Colossians 1:6 NLT
[6] “This same Good News that came to you is going out all over the world. It is bearing fruit everywhere by changing lives, just as it changed your lives from the day you first heard and understood the truth about God’s wonderful grace.”

What makes all the difference between the world’s religions and the gospel of Jesus? Every religion in the world is a variation of one object of worship. The evil one is bent on usurping the place God occupies in the universe as Creator and sovereign. His passion is to be worshiped as God.

Since it is impossible to unseat God, Satan masquerades as Lord by deceiving people through false religious systems. Paul gives a resume in Romans 1 of the rebellion against God that sets up idols in His place.

There is only one true God who can change the lives of people so
that they begin to think and act like Him. This change is so radical that pagans like the people in the Colossian church once were, began to produce fruit in their lives that identified their root in God’s kingdom.

Jesus warned that fruit is the evidence of the nature of the tree. If the fruit of lives that are still planted in the devil’s kingdom of wickedness is still evident, no matter what such people may claim, they are still in darkness.

Paul assures these Colossian believers that the fruit of their new lives is evident in the way they speak and behave. The change began the moment they believed in Jesus. They had joined the new species.

2 Corinthians 5:16-17 NLT
[16] ..”At one time, we thought of Christ merely from a human point of view. How differently we know him now! [17] This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!”

The instant they believed in Jesus, they were transferred from darkness to light, and a new life began.

Ephesians 5:8-9 NLT
[8] “For once you were full of darkness, but now you have light from the Lord. So live as people of light! [9] For this light within you produces only what is good and right and true.”

This transformation is the only way to identify the work of God in the human heart. People can hang plastic fruit on their lives for a while but, eventually this pretense will be exposed when adversity hits.

Though Paul himself did not bring this church to birth, he cared about them as much as he cared for his own spiritual offspring.

Colossians 1:7-8 NLT
[7] “You learned about the Good News from Epaphras, our beloved co-worker. He is Christ’s faithful servant, and he is helping us on your behalf. [8] He has told us about the love for others that the Holy Spirit has given you.”

So, Paul takes them under his wing by assuring and encouraging these believers to continue and by including them in his prayers for all the churches.