8.5.2026
Christianity is about relationship: we were estranged from God; we have been reconciled to God. We were estranged from one another; we are reconciled to one another.
When we were estranged, we lived like it! But now, since we’re reconciled to God and one another, we live differently.
Back in Colossians 1, Paul prayed for the church that they “may lead lives worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him, as you bear fruit in every good work and as you grow in the knowledge of God.“ That’s why we were created. We are, as Paul writes in Colossians 3:12, “God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved.” Therefore, our lives are different from the lives of those on the outside.
I’ve preached on most of Paul’s description of this new life: compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, patience, bearing with one another, forgiveness, love, peace and thanksgiving — all those virtues we memorized in Colossians 3:12-15.
But wait! There’s more! In the verses that I didn’t get to last Sunday, Paul tells us: “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and instructing one another in all wisdom by means of spirit-inspired psalms, hymns, and songs, singing gratefully in your hearts to 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 3:16-17 my translation).
With these words, Paul moves from our everyday life to our life together as worshipers. Paul instructs us to “let the word of Christ dwell in you richly.” As we read the Old Testament, from the garden of Eden to the promises of the prophets, we see it was God’s will to dwell among his people. As God’s chosen people, holy and beloved, that’s our experience now! When we spend time in God’s word, as individuals and as a congregation, then we allow the good news of the Lordship of Christ to have its gracious and glorious way in our midst. And the abundant, rich presence of Christ in us as individuals and as a congregation produces great blessings.
One of the blessings is that through our commitment to God’s word, we are able to teach and encourage one another. I’m amazed at the insight that you all bring to the table in our discussions on Wednesday nights and Thursday mornings! That is the word of Christ dwelling in us richly.
But teaching and encouraging doesn’t just happen with the spoken word! Paul mentions Spirit-inspired singing as well. In those home churches to whom Paul is writing, they sang “psalms, hymns and songs.” The psalms, of course, come from the hymnbook of God’s people (one we’re studying beginning TONIGHT!). These psalms are quoted some 100 times in the New Testament and were vital to the worship life of the early church. In addition, there were also new songs such as the one Paul quotes in Colossians 1:15-20, and the praises embedded in the early chapters of Luke (like the Magnificat in Luke 1) and in Revelation (“Worthy is the Lamb that was slain . . .” or “Hallelujah! For the Lord God omnipotent reigns!”). There were also spontaneous songs Paul writes of in I Corinthians 14:15 and 26.
Singing has always been an important way of teaching. Through our hymns like “Holy, Holy, Holy” and “Immortal, Invisible, God Only Wise,” we learn who God is. The gospel songs of Fanny Crosby and others enrich our prayer lives and encourage us in our daily living. When we think about teaching and instructing one another through music, it calls into question much of the weak, sentimental, and “me-focused” music so many churches use now (but that’s the subject for another Pastor’s Note).
Paul’s last instructions, “and whatever you do in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord” catches the whole of life — not just Sunday worship — and places it under the Lordship of Jesus.
And we give thanks. Every activity of our lives is to be done in obedience to the Lord Jesus and accompanied by our gratitude to God through him. This new life that Paul is calling the church to is not some burdensome duty (ever seen Christians like that?) but is a life freed from the bondage of unforgiveness and hatred and prejudice . . . it’s a much easier and more pleasant way to live! And this new way of living is also a way of life that flows out of the thanksgiving we offer to God through Christ. Paul says that we are to “sing . . . with thanksgiving in your hearts,“ meaning that there’s got to be continuity between worship and our daily lives.
These are my favorite verses outside of the Gospels! I believe they beautifully summarize how life should be lived as part of God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved. Just as we stand together on Sunday morning and re-affirm our faith, we could use these verses we’ve memorized together (and we’ll eventually learn verses 16 and 17), as a re-affirmation of our lives as believers.
Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly through these verses! As you quote them or as you read them, think about concrete ways you can express them through your life. Maybe in the morning, begin the day by quoting them and pledging to live by this creed through the coming day or maybe at night, before you go to sleep, quote them before you go to sleep and take stock of the day’s events.
A life lived like this will invade and transform every aspect of our life, including our most personal and intimate spaces: our homes. That’s what Sunday’s sermon is all about, and I hope you’ll be here as we explore some of the most abused and misunderstood passages in the Bible. I promise you, you’ll never think of the words, “wives, be subject to your husbands” and “husbands, love your wives” the same way again!
Blessings,
Pastor Terry