Prison Epistles

The Prison Epistles

Sermon Forty-two

Colossians 3:12-17

Congregational Characteristics

(part 4)

Jim Bordwine, Th.D.

Introduction

What do you think is the single most important trait for a Christian to possess? What is the one characteristic above all others that is the most desirable and holds the most promise for a productive and peaceful Christian life? I realize that the traits we bear as believers are not isolated one from the other so that we might manifest one and only one, but if you were to rank characteristics, which one would you consider most important and most desirable?

When you start reviewing various Bible passages in your mind, no doubt, a number of traits might appear as an answer to these questions. Since I’ve asked about the most important trait, you’re probably going to narrow your list pretty quickly. You might, for example, think of obedience as one of the most important trait for us to possess before the Lord. What is more important than being obedient to the Lord? Obedience, or faithfulness, is a most desirable trait for a Christian, but is it the most important one?

What about humility? The Bible says a lot about this trait and it describes it as most essential, indeed. Humility is a sign of maturity; it is one of those characteristics, when a person has it, that signals a deep understanding of the faith, of our place before God, of what has been done for us, and so forth. Jesus taught His disciples that humility is the key to greatness in His Kingdom, so this quality has to rank high in our estimation of what is most important. But I would say that even humility, as beneficial as it is, is not the most important trait a Christian can possess. In fact, humility is a product, I believe, of another characteristic, the one I have in mind.

In regard to these two possible answers to my questions—faithfulness and humility, and some others we could add—we have to say that they are not just desirable, they are indispensable when it comes to living a productive and peaceful life before God. But these two characteristics, and others we could name, cannot exist apart from another trait. They are significant, yes, but you’ll never find them separated from another characteristic and that is thankfulness. The Bible puts an emphasis on thankfulness that exceeds what it says about any other quality. So many of the most helpful and God-honoring traits in our lives are grounded in or dependent upon thankfulness; therefore, it has to rank among the most important characteristic we can exhibit.

I would normally encourage a more sophisticated manner of conducting a study of some teaching in Scripture, but if you take a simple concordance and look up the word “thanks” in the book of Psalms—that portion of Scripture where we have most clearly explained to us the perspective we are to hold regarding God—you find forty-nine occurrences and they all have to do with expressing gratitude to God because of His nature or His works. If you look up the word “thanksgiving,” you find another eleven verses all having to do with the way in which we think of God, approach God, and speak of God.

If you consider only the frequency with which a term is used in reference to how God is to be thought of and how God is to be honored and how God is to be presented to others, thankfulness is at the top of the list. There are other concepts found in the Psalms, such as joy, that are associated with how we live before God, but there is no concept that is mentioned more than thankfulness. In the Psalms, God is thanked in prayer, in praise, in songs, and in testimonies both private and public. That tells us something, does it not? It tells us that of all the characteristics we should bear before God as His people, thankfulness should at least be among the most prominent, the most obvious, and the most often displayed.

Do you want to know why this is such a fundamentally important trait? It is because of what being thankful requires of a human being. When we are thankful, we are acknowledging our indebtedness to someone else. It may be on a small scale, such as when we say “thank you” to someone who holds a door open for us or passes us that butter at the dinner table; or it may be on a larger scale, such as when we utter a heart-felt “thank you” to the friend who supports us in a crisis, or to the person who says something encouraging to us when we are overwhelmed with our responsibilities, or to the doctor who writes a prescription for us when we are ill, but every sincere expression of thanks is an acknowledgement that we are indebted to someone else.

It is, I believe, beneficial for us to express thankfulness to one another—how much greater good is done in our souls when we express thankfulness to God! When we give thanks to God, we are acknowledging, on the grandest scale of all, our indebtedness to Him for everything we have—everything we enjoy and every hope that sustains us and every promise on which we depend and every bit of food we consume and every provision we count on in this life. And this list could be greatly expanded.

In our study of Col. 3:12-17, we have seen Paul write of certain characteristics that should be found in a congregation of God’s people. He spoke first of knowing who we are. The apostle describes the Colossians as the “chosen of God, holy and beloved.” Then, following an earlier image of taking off the old and putting on the new, he spoke of the “garments” they were to wear. Now we come to the third congregational characteristic and this one has to do with the attitude we adopt. And here is where Paul puts before the Colossians and before us the all-important characteristic of thankfulness.

Our text is Col. 3:12-17:

12 So, as those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience; 13 bearing with one another, and forgiving each other, whoever has a complaint against anyone; just as the Lord forgave you, so also should you. 14 Beyond all these things put on love, which is the perfect bond of unity. 15 Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body; and be thankful. 16 Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you, with all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God. 17 Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father.

03. The third characteristic has to do with the attitude we adopt (vv. 15-17)

Three verses and in all three the common theme is thankfulness. Each of these verses gives us a slightly different perspective on thankfulness. In v. 15, Paul speaks of submitting our hearts to the “peace of Christ.” He concludes that verse with: “and be thankful.” In v. 16, he speaks of the “word of Christ” and tells us that it should “richly dwell” in us particularly through music. And he concludes that thought with: “singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God.” And in v. 17, Paul gives us a blanket principle by which to live. Whatever we do, whatever we say, everything is to be done in the name of the Lord Jesus, meaning that it all is to be done in such a way that He is honored. And the conclusion this time is: “giving thanks through Him to God the Father.”

Let’s consider each of these verses in turn. First, the apostle writes: “Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body; and be thankful.” (v. 15) The first question that comes to mind is this: What is “the peace of Christ”? There are several aspects to the answer to my question. I’ll begin with a prophecy made by Micah. As he described the coming of the Messiah, that prophet made a simple declaration: “This One will be peace.” (5:5) In Isa. 9:6, one of the titles given to the Savior is “Prince of Peace.” In Psa. 45 and 72, the Savior is pictured as a Warrior-King who establishes peace and rules over a Kingdom of righteousness. Before Jesus ever appeared in the flesh, peace was revealed as one of the defining characteristics of His person and work.

The announcement regarding the arrival of God in the flesh included that well-known declaration: “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among men with whom He is pleased.” (Luke. 2:14) On more than one occasion, when Jesus ministered to the needy, He told them “go in peace.” Speaking to His fearful disciples, He said: “Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful.” (John 14:27) On another occasion, Jesus taught that He had come to disrupt so that peace might eventually be known. (cf. Matt. 10:34) He would require ultimate loyalty to Himself and in that, man would find rest.

In every one of his epistles, Paul includes in his opening salutation peace. He greeted every congregation and every individual with that wonderful term peace. I ask again, therefore, what does Paul mean in our passage by that phrase “the peace of Christ”? Remember, he tells the Colossians that they are to let that “peace of Christ” rule in their hearts. That is quite a statement. Whoever attempts to heed the words of the apostle better know what the peace of Christ is; this is something that has the potential of playing a tremendously significant role in a person’s life. If something rules in my heart, it is going to be directing me and it is going to be the basis for my thinking and opinions and plans and actions. What is this “peace of Christ”?

There are many verses that would explain to us precisely the notion conveyed by the prophecies about Christ I just mentioned; there are many verses that would help us understand those words of Jesus when He spoke of peace; and there are many verses that would clarify what others have said about Him when they referred to the peace He gives. I’m going to use a short statement from Paul found in Romans. In answer to that question, “what is the peace of Christ?”, I offer this: “Having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.” (5:1)

The breach between Creator and creature, which occurred in the Garden of Eden, meant that mankind could never enjoy communion with God but would always be under His condemnation due to sin. We come into this world in this state of condemnation and we leave in the same condition unless God graciously delivers us; and when He does deliver the sinner from condemnation, He does it through Christ.

In Christ, that breach is healed, the price of our sin is paid, and the righteousness we lack is imputed to us. That’s what “the peace of Christ” means. It means that we are, once again, able to stand before God without fear, without the sanction of condemnation hanging over us; we are able to stand before Him not only knowing that the charges against us have been satisfied, but also knowing that we are loved by Him and we will remain His forever.

This is the peace of Christ; this is what Jesus did for us. He ended that conflict between us and God, a conflict in which we were appointed to bear the awful wrath of an offended God. That conflict could end only one way for sinners—and that is standing before our Maker on that last great day and being sentenced to eternal death. Jesus Christ, the One called the Savior, the One who personified peace, the One who bears the title “Prince of Peace,” the One who announced peace to fallen man when He walked upon this earth, the One who faced the devil in the wilderness and remained true, the One who was slandered and abused and falsely accused—He became our Substitute, our Mediator, our Deliverer. He paid our debt, He died for our sins, He triumphed over death in our place; and now we live in His Kingdom and He watches over us and keeps us as He promised, and we serve Him for as long as we have life and breath.

That, Paul exhorts, should “rule in your hearts.” The fact of our peace with God should be the governing principle for our lives; it should be the truth by which our lives are oriented. It should be the fact that comforts and directs us. The peace Christ has given to us means we don’t live in fear, as before, but we live in victory; it means we don’t live as if this world is all we have, but we live in anticipation of the world to come. The peace He gives us completely changes how we think and act and plan and hope. It changes how we react to adversity, how we labor, how we raise our children—it touches and influences everything about us. We are no longer the enemies of God, but have been brought near to Him in Christ Jesus. We are no longer awaiting the blow of His anger, but now we are called His children. The judgment of God is no longer threatened against us, but has been satisfied against our Substitute, even Jesus.

When this truth “rules” in our hearts, we will be people of an unusual contentment—we won’t live in fear of what people say or do; we will be people of an unusual hope—we won’t live in dread of what tomorrow might bring; we will be people of an unusual perspective on all of life—we will think differently from the world and we’ll act differently because we are governed by principles that are alien to this fallen system. And, above all, we will be thankful people, as the apostle says. And out of that foundation of thankfulness will flow all those other characteristics we treasure including, of course, faithfulness and humility.

Notice that Paul says we “were called in one body” to this state of existence. To be at peace with God in Christ Jesus is the natural state of the believer. In Christ, we have all we need before God, as Paul has made so clear in this letter. Every local congregation, as well as the Church of Christ as a whole, is to be a body of peace—not just at peace with one another, but at peace with God. The local church is to have, as one of its distinguishing characteristics, the mind-set that comes from knowing we are at peace with God. This is the issue of all issues; the question of my relationship to God is the question of all questions. If I have peace with Him, I have everything; if I am not living in peace with Him, I have nothing.

Paul declares to these Colossians that they not only have peace with God in Christ, but they also should let it “rule” in their hearts. He uses a word (brabeuo) that means “to be an umpire, to decide, to direct, to control.” Let the peace of Christ “be an umpire” in your hearts; let the peace of Christ “direct” your hearts. As I already indicated, Paul is saying that what we have gained in Christ, here described as “peace,” is to be the controlling factor in our hearts. The way we react to circumstances, the hope we have for days to come, the things that make us fearful, the worries that sometimes come upon us, the plans we make—all of these things are to submit to the wonderful truth that we have peace with God in Christ and, as a result, there is nothing that can come against us and nothing that can overtake us that can ever remove us from the loving presence and strong arms of our heavenly Father.

A heart or disposition that is “ruled” by this truth, as Paul teaches, is going to be a heart not given to despair, not given to rash action, not given to being easily shaken. Knowing what we have in Christ gives us a solid and optimistic view of the future because we know that what we have now will only become more obvious and more glorious as time goes on.

Remember what Paul said earlier: “For it was the Father’s good pleasure for all the fullness to dwell in Him, and through Him to reconcile all things to Himself, having made peace through the blood of His cross; through Him, I say, whether things on earth or things in heaven.” (1:19, 20) The peace Paul is speaking of in our passage, as I’ve stated, is the peace we have with God following the atonement of Jesus Christ. This is a relationship we now have with God that could never have been achieved had not He appointed His Son as our Substitute and had not Christ gone to the cross in our place.

When we think of “the peace of Christ,” we should think of His suffering and death because that is what was necessary to reconcile us to God. The peace of Christ is that delightful position we find ourselves in now—free of condemnation, free of ever having to face the wrath of God, and free of any obligation before God so that His favor might rest upon us, free of the fear that someone might do or say something that could take away what we have been given in the Savior. This peace that we have in Christ makes this world and all of its unpleasant aspects bearable. We know this is not where we will be forever; we know that God will settle us one day in a place reserved for those who have been reconciled to Him. That is the peace of Christ.

Again I say, therefore, if your heart is ruled by this truth, then you are going to be a stable, helpful, and God-honoring person. You are not going to be the type that is undone by every adverse situation that comes along; you are not going to be the type who builds himself up while tearing down others; you are not going to be type who frets over every little obstacle; you’re not going to be the type that has to have his way in every situation. You are going to be the type of person who is confident, not in self but in God, and the type of person who finds self-worth in Christ, not in the faults and failures of others, and the kind of person who can remain joyful and helpful even if your circumstances aren’t exactly what you desire. The peace of Christ necessarily takes the focus off self and puts it on Him, and that is the very best way to go through life.

When you put all this together and understand what the peace of Christ means and understand what it cost, then what else can be said to us than what the apostles writes: “Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body; and be thankful. ” A thankful attitude—that is what honors God and that is what prepares us to exhibit all those other wonderful characteristics we find in Scripture. Thankfulness for what God has done in Christ—that is foundational.

There are two other statements about having a thankful attitude. We’ll continue with them next time, Lord willing. For now, I want to leave you with an obvious question based on v. 15.

Application

What is ruling your life? Remember Paul used a word that means “to direct, to control.” What is directing your life or what is the key factor that makes you the kind of person you are? I’m not asking if you are saved, I’m asking what, as a believer, influences you most? If you say, “Hey, wait a minute, nothing is ruling my life.” then you are being foolish and showing that you are, indeed, not enjoying the peace of Christ. You have a concept of where you stand with God and that perspective, whatever it is and whatever produces it, is ruling your life. Paul is telling you what it should be; and I’m asking you: what is it?

There are those here this morning who are not governed by the peace of Christ, as Paul described it. You are governed by other things—beliefs, experiences, fears, worries, sin. Whatever it is, it is making you the person you are now and it’s having a big influence on all the relationships in which you participate. A person who has the peace of Christ ruling in their hearts will be immediately noticeable because they will be the person who isn’t shaken by every bump in the road or by every situation in which they don’t get or have exactly what they want. The peace of Christ brings stability and the ability to persevere. But so many are not exhibiting the peace of Christ as the controlling element in their lives and that, too, is obvious. They go through periods of discontentment and anxiety.

Some might be ruled by the past, some past wrong or painful episode or bad decision that has had unforeseen consequences. That person lives in the past, never able it seems to let go of what happened, never able to accept the mistake of self or others, but governed by that experience, whatever it was, right up to this present moment. The person ruled by the peace of Christ forgets what lies behind, as the apostle says in another place, and presses on in glad service to God. The peace of Christ means a person embraces the forgiveness offered by God in Christ and also extends that forgiveness readily when wronged. That way, he is not trapped in the past where he fell or where some sin was committed against him.

Some might be ruled by what they think may happen. There are people who remain unsettled in the present because they are so wrapped up in worrying about what tomorrow might bring. This kind of person can become useless because they are unable to labor for this day and this time because their thoughts are occupied with dreams and worries regarding what is to come. But the peace of Christ brings satisfaction right here and right now. It allows us to be content with what we know while leaving what we don’t know and what we cannot control in God’s hands; and as we do this, we know He will do only what glorifies Him and only what is best for us.

Living with the peace of Christ sounds like a wonderful experience. Understand two things: First, if Christ is your Savior, you have His peace. You may need to contemplate this truth and work to incorporate it into your thinking, but it is yours in Him. Second, I don’t think this is a state of being that we achieve only once and then go through the rest of our lives with no worries. I think this is a state of being, a way of thinking, a perspective on life that has to be renewed day by day. This world is a place of turmoil and uncertainty. The peace of Christ is stability and confidence. There is an undeniable contrast between what we face in this world and what we have in our Savior. So, again, we need to seek this peace of Christ daily. We need to start each day praying for this peace of Christ to be manifested in us.

And, of course, you know that a sure sign that you possess this peace of Christ and a sure sign that it is ruling in your heart is thankfulness. That’s what Paul says: “Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts … and be thankful.” Maybe this is where I should have started. Instead of describing people who are ruled by past experiences and sin or by undue concern for the future and the things they cannot control, perhaps I simply should have asked you if you are a thankful person. Is the attitude of thankfulness obvious in your life? This is, as I said in the beginning, one of the primary characteristics commended in Scripture. Thankfulness signals a well-developed understanding of God and self.

A thankful person is a person who understands what has been done. That means that a thankful person is going to have the peace of Christ because the peace of Christ consists of all He has done and all He has given and all He has in store for us.

It comes down to a matter of focus. Where are you looking? What is the foundation for your life? What is ruling in your heart right now? If the peace of Christ, if knowledge of what He has done for you is the supreme factor governing your life, then you are where you need to be and you will be a thankful person.

Let’s pray …

Conclusion

This sacrament tells us plainly what should be ruling in our hearts. Christ and all that He has done for us, that is what should be ruling in our hearts. That should be the most influential factor in our lives. This sacrament reminds us that He gave His life for our and shed His blood to pay for our sins. We are His and nothing can change that. Nothing we face, nothing we fear, can change the fact that we belong to the Lord.

The Scripture says:

While they were eating, Jesus took some bread, and after a blessing, He broke it and gave it to the disciples, and said, “Take, eat; this is My body.” And when He had taken a cup and given thanks, He gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you; for this is My blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for forgiveness of sins. (Matt. 26:26-28)