as Jesus had done. In Paul, we have a powerful model of what it means to be a servant of Jesus Christ, putting the needs of others first, and doing whatever it takes to see that every believer is mature in Christ.