Teaching and Admonishing One Another

“Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.” (Colossians 3:16-17 ESV)

The words spoken here were written to the collective body of Christ, not just to pastors, evangelists, or missionaries. This applies to us all. As members of the body of Christ, we are to be ministering to one another. We are to be speaking the truth in love to one another so that none of us will be easily persuaded by the cunning and craftiness of human beings in their deceitful scheming, and then end up chasing after false doctrines of faith. And we need to speak the truth in love to one another, as well, to help one another to grow to maturity in our walks of faith in Christ.

And we are to be being filled with the Spirit, addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs. And this is not talking about us attending a song service at a local gathering of the church (or what is called “church”). This means I have a song to share with you for your encouragement in the Lord, given to me by God, and so I share it with you for your strengthening in your walk of faith. And then you share a song or a poem or a psalm with me for my encouragement and for my strengthening in my walk of faith in the Lord, whenever God puts this on our hearts.

And we are to be letting the word of Christ dwell in us richly, which means we are dedicating time to the study of God’s word (in context), and that we are sitting at the feet of Jesus, drinking in his Word, praying for him to teach us what he wants us to learn and to apply to our own lives. And then we need to be putting those things into practice in our own lives so that we set the example for how to live those things out in our daily lives, and so that we are not trying to teach others what we ourselves are not living. And then we need to be teaching and admonishing (warning) one another in the faith.

Also, we are to exhort (insist on with a holy urging) one another every day so that none of us will be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin. And we are to stir (spur) up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, but encouraging (inspiring, urging) one another, and all the more as we see the Day (of judgment, of our Lord’s return) drawing near. And meeting together can be anywhere, any day of the week, any time of day or night, and in person or over the phone or on the internet, wherever other believers in Christ are gathered where we can encourage one another.

And if a brother or sister in Christ has been caught (trapped) in sin, we who are spiritual (who are walking in obedience to the Lord in holy living) should restore him or her (put back in proper working order what is out of joint) in a spirit of meekness (in gentle strength, not in weakness). But this engages the cooperation of the one who sinned. And then we need to keep watch over our own lives so that we aren’t tempted to sin. And if a brother or a sister should wander from the truth, whoever brings back that sinner from his wandering will save his soul from death and he’ll be forgiven his sins.

And we, as the body of believers in Jesus Christ, if we are of genuine God-gifted and God-persuaded faith in the Lord, which dies to sin and lives to righteousness, then we have all been gifted of the Spirit of God with spiritual gifts which we are then to put into practice, by the Spirit, for the mutual encouragement and edification of the universal body of Christ. And we are to be serving the Lord and one another in the specific areas of ministry assigned to us by God as he has chosen and has called us to do. And we are not to neglect our gifts nor our callings, but we are to be faithful to God.

[Ephesians 2:8-10; Ephesians 4:1-16; Ephesians 5:15-21; Colossians 3:16; Hebrews 3:13; Hebrews 10:23-25; Galatians 6:1; James 5:19-20; Titus 2:11-14; Philippians 2:1-8; Romans 12:1-8; 1 Corinthians 12:1-31] 

“And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.”

My Heart’s Desire  

An Original Work / June 29, 2013

Based off Rm. 10; Lu. 9:23-26; Ep. 4:20-24

Loved Ones, Oh, my heart’s desire

Is that you might come to Jesus.

Many appear zealous for God,

But they do not trust in Him.

They have not submitted to the One

Who saved them from their sins;

Not forsaken their sins,

Nor have they obeyed their King.

The word of the Lord is near you:

The word of faith we’re proclaiming:

That you must confess your faith

In Jesus as your Lord and King:

Believe in Him as your Lord, 

And follow Him where’er He leads.

Share the gospel; be a witness,

And meet others’ needs.

Beautiful are the feet of those

Who bring the good news of Jesus:

Anyone who would come to Him

Must deny himself today;

Die to sin and self, and

Let the Spirit transform you in heart;

Put on your new self in Jesus,

Yielding to the cross. 

https://vimeo.com/115643303