Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit · Sermon No. 1438
Delivered on Lord’s-Day Morning, October 13, 1878
“For the hope which is laid up for you in Heaven, of which you heard before in the Word of the Truth of the Gospel.” Colossians 1:5.
THREE Divine Graces should be always conspicuous in Christians—faith, love and hope. They are each mentioned by Paul in the opening verses of the Epistle from which our text is taken. These lovely Graces should be so conspicuous in every Believer as to be spoken of and, consequently, heard of even by those who have never seen us. These flowers should yield so sweet a perfume that their fragrance may be perceived by those who have never gazed upon them. So was it with the saints at Colosse. Paul says, “We give thanks to God and the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you, since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love which you have to all the saints, for the hope which is laid up for you in Heaven.”
May our characters be such as can be reported of without causing us to blush—but that can never be the case if these essential virtues are absent. If these things are in us and abound, we shall not be barren or unfruitful. But if they are lacking, we are as withered branches. We should, therefore, be rich in faith, which is the root of every Grace and, to this end, we should daily pray, “Lord, increase our faith.” We should strive to be full even to overflowing with love, which is of God and makes us like unto God. And we should also abound in hope, even that heavenly hope which causes a man to purify himself in readiness for the inheritance above. See to it that neither of these three Divine Sisters are strangers to your souls, but let Faith, Hope and Love take up their abode in your hearts!
Note, however, the special character of each of these Graces as it exists in the Christian. It is not every faith and love and hope that will serve our turn, for of all precious things there are counterfeits! There is a kind of faith in all men, but ours is faith in Christ Jesus, faith in Him whom the world rejects, whose Cross is a stumbling block and whose doctrine is an offense. We have faith in the Man of Nazareth who is also the Son of God. We have faith in Him who, having made atonement by His own blood once and for all, is now exalted at His Father’s right hand. Our confidence is not placed in ourselves, nor in any human priest nor in the traditions of our fathers, nor in the teachings of human wisdom, but ONLY in Christ Jesus. This is the faith of God’s elect.
The love of Christians, too, is also special, for while a Christian man is moved by universal benevolence and desires to do good unto all men, yet he has a special love unto all the saints and these the world loves not because it loves not their Lord. The true Believer loves the persecuted, the misrepresented and despised people of God for Christ’s sake. He loves them all, even though he may think some of them to be mistaken in minor matters. He has love to the babies in Grace as well as to the grown saints—and love even to those saints whose infirmities are more manifest than their virtues! He loves them not for their station, or for their natural amiability, but because Jesus loves them and because they love Jesus. You see the faith is in Christ Jesus, but the love extends beyond Christ, Himself, to all those who are in union with Him.
Hope takes a still wider sweep and includes the eternal future in its circuit. Thus do our Graces increase in range as well as in number. Our hope, too, upon which we are to speak this morning, is special, because it is a hope which is laid up for us in Heaven. It is a hope, therefore, which the worldling cares not one whit about! He hopes that tomorrow may be as this day and yet more abundant, but he cares nothing for the land where time has ceased to flow. He hopes for riches or he hopes for fame—he hopes for long life and prosperity—he hopes for pleasure and domestic peace. The whole range of his hope is within the compass of his eyes!
But our hope has passed beyond the sphere of sight, according to the word of the Apostle, “What a man sees, why does he yet hope for? But if we hope for what we see not, then do we, with patience, wait for it.” Ours is a hope which demands nothing of time or earth, but seeks its all in the world to come! It is of this hope that we are about to speak. May
the Holy Spirit lead us into a profitable meditation upon it. The connection of our text seems to be this—the Apostle so much rejoiced when he saw the saints at Colosse possessing faith, love and hope, that he thanked God and prayed about them. He saw these seals of God upon them—these three tokens that they were a really converted people—and his heart was glad!
All the faithful ministers of Christ rejoice to see their people adorned with the jewels of faith, love and hope, for these are their ornaments for the present and their preparation for the future. This I believe to be the connection, but yet from the form of the language it is clear that the Apostle intended to state that their love to the saints was very much produced in them by the hope which was laid up in Heaven. You notice the word, “for,” which stands there—“The love which you have to all the saints for,” or on account of, or because of, “the hope which is laid up for you in Heaven.” There can be no doubt that the hope of Heaven tends greatly to foster love to all the saints of God! We have a common hope—let us have a common affection! We are on our way to God—let us march in loving company! We are to be one in Heaven—let us be one on earth! One is our Master, one is our service, one is our way and one is our end—let us be knit together as one man!