God's grace heard and known

God sends his gospel out into all the world, where it brings forth fruit, just as it does in Colosse. In giving thanks for the grace of God, Paul gives thanks for the gospel's discernible progress, evidenced by the fruit it brings forth.

In considering the power of the gospel - changing men's hearts and producing fruit in their lives - we begin with the root: hearing and knowing the grace of God in truth. A spiritual apprehension of the grace of God in truth - a whole-souled embrace of Christ Jesus as he is freely offered in the gospel - lies at the heart of every spiritually fruitful life. This is far more than mere intellectual apprehension, or a fervent emotional response to the truth.

From this fundamental truth, we obtain several principles of instruction, self-examination, warning, and exhortation.