THE PEACE OF CHRIST RULES OUR HEARTS

Passage: Colossians 3:12-17

Key verse: 15

NIV

12 Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves(A) with compassion, kindness, humility,(B) gentleness and patience.(C) 13 Bear with each other(D) and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.(E) 14 And over all these virtues put on love,(F) which binds them all together in perfect unity.(G)

15 Let the peace of Christ(H) rule in your hearts, since as members of one body(I) you were called to peace.(J) And be thankful. 16 Let the message of Christ(K) dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom(L) through psalms,(M) hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts.(N) 17 And whatever you do,(O) whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks(P) to God the Father through him.

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Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Source: BibleGateway

ESV

12 (A)Put on then, as (B)God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, (C)compassionate hearts, (D)kindness, (E)humility, meekness, and patience, 13 (F)bearing with one another and, (G)if one has a complaint against another, (H)forgiving each other; (I)as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. 14 And above all these put on (J)love, which (K)binds everything together in (L)perfect harmony. 15 And let (M)the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called (N)in one body. And (O)be thankful. 16 Let (P)the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, (Q)singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, (R)with thankfulness in your hearts to God. 17 And (S)whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, (T)giving thanks to God the Father through him.

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The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
Source: BibleGateway

As those who are united with Christ, we are all God’s chosen people. Because of the work of Christ in us, we are holy, counted as sinless by God. And as God’s holy, chosen people, he loves each of us dearly. And because of all this, Paul encourages us to clothe ourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. These are all qualities of our Lord Jesus, and we should mirror them. We are also to bear with each other and to forgive any transgression our brother or sister might commit against us, remembering the Lord forgave us our sins. Most important, we are to love each other in perfect unity.

Paul encourages us as believers to let the peace of Christ rule our hearts. This peace is pervasive. It is having a peaceful heart, knowing we are forgiven in him. It is having peace with God, and it is having peace among each other, as the community of Christ. We are also to let the word of Christ dwell in our hearts and to teach others, with thankfulness to God in our hearts. We should do everything in the name of the Lord.

Prayer: Father, help us to hold on to Christ as those who are loved by God. May Christ’s peace rule our hearts.

One Word: May the peace of Christ rule our hearts