Hello Everyone

The colour of the Gospel. Recently, a friend showed me a photo of himself as a little boy that was previously black and white which had been converted into colour. The photo had been through a colourisation process and the image was transformed. Colourisation involves the expert artist remastering the old photo by removing the defects and imperfections, sharpening the image to remove any blurriness, increasing the contrast, and layering the image with colour. Whilst the original image remains, the colourisation is a complete process of renewal. The new remastered coloured image attracts the attention of the viewer, allowing them to relate to the image in a new and more meaningful way. The details of a photo that were once lost or obscured in the shades of grey, become visible in striking colour as the image is seen from a new perspective. Colourisation is like the master artist has breathed new life into the old black and white photo. It is like the colour of the Gospel when Jesus renews us through His redemptive work as He breathes new life into our lives.

The colour of the Gospel is the transformation that happens in us when the master artist, God remasters or re-creates our lives from the blackened, charred effects of sin. 2 Corinthians 5:17. Before God changes us, our lives can be seen in the shades of grey and blurriness. The truth is obscured. God’s original image remains in all human beings, but it is marred by sin. God then takes our lives and removes our defects and imperfections, re-colours our lives with the crimson red blood of Jesus and brings Jesus into sharp focus in our lives. We become the colour of the Gospel which not only transforms the picture of our lives but allows those who view our lives to see the story of the truth through a new lens as we authentically live out the Gospel before them. As the world lives on in black and white because of the effects of sin, we become the living expression of Christ to a lost world as the details of truth become visible in us and we stand out as colourful new creations of Jesus. We are the colour of the Gospel.

So, what does the colour of the Gospel look like when our lives are on display in the photo galleries of life to those who are looking for the life-changing colour that only Jesus can offer? It looks like love, forgiveness, acceptance, kindness, gentleness, mercy, servanthood, peacemaking, goodness, hospitality; it looks like Jesus. It cost God everything to re-colour or to remaster our lives. The question becomes whether we will be genuinely on display and reflecting the colour of the Gospel to our fellow humans who don’t yet know Jesus or will we take our re-coloured lives and put them back in the family photo album and shut the covers. It’s a great privilege that God has given us to be the colour of the Gospel; not as airbrushed Christians but as authentic representatives of Jesus.

So, friends, get your “Gospel colour” on today.

 

Best days to come.
Wen