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.
Colossians 3:16 (ESV)
As those who have put their faith in Christ, we have been raised with him and are seated with him in heavenly places (Col. 3:1-3). That is our present reality, not a future hope. So, how should it affect our current lives? Especially as the body of Christ?
Much of this third chapter of Colossians is an answer to those questions, including this sixteenth verse. We are to let the word of Christ dwell in us richly. The word of Christ is not a direct reference to the Bible, which was still being written. You might see it instead as words about Christ—Jesus’ teachings and those of others who taught about him. But we are not wrong today to associate this with the Bible.
Let His Words Dwell in Your Richly
Let his words dwell in you richly. How much time do you spend in the Bible? Apart from the Sunday morning sermon, how central to the life of your church is the Scripture, especially what it has to say about Jesus? How familiar are our people with the teachings about Christ? Do his teachings dwell in us richly?
One way we can tell is by listening to what we talk about when we are together. Are we talking about what the Bible has to say? Are we sharing what we are learning? Do we encourage one another with the words of Jesus and his apostles? Or does it get quiet when someone says something about the Bible?
Does the word of Christ in us overflow into song? And not just the two or three choruses or hymns that precede the Sunday sermon. Do we ever just spontaneously burst out into praise and thanksgiving to our Lord for all he is and has done?
Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly. Both as an individual and together as a local assembly of believers.
