The peace of God can rule in the believer life; knowing who you are in Christ with a thankful heart gives birth to this hope. Intimacy with God is the believer's way of life.
Colossians 3:15 And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful.
Remember these commands are to the one who has become a newly created being in Christ Jesus. Last lesson we ended with putting on the bond of perfection “love”. Christ in me is the hope of glory. Here in this passage one of the secrets of the kingdom of God is revealed. Let the peace of God rule in your heart. Far too many Christians don’t know what it means for the peace of God to rule in their heart. They are moved from one dramatic experience to another. Discipleship is the answer to the wavering lifestyle. When you lay hold of the gospel. The Father has qualified us. The Father has transferred us out of the darkness into the kingdom of His Son . We have been freed from sin by the blood of Jesus. The enmity between God and the believer is gone. When we have submitted to these truths the peace of God will rule in our heart. It is the Father’s design and will for our lives to be lived with the peace of God leading us. We keep hitting this truth… and be thankful! Empty from complaint and full of thanksgiving keeps the open door to His peace. No longer the emotions or intellect ruling but the truth of His word.
Colossians 3:16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.
The word of grace becomes so practical! Allow the word of Christ to dwell in you richly! One believer provoking the other believer with teachings and admonish in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs. Get together with singing with the divine influence of God in our hearts.
Colossians 3:17 And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.
Whatever you do… Can we hear and live this word? Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him. Living this simple verse keeps the peace of God ruling in our lives!
Colossians 3:18 Wives, submit to your own husbands, as is fitting in the Lord. 19 Husbands, love your wives and do not be bitter toward them. 20 Children, obey your parents in all things, for this is well pleasing to the Lord.
Grace is so practical it gives you instruction how to live in every relationship. Leave the instruction in the context in which it is written. In the family wives are to submit to their own husbands. Wives don’t leave out the second part of the command, “as is fitting in the Lord.” If a husband is asking the wife to do things outside holiness do not submit to such foolishness. In the context of the family husband are commanded to love their wives. Husband don’t miss the love command “ and do not be bitter toward them. Each member has a command from God how to best proceed in the family relationship. Children obey your parents in all things, for this is well pleasing to the Lord.
Colossians 3:21 Fathers, do not provoke your children, lest they become discouraged. 22 Bondservants, obey in all things your masters according to the flesh, not with eyeservice, as men-pleasers, but in sincerity of heart, fearing God.
God know the hearts of earthly fathers and leaves commands based upon His wisdom. Dads, do not provoke your children that is no way to correct your children. If it is the goodness of God that leads us to repentance should we not rule our houses with the goodness of God in mind? God deals with employee and employer relationships. Serve the employer as if you were serving God Himself, with a sincerity of heart.
Colossians 3:23 And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men, 24 knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance; for you serve the Lord Christ.
Don’t do things half hearted; serve with integrity being your guide. D o it unto the Lord and not to men! Caution of bad attitudes; “Well they are under paying me so I will under work.” Serve is unto the Lord and God will reward you!
Colossians 3:25 But he who does wrong will be repaid for what he has done, and there is no partiality.
There is the law of sowing and reaping and it does not disappear because you are a believer. Those who do wrong will be repaid for what he has done.
Colossians 4:1 Masters, give your bondservants what is just and fair, knowing that you also have a Master in heaven.
Now God speaks to the employer; God commands the employer to walk justly and in fairness with their employees. Let God speak to the employer, let God speak to the employee, let God speak to the spouse, allow God to help you speak to your children. Let His divine influence overflow in every relationship of life.
Colossians 4:2 Continue earnestly in prayer, being vigilant in it with thanksgiving;
Continue earnestly in prayer, being vigilant in it with thanksgiving. Heed the call to righteous instruction. Do you see the theme of thanksgiving flow in your relationships with prayer leading the way?
Colossians 4:3 meanwhile praying also for us, that God would open to us a door for the word, to speak the mystery of Christ, for which I am also in chains, 4 that I may make it manifest, as I ought to speak.
Pray that the mystery of Christ will be made clear in the church! May “Christ in me” be the cry of every believer. See Paul now mentioning he is in chains. From the jail cell he is longing for every believer to walk in intimacy with God; that same intimacy will overflow into every relationship the believers have.
Colossians 4:5 Walk in wisdom toward those who are outside, redeeming the time. 6 Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer each one.
Here is what our relationship should look like with those outside of the covenant of grace. Walk in the wisdom of God. Let your conversation be with the divine influence of God flowing through it. Let your words be like a preservative, giving answers to each one with the seasoned words of life.
Colossians 4:7 Tychicus, a beloved brother, faithful minister, and fellow servant in the Lord, will tell you all the news about me. 8 I am sending him to you for this very purpose, that he may know your circumstances and comfort your hearts,
Little secrets are often couched in greeting and salutations. Ministers of the gospel should be faithful, and have a spirit to serve the body of Christ.
Colossians 4:9 with Onesimus, a faithful and beloved brother, who is one of you. They will make known to you all things which are happening here. 10 Aristarchus my fellow prisoner greets you, with Mark the cousin of Barnabas (about whom you received instructions: if he comes to you, welcome him),
Once again the beloved brother who is faithful. Onesimus was saved while he was a runaway slave. Now he is a minister and a beloved brother in the Lord. Welcome those the leadership send to you.
Colossians 4:11 and Jesus who is called Justus. These are my only fellow workers for the kingdom of God who are of the circumcision; they have proved to be a comfort to me. 12 Epaphras, who is one of you, a bondservant of Christ, greets you, always laboring fervently for you in prayers, that you may stand perfect and complete in all the will of God.1 3 For I bear him witness that he has a great zeal for you, and those who are in Laodicea , and those in Hierapolis .
Leadership laboring fervently as bondservants; that Christ may be formed in the body.
Colossians 4:14 Luke the beloved physician and Demas greet you.15 Greet the brethren who are in Laodicea, and Nymphas and the church that is in his house.16 Now when this epistle is read among you, see that it is read also in the church of the Laodiceans, and that you likewise read the epistle from Laodicea. 17 And say to Archippus, "Take heed to the ministry which you have received in the Lord, that you may fulfill it." 18 This salutation by my own hand; Paul . Remember my chains. Grace be with you. Amen.
Even to the end Paul is instructing for Archippus to take heed to the ministry. What a heart he had for the body of Christ to walk in intimacy with God.
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