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Colossians 3:16 - Let The Word Of Christ Dwell In You Richly.

Colossians 3:16 - Let The Word Of Christ Dwell In You Richly.

Colossians 3:16 (NKJV) Let the word of Christ dwell in you 
richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms 
and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to 
the Lord.  

Colossians 3:16 (EAV)  Let the word [spoken by] Christ (the 
Messiah) have its home [in your hearts and minds] and dwell in you in 
[all its] richness, as you teach and admonish and train one another 
in all insight and intelligence and wisdom [in spiritual things, 
and as you sing] psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, making melody 
to God with [His] grace in your hearts. 

CONTEXT

Living as Those Made Alive in Christ: Colossians 3:1-17.

  Having laid the doctrinal foundation, Paul now makes the 
personal application, for truth is something to live as well as to 
learn. 
  Put to death (1-7). In Christ, you have died to the old life 
and been raised to a new life (Rom. 6:1-14; Eph. 2:1-10), so make 
the new life the focus of your attention. Set your mind on it; seek 
to experience all that you have in Christ.  
  Put off (8-9). Like Lazarus (John 11:44), you must get rid of 
the graveclothes that belong to the old life. By faith, put off the 
old sins that bound you; Christ has set you free. 
  Put on (10-25). God wants you to wear the graceclothes, not 
the graveclothes! If your focus is on things heavenly, you will obey 
God in things on earth, especially in your relationships with 
others. [Chapter by Chapter Bible Commentary by Warren Wiersbe re Col. 
3] 

Colossians 3:16-4:1 parallels Ephesians 5:18-6:9, except that 
the emphasis here is on being filled with the Word of God. When the 
Word controls your life, you will be joyful (3:16), thankful (3:17), 
and submissive (3:18-4:1), and these are the same characteristics of 
the Spirit filled Christian as explained in Ephesians 5:18-6:9. To 
be filled with the Spirit of God means to be controlled by the Word 
of God. [Chapter by Chapter Bible Commentary by Warren Wiersbe re 
Col. 3] 

COMMENTARY APPLICATION

  Do Paul's words here seem a bit strange? How can you die to 
this life and still be alive? How can you put sin to death when it is 
a constant temptation? How can you put on a new nature?  
  Paul uses these word pictures to describe a reality that is 
virtually indescribable. You are a new person because of what Christ has 
done and because of the Holy Spirit in you. You put the sinful things 
of your old nature to death by walking in obedience. The next time 
you have the chance to lie, kill it! The next time a sexual 
temptation comes your way, resist. This is how you put sin to death in your 
life.  
  But Christianity is not just about what you don't do. Paul 
gives a strategy to help you live out your faith each day. Be 
compassionate, kind, humble, gentle, and patient; let the Holy Spirit produce 
these virtues in you. Forgive others; after all, the Lord has forgiven 
you. Let the words of Christ dwell in your heart; internalizing the 
truths of the Bible will help you to put the sin in your life to death. 
[The One Year Bible for New Believers re Col. 3:1-17] 

  When Charles Hayward died last May at the age of 87, he left a 
legacy for his children and grandchildren. He and his wife Virginia had 
faithfully served as missionaries for many years both in India and South 
Africa. But at age 73, he began to select and memorize portions of 
Scripture so he would "finish well" with his mind full of God's truth. 
  He called his project, "The Whole Bible Memorization Plan." 
His children call it, "Charlie's List." Charles chose a theme verse 
(Col. 3:16), at least one verse from each Old Testament book, at least 
one from each New Testament narrative book, and a verse or verses 
from each chapter of the New Testament Epistles. He began with 
Genesis 15:6, "He believed in the Lord, and He accounted it to him for 
righteousness" and ended with Revelation 22:17, "Let him who thirsts come. 
Whoever desires, let him take the water of life freely." 
  All in all, Charles committed 239 verses to memory. He reminds 
me of the psalmist who wrote: "Your Word I have hidden in my heart, 
that I might not sin against You" (119:11). Like Charles, the 
psalmist meditated and delighted in God's Word (vv.15-16). What better 
goal could any of us have than to fill our minds with God's truth. 
    If you are faithful in reading God's Word,
    You can be sure that you're growing thereby;
    And if you're hiding His Word in your heart,
    You'll be rejoicing to meet Him on high. --Hess
  Memorizing God's Word is like planting seeds that bear the 
fruit of a righteous life.  Cindy Hess Kasper  [Our Daily Bread by Les 
Lamborn] 

LINKS WORTH CHECKING OUT:

Grace Notes:
http://www.e-gracenotes.org/index.php

A Better Way to Live:
http://www.itiswritten.com/betterway/

Excellent Spiritual Resource Site:
http://www.christianlifemediacenter.com/

More Spiritual Resources:
http://www.aBible.com