COLOSSIANS 3:15-21
PEACE OF GOD LEADS TO PEACEFUL RELATIONSHIPS
Colossians 3:15 Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, for to this you were called as members of one body. And be thankful.
SUSAN: Susie and I both loved the Complete Jewish Bible’s rendering of this verse:
. . . and let the shalom which comes from the Messiah be your heart’s decision-maker, for this is why you were called to be part of a single Body.
Colossians 3:15 (CJB)
SUSAN: The Hebrew word “shalom” means “nothing missing, nothing broken.” Shalom is total wholeness, complete peace. When we consult Jesus, when He is in the driver’s seat, we will not make snap judgements or knee-jerk decisions about anything. I can no longer make knee-jerk decisions because I no longer have knees. LOL. But seriously, when Christ’s peace rules in our hearts, the Holy Spirit serves as a referee or umpire for our thoughts. When there is conflict in our minds, we need to put Philippians 4:8-9 into practice in order to rest in the Lord’s peace.
Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think on these things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me, put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.
Philippians 4:8-9 (BSB)
SUSIE: When we are at peace in Jesus, resting in His control, we can be calm in the middle of a crisis and think things through by the power of the Holy Spirit within us. We are a part of the unified body of believers – at peace with God and one another. How does this make our witness to the world stronger?
SUSAN: People in the world are “Me first, me first, me first.” However, Christ’s body, the Messianic community, should have an attitude of “How can I help you?” The world is self-centered, but believers are to put others first. Actually we should put Christ first, then others, then ourselves.
SUSIE: This reminds me of a definition of joy I was taught as a child:
Jesus first
Others second
Yourself last
ACTIVITY: The battle for peace, for calmness and wholeness, as an individual begins in the mind. Write or print out Philippians 4:8 in your favorite translation on a sticky note and attach it to the mirror you use when getting ready for the day. Begin the day focusing your mind on the positive to help you block out the negative that hits you in the face everywhere you go. Ask the Lord to keep your mind on Him—His beautiful creation, His provision for your needs, His people who encourage you. Direct your thoughts back to Jesus each time Satan tries to distract and discourage you.
Colossians 3:16 Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God.
SUSIE: How can we cause the word of Christ—the entire compilation of the Holy Scripture—to dwell in us?
SUSAN: Preferably, we need to be in it at least once a day, every day.
SUSIE: What do you mean by “being in the word?”
SUSAN: Reading it, listening to it, studying it, memorizing it, and meditating on it.
SUSIE: The Holy Spirit gives us the wisdom needed to fully understand the word of God as we hide it in our hearts.
I have hidden Your word in my heart that I might not sin against You.
Psalm 119:11(BSB)
SUSAN: Teaching and admonishing (counseling) one another sounds like mentoring to me.
SUSIE: It is what we Christians call “discipling.” Those who have known the Lord for a longer time need to take new believers under their wing and help them develop the good habits of Bible study, prayer, worship, and fellowship. Music is a key component of Christian worship services, and this verse lists three types of vocal music used to encourage one another as well as to lift our praise to the Lord:
Speak to one another with psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your hearts to the Lord,
Ephesians 5:19 (BSB)
Note on Ephesians 5:19 – psalms. Old Testament psalms put to music, primarily, but the term was used also of vocal music in general. The early church sang the Psalms. hymns. Perhaps songs of praise distinguished from the Psalms which exalted God, in that they focused on the Lord Jesus Christ. spiritual songs. Probably songs of personal testimony expressing truths of the grace of salvation in Christ.
John MacArthur Study Bible
SUSIE: Because of God’s grace, the “divine influence upon the heart and it’s reflection in the life” Strong’s definition G5485, we sing with gratitude, thankfulness to the Lord . . .
SUSAN: . . . for Who He is and all that He has done. Paul and Silas sang with thanksgiving even while chained up in prison!
About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them.
Acts 16:25 (BSB)
SUSIE: Even those who cannot carry a tune in a bucket, can make melody in their hearts toward God.
SUSAN: Amen to that because I am one of those who is challenged when it comes to melody. Thank the Lord I qualify as a worshipper even though I may not sound like heavenly choir material yet.
ACTIVITY: Make a list of psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs that encourage or “speak” to you. Share one of them to encourage a friend either by sending them the lyric, singing it to them, or sending them a YouTube link of a professional singing it. Share your gratitude to and joy in the Lord with others.
Colossians 3:17 And whatever you do, in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.
SUSAN: All that we say or do should exalt—lift up—and glorify God.
So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all to the glory of God.
1 Corinthians 10:31 (BSB)
If anyone speaks, he should speak as one conveying the words of God. If anyone serves, he should serve with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom be the glory and the power forever and ever. Amen.
1 Peter 4:11 (BSB)
SUSIE: We should do our best for the Lord, or as an old hymn expressed it, “Give of your best to the Master.”
SUSAN: We should do all jobs as if the Lord Jesus is the one who is going to inspect our work, knowing that we want to please and give glory to Him. We should use the gifts the Holy Spirit gives in order to bring praise to the Lord.
We have different gifts according to the grace given us. If one’s gift is prophecy, let him use it in proportion to his faith; if it is serving, let him serve; if it is teaching, let him teach; if it is encouraging, let him encourage; if it is giving, let him give generously; if it is leading, let him lead with diligence; if it is showing mercy, let him do it cheerfully.
Romans 12:6-8
SUSIE: We should speak to one another as if Jesus is listening because, in reality, He is.
SUSAN: We need to live in an attitude of gratitude.
PONDER THIS: Do a little self-evaluation. In the last week how would you rate yourself on doing everything “as unto the Lord?” Evaluate your attitudes and actions at work, at home, and with your friends. Would you feel comfortable inviting Jesus to walk alongside you all day? We need to live each day to the glory of God being thankful that He does walk with us and is willing an able to help us live godly lives. (This one kind of hit home with both of us tonight!)
Colossians 3:18 Wives, submit to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord.
Wives, submit to your husbands as to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, His body, of which He is the Savior. Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything.
Ephesians 5:22-24
SUSIE: Wives need to voluntarily place themselves under the authority of their husbands since the Lord has designated the man as the head of the household.
SUSAN: This command is based on the fact that Paul is writing to believers which assumes a Christian wife and Christian husband.
SUSIE: It is also based on the mutual submission taught in Ephesians:
Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.
Ephesians 5:21 (BSB)
Colossians 3:19 Husbands, love your wives and do not be harsh with them.
SUSIE: The Amplified version gives the full impact of this verse:
Husbands, love your wives [with an affectionate, sympathetic, selfless love that always seeks the best for them] and do not be embittered or resentful toward them [because of the responsibilities of marriage].
Colossians 3:19 (AMP)
SUSIE: In Ephesians, the men were instructed to love their wives as “Christ the loved the church and gave Himself up for her”.
Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave Himself up for her.
Ephesians 5:25 (BSB)
SUSAN: The husband is to love his wife sacrificially and selflessly.
SUSIE: He should not be harsh or demeaning toward her but, instead, be encouraging and edifying.
PONDER THIS: If you are blessed to be in marriage covenant, reflect on how well your relationship reflects what Paul is teaching here and in Ephesians 5. Look mostly at your part in this covenant rather than being critical of your spouse’s part. Pray for and preferably with your spouse that your marriage would become “that little bit of heaven on earth it was intended to be” as my former pastor Jimmy Draper used to say when officiating weddings.
Colossians 3:20 Children, obey your parents in everything, for this is pleasing to the Lord.
Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. “Honor your father and mother” (which is the first commandment with a promise), “that it may go well with you and that you may have a long life on the earth.”
Ephesians 6:1-3
SUSIE: There is one limitation to a child’s obedience to parents. If a child is told to do something contrary to God’s word, he may disobey his parents.
SUSAN: The most graphic example I can think of is to commit incest—a child has the right to say no.
SUSIE: If a parent instructs a child to steal, harm someone, or in any way go against the teachings of Jesus, it would not be sinful for that child to disobey a parent.
Colossians 3:21 Fathers, do not provoke your children, so they will not become discouraged.
3:21 provoke. See notes on Eph. 6:4. Also translated “do not exasperate,” this word has the connotation of not stirring up or irritating.
John MacArthur Study Bible
Fathers, do not provoke your children to wrath; instead, bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.
Ephesians 6:4 (BSB)
SUSIE: Parents should not be “nit-picky” with their children or berate them.
SUSAN: Parents should be the steady ones—the earthly compass for their children, avoiding inflaming the situation by unreasonable demands or punishments.
PONDER THIS: When everything centers on Jesus, and we are resting in our relationship to Christ, then how we relate to each other in the home, the workplace, the school, and our local body of believers will be much smoother. When God’s word “dwells in us richly,” He uses it to guide us into words and behavior that are honoring and glorifying to Him.