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Visible Virtue & Captain America

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3  We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, 4  since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love that you have for all the saints, 5  because of the hope laid up for you in heaven. Of this you have heard before in the word of the truth, the gospel. Colossians 1:3-5
What happened to visible virtue?  I recently watched the movie Captain America, a superhero movie set in the throes of World War 2.  The main character, Steve Rodgers, is selected to be the recipient of enhancements that will make everything that he already has within him greater and more powerful. Virtue multiplies and evil does as well.  Thankfully, in Rodgers, they chose someone with visible, consistent, matured virtue. Those of you who have enjoyed this character know exactly what I mean. I look around today and wonder, even if fancifully, would there be anyone around we could select today?  Anyone with deep, consistent, visible virtue?

The Apostle Paul sees in the lives of the Colossian believers, tangible examples of faith, hope and love. He sees practical and real fruit of the gospel in their lives. He, also aware of their shortcomings is aware and thankful for the work of God in these believers’ lives.  What was he seeing? These people are growing to look more and more like Christ. He is thankful for faith or belief  in Christ. They were not trying to be good enough for God to accept them, instead, believing in Christ’s death as payment for their sins, and his resurrection, his victory over sin for them. Paul had also heard of their love for the saints. This being a love for their brothers and sisters in Christ.

The interesting part is that Paul had actually heard of their faith and their love.  It was evident enough to be seen by those outside and communicated to him over hundreds of miles before the internet, cell phones or the US mail Service. They had a trust in Christ that was evident in the way they lived their lives. Our faith is at times an inward and sometimes quiet thing. But it never stays that way. If our faith is real, it will extend itself into our public life as well.  People ought to know that you believe. They ought to know that you don’t believe in yourself, but in God who has rescued you in Christ.  That your faith isn’t in the economy, the crazy politics in this world, or what you can do to keep yourself afloat, doing it yourself. Your visible faith is in a trustworthy God, who saves you by Jesus Christ, and transforms you to look more and more like Christ through the Holy Spirit.  Our faith is not just a personal matter. It ought to be a deeply personal thing that is expressing itself publically.  Paul had heard of their faith and love.

What is the foundation for this faith and love? Verse 5 “because of the hope laid up for you in heaven. Of this you have heard before in the word of truth, the gospel.” What is the foundation for this faith and love? It is hope. Hope is something objective, not to be confused with our action of wishing (I hope my wife gets me that new rod and reel, or I hope the kids remember Mother’s Day) that we have no assurance will happen. It is talking about the thing hoped for, that we anticipate with confidence. It is talking about Christ Himself. Christ is to be the foundation of all faith, love and hope.    Our faith and love are not because of our feelings of faith and love in the given moment. Our faith and love and all else that we do in the Christian life are rooted in and spring up from the fertile foundation of the gospel, of Christ. True, definite, stable hope.  This type of hope frees us to have deep faith and love because it doesn’t depend on how I am feeling in a given moment, it is dependent on the objective truth of Christ.

Genuine and visible faith and love spring from true and real hope. This hope is generated by the truth that can only be found in the gospel.  The truth that God will carry through and do exactly what He says in his word that he will do. It is not that we hope God will save us through Christ. It is that we have the sure hope and confidence that God will.    The good news of Christ’s life and death for them was the source of this faith and love and hope.  “The word of truth, the gospel”   There is no other reliable foundation for hope than the gospel. Hope flows out of the gospel in limitless supply.  Death has been defeated, we are now alive, we are reconciled with God because of what Christ has done. If the Gospel is true we don’t have to spend eternity in Hell for our sins as we would rightfully deserve. That is the gospel that has come to them and to us.  And it is the only thing capable of producing the true virtues of faith, hope and love.

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