Dwell Richly (Colossians 3:16-17)

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. 17And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. –Colossians 3:16-17

The Word of Christ

We are instructed that the Word of Christ is to dwell in believers through study, meditation, and application of the Word. If the Word of God is to dwell in us, it must first enter us. We are to believe it, live it, and let it soak in. God’s truths must be stored in our souls. When the words of Christ become a part of the believer, they come forth naturally as psalms (songs from the Old Testament), hymns (songs of praise to God), and spiritual songs (expressions of Bible truth) with thankfulness. We sing to please ourselves or others, but also to praise God.

By allowing Christ to dwell in us, we can teach or instruct and admonish or counsel one another in all wisdom. Our singing praise to God should not be just for others to hear, but by singing from our hearts we worship God.

Giving Thanks to God

God’s Word will transform our lives if we let it dwell in us richly. And if we let God’s Word dwell in us, we can only assume it will dwell among the Church body. Churches today seem to have a lack of good Bible teaching in Sunday schools or Bible study hours, if they even offer these classes. Interest in God’s Word gives way to musical performances and various entertainments. Please don’t get me wrong–we can teach and encourage one another through the singing of the Word of God. And here is a caution for us, as Warren Wiersbe has said, “A singer has no more right to sing a lie than a preacher has to preach a lie. It is a dangerous thing to separate the praise of God from the Word of God.” Many of our great songs of faith were written by believers who knew, and incorporated in their songs, the doctrines of the Word of God. Paul describes an orderly worship service in 1 Corinthians 14:26,

What then, brothers? When you come together, each one has a hymn, a lesson, a revelation, a tongue, or an interpretation. Let all things be done for building up.

We not only sing to ourselves but to others and to the Lord. If we intend to sing from our hearts, then we must have God’s Word dwelling in our hearts. As we reflect on the circumstances we are living in today with the Coronavirus surrounding us and our friends and family experiencing pain, let’s ask God to help us sing with grace in our hearts as did Paul and Silas in Acts 16:22-25,

The crowd joined in attacking them, and the magistrates tore the garments off them and gave orders to beat them with rods. And when they had inflicted many blows upon them, they threw them into prison, ordering the jailer to keep them safely. Having received this order, he put them into the inner prison and fastened their feet in the stocks. About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them,

In everything we do or say, let it glorify and honor our Lord.

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For Reflection

1. Do you take the necessary time to read, study, and memorize God’s Word?

2. Does God’s Word dwell in your heart?

3. Is your Bible on a shelf or stored in your soul? How can we tell if we are filled with the Word of God?