Tuesday, April 9th, 2024

Scripture: Col. 3:15 Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body; and be thankful.

Teaching: in describing what the Christian lifestyle looks like, Paul calls us to first, put on Christ-like love. In verse 15, he then calls us to “let the peace of Christ rule in [our] hearts.” The peace Paul speaks of echoes the Jewish greeting and goodbye of “shalom” or “peace.” Shalom was, and still is, a concept that binds people together and bridges divides. It is an expression of well-being, wholeness, and prosperity. Here, Paul connects the idea of the peace of Christ, which he says we were called to as part of the body of Christ, and thankfulness. When taken together, what Paul is describing is contentment. Because Christ has made us each whole and our eternal well-being is secure, we are called to live in peace and contentment, not coveting any earthly riches because of the eternal riches we have already secured. In this, we are thankful and do not need anything else from the world, and thus, the peace of Christ can rule in our hearts and overflow into how we live in this world.

Takeaway: In Matthew 12:34, Jesus says, “For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.” What our hearts are full of is what inevitably comes out of our mouths and, ultimately, reveals who we are and defines us in the eyes of the world. Paul calls us to “let the peace of Christ rule in [our] hearts” because from the heart’s overflow comes either the peace of Christ or the bitterness and jealousy of the flesh. When we live in Christ, and trust that we are secure in Him as He says we are, peace and thankfulness are the Spirit-led result. It is this kind of living that witnesses for Christ and defines us in the eyes of the world as Christ’s. But more importantly, this is the kind of living that Christ means when he says “the thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.” (John 10:10)