Grace In Your Heart
Hello Bride of Christ,
Ever watch a movie so many times you can recite each line? It may be your favorite movie or the favorite movie of a loved one. If not movies, maybe you can recite quotes from well known writers and poets. In order to do either you had to spend time listening and reading the material over an extended period of time. Over time you can hear the line or the theme music anywhere out of context and still you are able to recognize it. Well the Lord desires the same type of bond with His word.
"Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord." (Colossians 3:16)
Paul here in the letter to the Colossians is providing simple practical evidence of a person walking worthy of the calling to be the elect of God, holy and beloved. He mentions the fruit of such a person would be tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering (Colossians 3:12). Paul goes on to mention this type of person, the elect of God would bear with others and forgive others just as Christ forgave them and above all this person would put on love, the bond of perfection! (Colossians 3:13-14)
These fruits of kindness, humility, forgiveness, and love are often highly valued and sought after by many of us in the Christian community. Even the world, those who are not looking to walk after Christ, expect to see these fruits evident in a Christian's life. Therefore, we can find ourselves chasing after them so adamantly we fabricate them. We desire to be longsuffering and appear to be patient and kind so we prevent the words from coming out of our mouths yet our hearts are harboring bitterness. But Jesus and God are not like people because they desire not just the outward appearance of being the elect of God, but the heart. Paul, through the power of the Holy Spirit knew this to be true about God, therefore provides the root which if nourished will produce these fruits organically within a Christian without force. Colossians 3:16 states "Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly."
Bride of Christ, Paul was encouraging us to allow the word of Christ to live in us richly just as our favorite movie or quote. Much like we memorized lines of a movie or quotes from our favorite authors Christ desires for us to spend time reading His word, hearing His word, meditating on His word. Soon enough we will be able to quote His word and when heard out of context finish the verse, or be reminded of the scripture when situations arise. Most importantly we will be exchanging bitterness for a song of grace towards our Lord in our heart!
