How to Live with The Peace of God in Your Heart – Live in Christ, part 5
Got peace? What about joy? This message will help you learn how to have true peace and get practical instructions of who you are and how to live. The lifestyle you clothe yourself in reveals your heart. God has chosen you. A call to live in Christ is a call to action. You can have his peace and joy always.
What choices are you making this year? Will you choose to live God’s best for you, no matter the circumstances? This series explores what it means to live in Christ, why it's important and how to do it. When you believe, trust, and seek the Lord with all your heart, you will be able to look back and see God accomplishing his will in your life and the lives of others. Make Jesus first in your life and allow the Holy Spirit to guide you in paths of righteousness.
Let The Peace of God Rule in Your Heart
Set Your Heart and Mind on The Things Above
Today we are in lesson five as we continue our study in Colossians. We have seen that living in Christ in a fallen world is not easy. The apostle Paul has challenged us to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord. That means avoiding the temptation to compromise, or following false teaching, and worldly philosophy. It’s something believers face daily. It will mean to put to death whatever belongs to our earthly/worldly nature and put on the love of God.
Every believer has a choice to make. We each must decide to live dead to sin and alive in Christ each day.
Each person must decide for themselves what they believe and how they will live.
Choose to live in Christ and for Christ.
Choose to live in Christ in your neighborhood, city, state, and nation.
Choose to live your life in a manner worthy of the Lord and please him in every way.
Choose to live rooted and built up in him daily.
Choose to live by faith no matter the situation and do not move from the hope you have in Christ.
Choose to view things through the blessed hope you have.
Choose to rid yourself of acts that reflect your old lifestyle and nature and put on the new self. Put on Christ.
Live renewed in the knowledge of Christ in your heart and mind.
Ask the Holy Spirit for wisdom and understanding in every situation and relationship.
The most important point to remember is that God loves you and that his grace is sufficient. His grace comes before you can experience true peace in your heart or peace with God. If we are going to live in Christ and for Christ, we need the wisdom and spiritual understanding that only the Holy Spirit gives. We will also need to make some lifestyle changes in our hearts, our minds, actions and thinking. We need to live dead to sin and alive in Christ. To do this Paul tells us to set our hearts and minds on the things above.
This week we will look at Colossians 3:12-25.
Paul gives us some practical instructions of who we are and how to live in relation to others in the body of Christ and regarding our relations in the marriage family and workplace. This will be a two-part lesson as we consider these verses.
I believe relationships within the church family, workplace, and marriage are vital. Your relationship with your family and with others reveals your inward heart and attitude. We are to live considering our new relationship in Christ and allow the light of the gospel to shine for all to see. You are no longer living in spiritual darkness. In every relationship among church family, in the home or workplace, and every place else the believer is to live in such a way that glorifies God in all we do.
You Are Loved by God and Set Apart. Do You Live Like It?
“Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. 13 Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. 14 And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.
15 Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. 16 Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts. 17 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 3:12-17, NIV).
Here Paul is saying, because you are God’s chosen people—holy and dearly loved, you should be acting in this manner. Because you are holy and dearly loved, do these things. Paul is first drawing the reader’s attention to who they are—holy, set apart and loved by God.
Do you see yourself as being set apart and loved by God? If you know Jesus as Lord and savior, Paul is addressing you today.
You are God’s chosen person.
You who are holy and set apart.
You are dearly loved of God.
The NIV version uses the words clothe yourself however the King James Version uses the words put on in reference to how we are to live.
When you get up in the morning and look in the mirror what do you see? When you start to get dressed in the morning do you put on the same clothes you wore when you worked in the field or garden? Do you think about what you are going to wear? Do you consider what shirt and pants go together before you put them on? What about a blouse and skirt? Do they go together? And the shoes. What shoe goes with the outfit? Are your clothes ironed or wrinkled? Is your hair neat or messy? Do the colors clash?
What you put on speaks to who you are and how you want others to see you. How you dress often speaks to what you are doing that day. A fancy dinner, a serious business meeting, playing in the park, or working out. The same is true with regards to your spiritual condition and heart. The lifestyle you clothe yourself in reveals your heart.
In baptism I shared that the believer would remove the old outer garments before being baptized, but when they come out of the waters of baptism they did not simply put on the old garments, but they put on new ones. Clean garments.
That is much like what Paul is referencing in the verses we just read.
Remember in Colossians 3:1-9 we were told to put to death the things of our old earthly/worldly nature and to set our minds and hearts on things above. We were told to rid ourselves of such things as anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language. We are not to lie to one another. And we are told to put on the new self, renewed in the knowledge in the image of its creator. The garments Paul is referring to in Colossians 3:12 are not the same as you wore before knowing Christ as Lord. No, now being in Christ we are to clothe ourselves—or put on—compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. These attributes or new traits that we put on should display that our hearts and lives are different from our old nature and lifestyle. They reveal the result of dying to sin and being raised to newness of life in Christ.
The believer is no longer to live as an enemy of Christ in their own mind. Nor are we to act the same as we once did before knowing Christ. You, the believer, are now united with Christ, and you are to live differently. You are to live your life worthy of the Lord. You are to live your life for the glory of God. The world is to see the outward difference that has taken place in your heart. You are not the same person living in spiritual darkness any longer. The light of the gospel and faith in Christ has displaced the darkness and now you are a child of God. Displaying compassion, love, and sensitivity towards others in need is because you are now a child of God. This can be viewed as human sympathy to some, but it’s not. Being a child of God and living in Christ is a call to action and to live differently. A call to extend compassion to people in need. To live different from your worldly past lifestyle. No longer do you act out of selfishness of heart, but from the heart, love, and compassion of God.
Paul also includes virtues such as kindness, humility, gentleness and patience as part of the believer’s new nature. Each of these displays a change of heart.
A moral change.
A mindset change.
A spiritual change.
A heavenward heart and mindset.
A change of the person’s mindset from anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language that was listed earlier in Colossians to compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience.
In Galatians 5:22-25 we find listed the fruit of the spirit.
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. 24 Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. 25 Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit” (Galatians 5:22-25, NIV).
Just before Paul lists the fruit of the spirit in Galatians he touches on the acts of sinful nature. Paul is clear to say that the acts of the sinful nature show that the person will not inherit the kingdom of God. In the same manner the person who displays the fruit of the spirit is the person who has crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires.
This is exactly what Paul was referring to in our last study, where the believer is to put to death and rid themselves of the ungodly, evil desires along with the acts that they once did according to their old nature.
If you are in Christ, you are no longer to live according to your old nature. You are to live in Christ and display the virtues of Christ in every area of life.
The void that occurs when a person puts to death ungodly desires and rids from their life the old lifestyle must be immediately replaced and filled with a lifestyle of love, compassion, and the fruit of the spirit. If the void is unfilled the old lifestyle will return. So, set your heart and mind on the things above and be filled with the presence of Christ.
Forgiveness Is Vital to The Believer’s Life
Paul now moves on from compassion to forgiveness. Anger and unforgiveness is not of God. It will divide and separate individuals, churches, married couples and children. This attitude of unforgiveness should not be found in any relationship and especially within the church family (body of Christ).
Paul tells us to bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.
The KJV words it this way:
“Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye” (Colossians 3:13, KJV).
The idea of forbearing one another or to bear with each other, is to endure and show restraint. To show some grace to one another and forgive each other.
Paul tells us that if we have a grievance or quarrel with someone, we should forgive them. Now this may not be easy at times, but Jesus never said that it would be easy. As believers in Christ, we are to forgive others as the Lord forgave us. Remember Jesus extended his mercy and grace to you while you were still a sinner. You did not have to clean up your life. You did not, nor could you ever, earn God’s grace and mercy. It is freely given to you.
In Matthew 18:23-35 you will find the story about a king who had mercy and forgave a servant’s debt.
“Therefore, the kingdom of heaven is like a king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants. 24 As he began the settlement, a man who owed him ten thousand bags of gold was brought to him. 25 Since he was not able to pay, the master ordered that he and his wife and his children and all that he had be sold to repay the debt. 26 At this the servant fell on his knees before him. ‘Be patient with me,’ he begged, ‘and I will pay back everything.’ 27 The servant’s master took pity on him, canceled the debt and let him go” (Matthew 18:23-27, NIV).
It was an enormous amount of money. And it had been forgiven. However, that is not the end of the story. The servant went away forgiven of his debt and he had an opportunity to forgive someone who owed him a very small amount of money in comparison to the large debt that he had been forgiven but instead of forgiving the small debt, the servant demanded payment. The king was told of the servant’s unforgiveness and this is what happened next.
“Then the master called the servant in. ‘You wicked servant,’ he said, ‘I canceled all that debt of yours because you begged me to. 33 Shouldn’t you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on you?’ 34 In anger his master handed him over to the jailers to be tortured, until he should pay back all he owed” (Matthew 18:32-34, NIV).
Friends you have been forgiven much. You, being in Christ. You, being holy and dearly loved by God. You, having set your mind and heart on the things above. Live clothed with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. Forgive one another as Christ has forgiven you.
“For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you: 15 But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses” (Matthew 6:14-15, KJV).
Forgiveness is a vital part of the believer’s lifestyle. We need to be willing to forgive just as the Lord has forgiven us. Without conditions. Without any strings attached. Paul goes on to say if you have a grievance, a complaint against someone. Forgive them.
God’s Love in Us Keeps Us in Perfect Unity
As God’s chosen people, love one another. Let the love of Christ be the basis for all you do. The love of God and the love for one another in Christ is what keeps us in perfect unity.
God’s love in you is the glue that holds everything together.
“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16, NIV).
Let the love, grace, and mercy of God for you and for all the world, be ever so real in your heart and life.
In Luke 15:11 you will find the story of the prodigal son.
Jesus continued: “There was a man who had two sons. 12 The younger one said to his father, ‘Father, give me my share of the estate.’ So he divided his property between them.
13 “Not long after that, the younger son got together all he had, set off for a distant country and there squandered his wealth in wild living. 14 After he had spent everything, there was a severe famine in that whole country, and he began to be in need. 15 So he went and hired himself out to a citizen of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed pigs. 16 He longed to fill his stomach with the pods that the pigs were eating, but no one gave him anything.
17 “When he came to his senses, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have food to spare, and here I am starving to death! 18 I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. 19 I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired servants.’ 20 So he got up and went to his father” (Luke 15:11-20a, NIV).
When the father saw his son from afar, he ran to his son and called for a robe and sandals and a ring to be placed on his finger. The new robe illustrated his sonship and the father welcomed his son home.
“But the father said to his servants, ‘Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. 23 Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let’s have a feast and celebrate. 24 For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ So they began to celebrate” (Luke 15:22-24, NIV).
I can only imagine the son got rid of the old clothes and lived according to his birthright as a son. Removing the old sinful lifestyle, and clothing ourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, and other fruits of the spirit is doing much of the same.
Does The Peace of God Rule in Your Heart?
Put on Christ. Live life worthy of him. As you walk and live in the light of the gospel. As you walk in faith and obedience to the word of God, you will have the peace of God in your heart. Allow the peace of God to be one of the guides in your walk with Christ. Colossians 3:15 tells us to let the peace of Christ rule in our hearts.
The word for rule has the meaning of an umpire. We are to live at peace with Christ and allow the peace of God to rule in our hearts. If we are about to do something that violates the peace of God in our hearts, we should immediately stop. If the Holy Spirit puts a check in your spirit regarding something, stop immediately. Pray and ask yourself: “why does this check in my spirit?”
Let the peace of God in your heart be a guide, an umpire to call out when you are about to violate God’s will or plan in your life.
If the Holy Spirit places a check in your spirit after the fact and you do not have the peace of God in your heart, correct the situation.
You can correct a wrong by:
Asking the Lord for wisdom.
Repent for your action.
Make it right with the Lord.
Make it right with whoever is involved.
We need to allow the word of God to teach us and correct us always. God can also use another person to speak into our lives.
We need to live spiritually sensitive and remain focused on the things above rather than becoming distracted spiritually by worldly ideas, false teaching or worldly desires that creep up in your heart or mind. The enemy of your soul is crafty and will attempt to trip you up spiritually daily.
Allow the peace of God to umpire your every decision.
Paul then gives his readers one more guiding instruction.
“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 3:17, NIV).
I want to be very clear at this moment. Many people have said or done things in the name of the Lord; however, some people were guided by their own desires, preferences, or misinformation rather than the Lord. As children of God; as people of faith in Christ; as people who love the Lord with all our hearts, we must always live to glorify God. Whether in word or deed, we do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the father through him. Live and allow the peace of God to rule your heart.
Let the love of God be seen in all you say and do. Live in peace with God and in the power of his might. Live dead to sin and live with your heart and mind in Christ.
“And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. 8 Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. 9 Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you” (Philippians 4:7-9, NIV).
God Has Chosen You. Here’s How to Have His Peace and Joy Always.
Paul tells us to clothe ourselves, to put on compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. To bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. To forgive as the Lord forgave you. To let the word of Christ dwell in you richly. To let the peace of Christ rule in your heart. And to put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity. If you do this, you will live as Christ’s ambassadors to those around you and the world. You will be living a life worthy of the Lord and please him in every way. You will be displaying agape, (sacrificial) love. You will be able to rejoice in all circumstances, like Paul and Silas were able to do in prison because the joy of the Lord will be your strength. You will have the peace of God and enjoy knowing the Lord is with you always. Even to the ends of the earth.
“I took you from the ends of the earth, from its farthest corners I called you. I said, ‘You are my servant’; I have chosen you and have not rejected you. 10 So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand” (Isaiah 41:9-10, NIV).
Those words were spoken to the people of God. And they are for you today. Wherever you were in life, God has chosen you and not rejected you. He will uphold you with his righteous right hand. Let us rejoice.
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