12. What had Paul heard about the love of the disciples at Colossae? Colossians 1:4.
NOTE: In his letter to “the saints and faithful brethren in Christ which are at Colosse,” written while he was a prisoner in Rome, Paul makes mention of his joy over their steadfastness in the faith, tidings of which had been brought him by Epaphras, who, the apostle wrote, “declared unto us your love in the Spirit. For this cause,” he continued, “we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to desire that ye might be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; that ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God; strengthened with all might, according to His glorious power, unto all patience and long-suffering with joyfulness.” Acts of the Apostles, page 471.
‘The promise of the Holy Spirit is not limited to any age or to any race. Christ declared that the divine influence of His Spirit was to be with His followers unto the end. From the Day of Pentecost to the present time, the Comforter has been sent to all who have yielded themselves fully to the Lord and to His service. To all who have accepted Christ as a personal Saviour, the Holy Spirit has come as a counsellor, sanctifier, guide, and witness. The more closely believers have walked with God, the more clearly and powerfully have they testified of their Redeemer’s love and of His saving grace.’ Acts of the Apostles, page 49.
13. When our lives and hearts have been purified by obeying the truth through the Spirit, what result will be seen among the brethren? 1 Peter 1:22.
NOTE: The devotion which God requires reveals itself in unfeigned [spontaneous and without pretence] love for the souls for whom Christ gave His life. Christ dwelling in the heart will be manifested by the love which He enjoins upon His disciples. His true children will prefer others to themselves. They do not seek for the lion’s share at any time or in any place, because they do not look upon their talents as superior to those of their brethren. When this is indeed the case, the sign will be given in a revelation of the love which Christ manifested for the souls of men, an unselfish, unfeigned love, which preferred the welfare of others before His own.’ Mind, Character and Personality, volume 1, page 241.
LESSON INSIGHT: The greatest of the gifts of the Spirit is love. This is the gift that will go with us to heaven as we respond in loving our Saviour with an everlasting love for what He has done for us in the Plan of Redemption. But it also means that, here and now, the great principles of life will pervade all that we do or say or even think about our fellow beings, and Jesus goes even further and tells us that this divine love should extend towards our enemies. The summary of such a love is found in 1 Corinthians 13:4-7.
‘Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself [does not brag or boast], is not puffed up, doth not behave itself unseemly [immodestly or in a way that embarrasses], 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’.
A love that never fails means it is like a spring that never dries up, even in times of drought and hard times, or like a cruise of oil that never becomes empty. Such a heaven-born love begins in our hearts here and will continue throughout all eternity.
WHAT WE KNOW ABOUT THE HOLY SPIRIT: The Holy Spirit is Christ’s successor on earth. He is not a physical being, so can be in all places at all times without the limitations of time and space as we know it. The New Imperial Reference Dictionary stated that the word ‘Vicar’ means ‘substitute’ from the Latin - vicarius. The example was given of the Pope, the head of the Roman Catholic Church as ‘the Vicar of Christ,’ i.e. Christ’s substitute or representative on earth. This is part of the blasphemy of the Roman Catholic Church as prophesied. ‘He opened his mouth in blasphemy against God.’ Revelation 13:6. The Bible definition of blasphemy is one who takes on the role of God on this earth. We must hold firmly to the Word of God that the Holy Spirit is Christ’s sole appointed successor on earth.