General Conference Bulletin, vol. 1
THE BOOK OF COLOSSIANS — NO. 2
J. H. DURLAND
HOPE OF THE GOSPEL
THIS morning we will open our Bibles to the second division. “We give thanks to God and the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you.” In 1 Thessalonians 5:18, we read, “In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ jesus concerning you.” For whom should we give thanks? For an answer let us read 1 Timothy 2:1: “I exhort, therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men.” How do we give thanks? By prayer. GCB February 6, 1895, page 37.5
Let us now read Ephesians 5:1-4, and see how the giving of thanks is contrasted with other ways of conducting one’s self. “Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children; and walk in love as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling savor. but fornication, and all uncleanness, or covetousness, let it not be once named among you, as becometh saints; neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor jesting, which are not convenient; but rather giving of thanks.” Now this instruction is addressed to saints. Filthiness, foolish talking and jesting are not convenient for them. but what is convenient? Giving of thanks. The true saint of God does not have to work himself up to a flight of feeling in order to give thanks. It is the most natural thing he can do. Let us read Psalm 34:1, 2: “I will bless the Lord at all times; his praise shall continually be in my mouth. My soul shall make her boast in the Lord; the humble shall hear thereof, and be glad.” Here we see the Christian life brought out. But this life cannot be obtained by outward effort. It must begin within, and the outward work is but its growth and development. The giving of thanks is not a meritorious work which we can put on outwardly. It is the fruit of the Christian life. GCB February 6, 1895, page 37.6
But there is another thought. 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.” What is faith? It is depending on the word of God, and doing what it says. James tells us that the prayer of a righteous man availeth much. And what example does he give us of a righteous man? Elijah. How many times did Elijah pray for rain? Seven, and every time he prayed, he sent his servant to see if the rain was coming. But Elijah knew that the Lord would give the rain before he prayed, and in praying he reached out, and took hold of God’s word, and acted upon it. so it should be with us. Many times we might have had an answer to prayer when we have not, because we did not act upon the word of God, but waited to see if he would do what we asked. GCB February 6, 1895, page 37.7
Let us go further. Mark 11:23, 24 in the Syriac translation reads as follows: “Verily I say to you, whosoever shall say to this mountain, Be thou removed and fall into the sea, and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe what he said would occur, to him will be the thing he said: therefore I say to you that whatsoever ye shall pray and ask for, believe that it will be, and it will be to you.” What are we to believe? That it will be. In Colossians, Paul speaks of hearing of the faith of these people. Does the church to-day need faith as much as that church needed it? It surely does. Do we who are studying the Scripture here this morning need it? and will its working be as effectual among us as among that people? I think we must answer in the affirmative. We sometimes read of the words and doings of the apostles, and wish that they might be revived in our time. Have we not longed to see the faith that they manifested, working in our midst? But have we not also been depending upon everyone else to have it except ourselves? What we want to do right here in this meeting is to come to that place individually where we will feel and say, “It is I that need that faith which they had back there.” But “faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” Then, as we here study the word of God, and ask him to give us this faith, we may expect that he will keep his promise. Let us study the word in that way, and ask the Lord to help us to take it as our own. I can thank God that somebody else gets it, but I can also thank God this morning that he gives me the privilege of feeding on his word, and developing that faith. I presume that the church of Colosse were just as glad to know of Paul’s faith as he was to learn of their’s, and so there was a mutual joy. That is the way good social meetings come. GCB February 6, 1895, page 37.8
Now we will pass along to the central thought of this portion of Scripture, which is, the hope of the gospel. Notice, Paul says he has heard three things of the Colossians, — their faith, hope, and love. This hope is the hope of the gospel, and the gospel itself is that which gives to everybody in it faith and love, so there the three things are brought together in the gospel. GCB February 6, 1895, page 38.1
Let us now read 1 Corinthians 13:4-8, which tells us something of the nature of love, or charity, as it is called there. GCB February 6, 1895, page 38.2
Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil; rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth; beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things. Charity never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; and whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away. GCB February 6, 1895, page 38.3
Which, then, is the most enduring, faith, hope, or love? Love. But can a man have love without faith? GCB February 6, 1895, page 38.4
What is hope? It is expectation. Brethren, let us have a hope that expects something. Real hope does not come by feeling any more than faith. 2 Thessalonians 2:16: “Now our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God, even our Father, which hath loved us, and hath given us everlasting consolation and good hope through grace.” Hope, then, comes through grace. Read also Romans 15:4: “For whatever things were written aforetime, were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the Scriptures, might have hope.” Then hope also comes through the Scriptures. Take another text. Romans 5:1, 2, 4: “Therefore, being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: by whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; and patience, experience; and experience, hope.” So then hope comes through grace, through the Scriptures, and through experience. GCB February 6, 1895, page 38.5
Paul says of the promise of God to Abraham that he confirmed it by an oath, “that by two immutable things in which it was impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us, which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast.” Then hope is an anchor upon which we can lay hold. god’s word is made up largely of promises, and every promise is sworn to by One who cannot lie. these promises come to us individually, and we can lay hold of them, and settle down upon them as facts. If a man promises you twenty-five dollars, and you know him to be able, and he has never failed you, when the time comes for you to go and receive the money, you will not do so falteringly, questioning whether you will get it or not. You expect it, and would be disappointed if you were not to get it. Can we come that way to God this morning? Yes, that is just what the hope of the gospel is. It consists in knowing the gospel so well that we never have it in mind that the Lord is going to disappoint us. GCB February 6, 1895, page 38.6
But many of us need to study the truth of God that we may know what to ask for. That is where the disappointment comes. Many persons are disappointed in coming to God in prayer, because they do not know what to ask for. They only know that they want a thing, and desire very much to have it. For instance, they will pray for health, because they want to be well and enjoy themselves. They will pray for success in business because they want to amass money, and enjoy life with it. but can we who are here this morning conscientiously ask for such things with those motives? No. We must not ask for things that we may consume them upon our lusts. GCB February 6, 1895, page 38.7
In 1 Peter 1:3 mention is made of a lively, that is a living, hope. Can hope have life? Yes. God says of his words that they are spirit and they are life. It is in believing his words that we have hope, and so that hope is a living hope. but in the Christian life a good many have a hope something like this: I hope that I shall inherit eternal life if things around me are favorable, and the brethren treat me well. But the first thing is that they do not treat me well, according to my idea, and I say: I had a hope, but things have not turned out quite as I expected, and I have given up. Brethren, faith knows no failures, and hope makes no calculations for failure in the gospel plan. GCB February 6, 1895, page 38.8
Paul also says here he has heard of the love of the brethren at Colosse. How should we love the Lord? “Thou shalt love the Lord with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind.” If we do that to-day, the gospel is a reality to us, and we need make no calculations for failure. We will be praising god all the time that it is so. That is where praise and thanks come in. You cannot praise God and thank him mechanically. Sometimes social meetings are failures because everybody thinks it his duty to get up and say something. Sometimes the elder says it is their duty, and they believe him, and sit thinking of that duty all the time. It is with them as with children. The more we talk duty to them, the less they feel like singing while doing it. Let us stop serving the Lord in that way. Let us take the hope there is in the gospel and dwell upon that, and our hearts will be so full of thanksgiving and praise that they will run over. The hope of the gospel is a living hope. When you have it, you have life, and will not act like a dead man. Our Christian life should be like a fountain, flowing continually. GCB February 6, 1895, page 39.1