Thursday, September 28, 2017, 10:13 a.m. – The Lord Jesus put in mind the song “The Peace of Christ.” Speak, Lord, your
words to my heart. I read Colossians
3:1-17 (NASB).
Things Above
(vv. 1-4)
Therefore if you have been raised up with Christ, keep
seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set
your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth. For you
have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is our
life, is revealed, then you also will be revealed with Him in glory.
IF you have been raised with
Christ, not assuming you have been, but as a prerequisite to what follows next,
then do what this teaches. So, how are we raised with Christ? Well, just as
Jesus Christ died on a cross for our sins and was resurrected back to life,
victorious over sin and death, we must, if we have truly put our faith in him,
die with him to sin so that we can live with him to righteousness. This is also
called the “new birth,” or being “born again.” And, it is the working of the
Holy Spirit in our lives in turning us from darkness to light, and from the
power of Satan to God, so that we can receive forgiveness of sins, and a place
among those who are sanctified by faith in Jesus Christ (See: Ro. 6:1-23; Eph.
4:17-18; Acts 26:16-18).
Therefore, IF this has taken place
in our lives, then we are to continue seeking what is from God and of Christ
and of his Spirit. We are to keep on walking in the ways of the Lord, in his
righteousness and holiness. We are to persist in fellowship with our Lord, in
hearing his voice speak his words to our hearts, and in following him wherever
he leads us. And, we are to fill our minds and hearts with what is godly, holy,
righteous, true, just, upright, honest, trustworthy, pure, and moral, and not
willfully and consistently be filling our minds with what is earthly, wicked,
immoral, impure and unholy.
Dead to Immorality (vv. 5-11)
Therefore consider the members of your earthly body as
dead to immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and greed, which amounts to
idolatry. For it is because of these things that the wrath of God will come
upon the sons of disobedience, and in them you also once walked, when you were
living in them. But now you also, put them all aside: anger, wrath, malice,
slander, and abusive speech from your mouth. Do not lie to one another, since
you laid aside the old self with its evil practices, and have put on the new
self who is being renewed to a true knowledge according to the image of the One
who created him— a renewal in which there is no distinction between Greek and
Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave and freeman, but
Christ is all, and in all.
Since we have died with
Christ, we should consider ourselves to be dead to sin, but alive to God in
Christ Jesus. Therefore, we should not let sin reign in our mortal bodies, so
that we obey its lusts, but we should present our members as instruments of
righteousness to God, for this is why Jesus died (See: Ro. 6:1-23). He died
that we might die to sin and live to righteousness (1 Pet. 2:24), not to free
us to continue in willful sin against God. We should not even be entertaining
ourselves with the sins of others, for when we do, we are giving hearty
approval of their sin by applauding their sin (Ro. 1:32).
Yet, so many preachers these
days are not teaching this at all. In fact, they are teaching an entitlement
gospel which says God does everything and nothing is required of us – no obedience,
submission or repentance. They are giving their adherents, thus, carte blanche
(free rein) to continue in sin without guilt. And, this is a big fat lie! They
distort God’s grace to appeal to human flesh, and to their own advantage. But, God’s
grace is not merely for the purpose to deliver us from hell and to promise us
heaven when we die. His grace is to free us from addiction to sin and to free
us to walk in his holiness and righteousness. For, if we walk (live) in sin, we
will die in our sins, not have the hope of eternal life with God.
Put on Love
(vv. 12-17)
So, as those who have been chosen of God, holy and
beloved, put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and
patience; bearing with one another, and forgiving each other, whoever has a
complaint against anyone; just as the Lord forgave you, so also should you.
Beyond all these things put on love, which is the perfect bond of unity. Let
the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one
body; and be thankful. Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you, with all
wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual
songs, singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God. Whatever you do in word
or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God
the Father.
We who have been crucified
with Christ in death to sin, and who have been raised with him to newness of
life, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness, are called to
be holy, not given permission to be promiscuous now that we are under grace. And,
holiness is being separated from the world of sin because we are being
conformed to the likeness of Christ. So, we are to be putting to death the
deeds of the flesh, by the Spirit, instead of embracing them and thinking we
are ok, because we are under grace. And, then we are to put on (put into
practice) love, gentleness, patience, forgiveness, kindness, etc. And, love is preferring
what God prefers, which is holiness, righteousness, truth, integrity and
morality, etc.
When we are living righteously
before God, not in absolute perfection, but walking in the Spirit and not
according to the flesh, and we are daily dying to sin and self, and we are, by the
Spirit, putting to death the deeds of the flesh, and we are practicing love for
God and for one another, then we should also be teaching and admonishing one
another to do likewise. And, we should be strengthening and encouraging one
another in the faith, so that we don’t grow weary and lose heart, and so that
we don’t fall into sin’s deceitfulness. But, to do so in love, also means to do
so in truth, for lies only hurt. So, tell the truth, but do so in love, and
care more about others than you do yourself, and be willing to have others hate
and speak badly about you in order to tell them the truth of the gospel, which
can save their souls.
The Peace of Christ / An
Original Work / October 31, 2011
Based off of Col. 3:1-17; Eph. 5:19-20
Let the word of Christ dwell in you,
As you teach with all wisdom,
Teaching one another to not
Think on earthly things;
Think instead on things above,
Where Christ sits with God, in love,
Saving us from all of our sins,
Cleansing us; made new within.
Let the peace of Christ rule your
hearts,
As you sing songs unto Him;
Speak to one another with psalms,
Hymns, and spir’tual songs;
Always giving thanks to God,
In the name of Christ, His Son,
Who gave His life up for us all,
And gave us eternal life.
Let the love of Christ within you
Rule in your hearts; grace within,
Purifying you from your sin,
Make you whole within.
Forgive as the Lord forgave.
Show His kindness ev’ry day.
In word or deed, whate’er you do,
Glory give to Jesus Christ.
No comments:
Post a Comment