Thrust Statement: Many Christians suffer from an undernourishment of the soul.

Scripture Reading: Colossians 3:16-17

            The expression word of God in Colossians 3:16 is somewhat nebulous without a context. This phrase is generally associated with the written Revelation of God, not the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Just a cursory reading of the entire Epistle seems to convey the concept that the Gospel is equivalent to the “word of Christ” (Colossians 3:16). Every Christian is to allow the Good News of God’s way of salvation in and through Jesus to dwell in him or her richly. This consciousness of God’s grace will enable one to live a much greater life of purity and holiness before God. A comprehension of the Gospel is the motive for living a life that honors God. Having said this, one cannot and must not discount that God’s Holy Word, the Bible, which should also dwell in the hearts of His people.

Since God inspired the sixty-six books of the Bible, Christians should meditate upon this written Revelation day and night. The printed Revelation of God is very rich in its spiritual treasures to assist His people in their spiritual journey. It is for this reason that Paul, no doubt, writes: “After this letter has been read to you, see that it is also read in the church of the Laodiceans, and that you in turn read the letter from Laodicea” (Colossians 4:16). Several hundred years earlier, one of the psalmists wrote about the enjoyment of Scripture by one who serves the Lord God: “But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night” (Psalm 1:2). In Paul’s farewell address to Timothy, he writes:

But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of, because you know those from whom you learned it, ^15 and how from infancy you have known the holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. ^16 All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, ^17 so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work (2 Timothy 3:14-17). ^[1]

Is your delight in God’s Word? Do you study Holy Scripture? How often do you reflect upon the Word inspired by God? People today are suffering from malnutrition in God’s written Word as well as the Gospel because of other interests—movies, television, novels, football, baseball, hunting, fishing, and so on. There is nothing wrong, in and of itself, with these activities, but when Christians allow these things to interfere with their interest in the things of God, there should be a reexamination of one’s priorities. Many Christians do not take time to read, to study, and to memorize Holy Scripture.

It is through the written Revelation of God that one comes to understand something of God’s grace in and through His Son Jesus. It is this grace that Paul stresses in the Book of Colossians. Even though the written Word is important, the focus of this message is centered on the “word of Christ” as equivalent to God’s redemption in and through Christ. Do you appreciate God’s act in Christ that gives you a new standing before God? Are you conscious that the Good News is about God’s love to sinful and rebellious humanity in spite of what they are? Are you aware that it is at the Cross of Christ that God meets sinful humanity?

In the crucifixion on Golgotha, one witnesses God’s act of redemption and His revelation of His mystery.  God’s act in Christ gives every person who puts his or her trust in Him a new standing. This is the “mystery” that Paul speaks of as the Gospel, or “word of Christ.” The word redemption in verse 14 of chapter 1 explains a change in the condition of any man or woman who responds to Jesus through faith. This change brought about by Jesus can only be apprehended through faith. This is the Good News that Paul wishes for the Colossians to allow to dwell in them richly. It is at the point of the Cross that God meets Dallas Burdette. It is at the point of the Cross that God meets you.

Before embarking upon Christian living, this essay zeros in on the motive behind the demands for ethical behavior that glorifies God. If one wishes to understand the full import of the phrase “word of Christ” in Colossians 3:16, one must begin with the first chapter of this magnificent Book about God’s mystery hidden from ages past (1:26). Paul commends the Colossians for their faith in the Lord Jesus (1:4). He then speaks of the “word of truth, the gospel” (1:5). This gospel is bearing fruit in their lives (1:6). This gospel is then called “God’s grace in all its truth” (1:6). He then reveals his habit of praying that God would fill them with the knowledge of His will, and he also prays that they will live a life worthy of the Lord and please Him in every way by bearing fruit in every good work and growing in knowledge of God (1:9-10).  One cannot have Christian morality without having Christian faith. Christian morality in the world is as a result of the Christian religion. Many in the world do not realize that morality is not inherent in man; it is due to the Christian religion.

Following this exhortation, Paul sets forth the supremacy of Christ (1:15-23). Toward the close of this section, he once again discusses the Gospel: “If you continue in your faith, established and firm, not moved from the hope held out in the gospel. This is the gospel that you heard and that has been proclaimed to every creature under heaven, and of which I, Paul, have become a servant” (1:23).  Hope is held out in the Gospel. This Gospel is the “word of Christ” that Paul declares in his statement: “Let the word of Christ dwell in your richly” (3:16). This “word of Christ,” as stated above, is also the “mystery” unfolded in the Book of Colossians. Listen once more to Paul as he seeks to unfold this “word of Christ” to the Colossians:

I have become its servant by the commission God gave me to present to you the word of God in its fullness— ^26 the mystery that has been kept hidden for ages and generations, but is now disclosed to the saints. ^27 To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. ^28 We proclaim him, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone perfect in Christ. ^29 To this end I labor, struggling with all his energy, which so powerfully works in me (1:25-29).

            Just as the “glorious riches of this mystery” are to be taught to everyone with all wisdom (1:28), so also the “mystery” should be echoed through the singing of “psalms, hymns and spiritual songs (3:16), whether privately or corporately. This “mystery” that is to dwell in them richly is none other than “Christ in you, the hope of glory” (1:27). Paul’s purpose in writing this Epistle was in order that they might understand the “full riches” of God’s act in Jesus Christ. Again, he goes right to the kernel of his objective in writing this short Epistle:

I want you to know how much I am struggling for you and for those at Laodicea, and for all who have not met me personally. ^2 My purpose is that they may be encouraged in heart and united in love, so that they may have the full riches of complete understanding, in order that they may know the mystery of God, namely, Christ, ^3 in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. ^4 I tell you this so that no one may deceive you by fine-sounding arguments. ^5 For though I am absent from you in body, I am present with you in spirit and delight to see how orderly you are and how firm your faith in Christ is (2:1-5).

            If one allows Christ to dwell in one’s life, the works of the flesh will not bear fruit. In Chapter 3 of Colossians, Paul enumerates rules for holy living (vv. 1-14). Following this admonition, he once more calls attention to this “mystery,” which is the equivalent of the “word of Christ.”

Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. ^16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly 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. ^17 And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him (3:15-17).

As Paul concludes this Book, he encourages the Colossians to pray that God would open a door for his message:

Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful. ^3 And pray for us, too, that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains. ^4 Pray that I may proclaim it clearly, as I should (4:2-4).

Have you read this Epistle in order to understand something of this mystery that had been hidden from ages past? Is it important to read? Paul wanted the church to understand something about the richness of God’s grace in and through Jesus Christ. This understanding of Grace should bring about a change in one’s lifestyle. He writes: “After this letter has been read to you, see that it is also read in the church of the Laodiceans and that you in turn read the letter from Laodicea” (4:16). If Christians are to be strong in the Lord, one must let his or her day begin and end with this “word of Christ” flooding his or her soul. Many Christians still suffer from an acute undernourishment of this spiritual truth about the coming of Christ as the turning point in man and woman’s history. In Colossians, Paul accentuates this historical factuality of the Cross of Christ (1:20).

Has a consciousness of God’s act of love brought about a change in your attitude toward God and toward one another and toward your ethical behavior? As one reflects upon Colossians 3:16-17, one wonders if there really is a difference in one’s Christian ethical behavior from the ethical behavior of the world.  Is there a difference in your love concerning others?  These two verses go right to the heart of the life of a Christian—the Gospel of Christ is the answer to the ethical behavior of both men and women. Paul sums up the life that is supposed to be characteristic of those who believe in the Lord Jesus Christ. How can one put off the former way of Life (3:1-9) and put on the new man (3:10-14)? Paul’s answer is found in 3:15-17.

Is there anything special about your Christian life? Are you poles apart from those who do not believe in Jesus? Is your churchgoing the only thing that distinguishes you from the world at large? Is it just your religious beliefs that distinguish you from those who do not believe in Jesus? Are you any better off as a result of your belief in Jesus Christ?  What does your Christian profession amount to? Does your discipleship result in something distinctive? Has your faith in Jesus and God resulted in changed behavior? If an awareness of Jesus’ atonement upon the Cross dwells in you richly, this consciousness will change your devotion from one of lukewarmness to a hot flame of fire. If the flame is flickering in your life, this realization of the vicarious sufferings of Christ upon the Tree will redirect your interest.

            Has the church of Christ, or the body of Christ, had an impact upon your way of life? Each believer should examine his or her life to see if the church of Jesus has produced positive results. Has the Sunday morning assembly changed your external and internal behavior? Has the teaching of the Word or the preaching of the Gospel altered your ethical behavior? Has your giving to support the advancement of God’s kingdom on earth changed your reaction to the things of God? Has your daily reading of God’s written Word (sixty-six books) refashioned your life? What is the true value of the above activities in your daily walk with God? What is the use of going to the assembly, reading the Bible, giving financially, and so on, if none of these activities produce no constructive results in your walk with God. Without Christianity, would your life be different? Paul lays down principles of Christian living in Colossians 3:16-17. In these two verses, Paul enumerates some notes about Christian conduct. Listen to Paul as he sets forth these principles:

Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly 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. ^17 And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.^[2]

Paul strips away all extraneous matter and goes right to the very heart of devotion to Christ and to God the Father. Paul launches his instructions for Christian living with the main point: “Let the word of Christ dwell in your richly.” As noted above, the “word of Christ,” so it seems to me, is the same as the Gospel of Christ. How do you interpret these words? This admonition is something that Paul encourages the Colossians to do.  One can choose to let the Gospel of Christ dwell in him or her life richly, or one can refuse to let the Good News of God’s Way of salvation flood his or her every thought.

The Bible is a history of God’s redemption in and through Christ. If one is to understand more clearly the Good News of God, one should read the Psalms, the Prophets, and the Writings of the Old Testament. The New Testament books unfold what had been hidden from ages past with reference to the time of the coming of the Messiah. How often do you read God’s Word in order to understand what God’s grace is all about? How often do you study God’s written Word? Is the Holy Bible a strange book to you? Are the sixty-six books of the Bible your home?

If one wishes to live a better life, this can only be accomplished through a comprehension of God’s act of redemption in and through His Son Jesus. If one wishes to glorify God, one must let the Gospel of Christ cloak his or her life, which Gospel is revealed through the written Word of God. If one wishes to be light and salt to the world, one must meditate upon the Word of God (sixty-six books) both day and night. Many believers show more interest in entertainment than they do in the Bible. Many saved people cannot honestly say that the written Word of God dwells totally in their hearts. Both the written Revelation of God and the Gospel of Christ should deeply occupy the hearts of men and women. Many saved people cannot honestly say that the Gospel of Christ takes up its home in their hearts. Is the written Word of God at home in your heart? Is the Gospel of Christ at home in your heart?

            If one wishes to live a Christina life, one cannot do this apart from the written Word of God or the Gospel of Christ. When one thinks that he or she can live a righteous life apart from God, one only fools himself or herself. It is not uncommon for individuals to base their salvation on their own works. The work of Christ means nothing. Sin is something that, in one sense, ceases to exist. The root of all problems in the world is associated with sin. Thus, one cannot, in his or her own powers, lift oneself up, only the Gospel of God can do this. This fact alone should cause men and women to let the “word of God,” or the Good News, dwell in them richly. Men and women cannot make themselves new; it is only God who can do that, and God does this through the Gospel, the “word of God.” God in and through His Son helps men and women to accomplish what they cannot accomplish on their own—a righteous standing before God. It is God’s actions that make all things new.

The twenty-seven books called the New Testament reveals God’s actions in and through His Son. God redeems all who have gone astray through Jesus. It is through Jesus that one finds salvation. It is through Jesus that Heaven’s doors are opened. One can say that the “word of God” in Colossians 3:16 is the Gospel. In this Gospel, one discovers forgiveness of sins and reconciliation with God. It is the Gospel that restores the broken link between God and humanity. It is the word about Jesus, that is to say, the Gospel that brings about healing between God and humanity. The word of Jesus is about forgiveness of sins and reconciliation with God, which God brought about through the living and dying of Christ upon the Cross as well as His resurrection. Does the Cross of Jesus dwell in you richly?

Again, one must ask, what does Paul mean by “Let the word of Christ dwell in your richly”? Does this simply mean to go to church on Sunday? Surely this activity is as a result of one’s understanding of His death upon the Cross.  If individuals do not meet with God’s people, the “word of Christ” becomes alien to them. As stated above, this phrase means much more than just meeting with the saints on Sunday morning. It appears, so it seems to me, that Christians must begin and end each day with this Word, so as to be embraced by it. It is a consciousness of God’s gift of love—His Son—that teaches individuals to live holy lives. Many Christians today suffer from famine about what the Gospel of Christ really means. Countless Christians are good for nothing because the Gospel does not dwell in them richly.

The one thing that will change behavior is Jesus. When the Gospel of Christ does not saturate one’s life, is it any wonder that Christians do not produce fruit to God’s glory? Only Jesus can restore and renew men and women. Do you have a drug problem? If so, Jesus is the answer. Do you have an alcoholic problem? If so, Jesus is the answer. Do you hate other people? If so, Jesus is the answer. Do you have an ongoing illicit relationship of sexual activity? If so, Jesus is the answer. How does one spell Gospel? The answer is: JESUS. The New Testament reveals the Gospel of Christ. The twenty-seven books are like a spring from which one must repeatedly drink if one’s life is to be whole and well. When one fails to feast upon the written Revelation of God, one suffers from famine.  It is in this vein that Peter writes:

Therefore, rid yourselves of all malice and all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander of every kind. ^2 Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation, ^3 now that you have tasted that the Lord is good (1 Peter 2:1-2).

            When one fails to “crave pure spiritual milk,” one suffers from an acute undernourishment. Are you loveless in your relationship with other Christians? If so, one wonders if you are constantly replenishing your stores of love at the inexhaustible fountain of God’s love. Are you constantly drinking from that eternal spring called Jesus Christ? Are you really allowing the “word of Christ” to dwell in you richly?  Are you just playing Christianity? Are you guilty of laziness? The words of Paul are appropriate in order to drive home a certain principle of going all out: “Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously” (2 Corinthians 9:6). Even though Paul is discussing monetary giving, nevertheless, the principle could also apply to love.

            Unless one is willing to fertilize his or her field of love, one will not produce the fruit of love. One must constantly nurture or plough the field of the Gospel for one to bear fruit. Are you reaching out to others? Again, Paul goes right to the point of responsibility concerning the teaching of this “word of Christ” to others: “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly 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 (Colossians 3:16).  By far and large, this activity does not exist among many believers. Christians are to minister to one another in faith and love. This failure is one of the chief reasons that so much division exists within the body of Christ. This failure to “teach and admonish one another” is one of the chief reasons for its lack of progress in reaching out to the lost or maintaining unity within this fellowship of the redeemed society with its outreach ministry.

            Unfortunately, this text is wrenched from its context and made to apply to the Sunday morning gatherings.  The early church was not simply a mere Sunday congregation. This tradition is one of the major weaknesses of present-day Christianity. It is not uncommon for many in today’s church to labor under the impression that Christianity is gathering for one hour a week for a so-called worship service with certain rituals to be performed in a prescribed manner. But Colossians 3:16 is more than just Sunday gatherings, listening to a sermon, praying, singing accapella songs, and then going home again until the following Sunday.

            The early church was a real brotherhood of both men and women in which the members lived their lives in fellowship with other believers, not in solitary individualism.

They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. ^43 Everyone was filled with awe, and many wonders and miraculous signs were done by the apostles. ^44 All the believers were together and had everything in common. ^45 Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need. ^46 Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, ^47 praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved (Acts 2:42-47).

Within the Christian fellowship, Christians are to share with each other their riches of experience in Christ Jesus. Christians are to constantly remind each other of what God accomplished in Christ—the past is buried under the Cross. Christians need to remind each other that at the Cross of Jesus one sees his or her own guilt. With the coming of Jesus, one discovers that Jesus put an end to the solitariness of the individual’s religious experience. Salvation is something that we now share with others. Again, the words of Paul explains the responsibilities of each member in this new community: “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly 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” (Colossians 3:16). It is in and through God’s new creation that one replenishes his or her stores of love. Emil Bruner correctly says, “Christians did not live in isolation from each other but in fellowship with each other.”^[3]

Christians are not to build, or erect, walls of hostility within the community of the redeemed. Jesus came to break downs the barriers that separated Jew from Gentile (Ephesians 2:11-22). The church is to be a true brotherhood of believers. God’s chosen ones are not to live in isolation from other believers but in fellowship with one another. Without the social element, the Christian life becomes underdeveloped and famished. It is only within the fellowship of the emancipated that one becomes enthusiastic and resourceful for the things of God. This fellowship is to ring with psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs. It is through music that one echoes the “word of God.”  As one reflects upon God’s act of salvation through singing, one must do this “with gratitude” in his or her heart (Colossians 3:16). As just stated, Christians are not to live in isolation from each other, but they are to “teach and admonish one another” (3:16) through preaching and singing.

Through music, God’s Gospel rings out within one’s heart. When one makes this kind of music listed in Colossians 3:16, one echoes the voice about the “word of God.”  People still talk about attending a gospel singing. This activity is important in the lives of God’s people; otherwise, one remains imprisoned in his or her own world. This God consciousness helps to reshape one’s life from day to day. When one sings psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, this helps to transform one’s ways of life and, at the same time, to allow what God has spoken and done through His Son Jesus to penetrate one’s soul. When one engages in singing, one echoes from the heart what God has already accomplished in and through His Son. This kind of praise lifts one from self-centeredness to God, that is, one is no longer preoccupied with his or her own thoughts, but rather one reflects upon the will and goodness of God. This activity causes one to reflect upon God’s grace, not upon one’s actions.

Paul does not stop with singing, but he goes on to say that every facet of life is to brought under the umbrella of God: “^ And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him” (Colossians 3:17). Christians must live their lives in such a way that it does not just revolve around themselves, but rather they are to live their lives as those who belong to Jesus. Christians can no longer have their own way, but they must follow the way of Christ. This new life is a life of thanksgiving to God through Christ. Everyone who has accepted Jesus is a child of God, thus one must not stop this flow of thanksgiving in song and in word and in deed. The believer belongs to God; he is in partnership with God. In Jesus, one is no longer an alien but he or she belongs to God. For one to live in faith is for one to live in a sprit of thankfulness. This spirit of thankfulness constantly calls to mind the words of Paul concerning God’s mystery:

I have become its servant by the commission God gave me to present to you the word of God in its fullness— ^26 the mystery that has been kept hidden for ages and generations, but is now disclosed to the saints. ^27 To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. ^28 We proclaim him, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone perfect in Christ. ^29 To this end I labor, struggling with all his energy, which so powerfully works in me (Colossians 1:25-29).

 

CONCLUSION

            The Book of Colossians unfolds the “mystery” that has been hidden from ages past. This mystery is defined as the “word of truth, the gospel.” It is the gospel that demands ethical behavior on the part of every believer. The Gospel is about redemption and forgiveness of sins. Redemption and forgiveness are realities because of His lifeblood shed upon the Cross. Since Christians belong to God, one ought to clothe himself or herself with characteristics that belong to Christ:

Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. ^13 Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. ^14 And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity (Colossians 3:12-14).

            The spirit of gratitude should motivate the life of every believer. One way to prevent gratitude from melting away is to reflect upon God’s grace through the singing of psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs. This thankfulness for God’s salvation will not vanish as long as one’s mind is preoccupied with the “word of Christ.” This short Epistle is a challenge to all to devote their lives to Him and to one another. As one works for the cause of Christ, one should not forget Paul’s final admonition: “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, ^24 since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving” (3:23-24). Christians should begin and end each day with thankfulness. The words of Paul in 3:15-17 should ring loud and clear as one contemplates upon God’s grace:

Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. ^16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly 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. ^17 And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.