The Indwelling Word

​Colossians 3:16 ~ “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.”
 
There is a great necessity to have your mind and heart renewed in the LORD Jesus Christ. Many will take upon themselves after their coming to Christ to try and navigate their life and this world with a former wisdom that will not sustain them. They often look to the things that they knew in the past, trying to make sense of what they see around them, yet desiring to follow Christ and serve Him. In the end, they fall into the condition described in Proverbs 19:2, “Desire without knowledge is not good, and whoever makes haste with his feet misses his way.” Do you desire to follow the LORD? Let it be built upon a knowledge of His word. Let us not run ahead of the LORD, but learn His ways and then follow in His steps.
 
As we consider the opening of our text today, we read, “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly.” It must be the desire of all Christians to have the indwelling word of Christ. And abandon the idea that it only needs to be some small sampling of the truth, it must dwell in you richly. This richness of God’s word means to have it dwelling in your heart and mind in copious amounts, with great abundance. When the crowds fell away from the LORD, the disciples were questioned to their remaining (see John 6:66-67). Peter replied, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life, and we have believed, and have come to know, that you are the Holy One of God” (John 6:68-69). The Apostles remained with the LORD, not because they saw the great miracles of Jesus but because of His words. Without saturating your life with the Scriptures, you will fall prey to all manner of devious attempts by the enemy to trip you up and steer you into any number of errors.
 
If you are one who is richly indwelt by the word of Christ, and you have a depth of understanding concerning the Scriptures, let us then do as it says, “teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom.” This is not the formal task of becoming a teacher as revealed in Ephesians concerning the role of the pastor/teacher (see Ephesians 4:11). This more aligns with the understanding of a friend-to-friend relationship in Christ that helps another grow in Christ and avoid the pitfalls that are in the world. For to “teach” is to point out the correct way and to “admonish” is to warn against the false way. Let this not happen without first being richly filled with God’s word. It is a dreadful thing to be guided in the faith by one who has no notion or understanding of the word of Christ. For our text today clearly instructs that this is to be done in “all wisdom.” Hebrews 3:13 commands, “But exhort one another every day, as long as it is called “today,” that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin.” If you are seeking out the means by which you can grow in the LORD and the knowledge of His word, then it is upon you to seek out those who have walked with the LORD in wisdom and are rich with understanding. Proverbs 13:20 states, “Whoever walks with the wise becomes wise, but the companion of fools will suffer harm.”
 
If you are living your life filled with the Word of Christ, richly indwelt by His truth, then the outflow of your life will be the testimony of joy. We read the final statement of our text today, “singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God.” There are some who shrink back from this text for fear of their lack of musical talent. But, beloved, this has nothing to do with the means of making great melodies or raising a harmonious chorus that is delightful to an audience. Have the word of God richly indwell your heart and you will discover an ever-increasing joy welling up through you. Why? Simply this: you have a deepening gratitude before the LORD for all He has done to rescue you from sin and make you His own. It will be a public display of upward joy that springs forth from your growing knowledge of the LORD Jesus. Peter expresses this in 1 Peter 1:8-9, “Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory, obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls.”
 
Let the Scriptures stand above all other teachings, and go to them often and with great desire. Do not let your zeal for Christ be a vaporous cloud that has no substance. Open your heart and mind to be taught the Word of Christ, and then you will discover a growing delight that will overflow with joy.
 
In His Grace,
Pastor Michael

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