t is good to be with you today as we study God’s Word together. God, through His Word, has revealed more of Himself to us, and it is beneficial for us to apply ourselves and learn from this incredible book. Some passages require time and effort to understand, while others are easily explained and grasped. Through all Scripture, our goal is to love Jesus and become like Him.
As we study Colossians 3, we desire to see Jesus and pattern our lives after Him. Let’s examine verses 15-17 to see how Jesus teaches us to live life to the fullest. There are many opinions about how this could be done, and with all the voices out there, it is easy to be confused. However, today let’s lay aside all those other voices and listen to our Creator. This teaching is divided into two parts. Now, let’s turn to J. Mark for the first part of this teaching, in Colossians 3.
The Dalai Lama, the leader of Tibetan Buddhism, said, “The purpose of our life is to be happy.” He thinks living life to the fullest means being happy. Most of the people in the world would probably agree with him. Maybe you would. After all, who wants an unhappy life?
Indian actor Shah Rukh Khan said, “Live life to the fullest, tomorrow may never be.” That’s true, but it doesn’t specify what living life to the fullest entails. Matt Cameron wrote, “Live life to the fullest, and focus on the positive.” In his mind, part of living a full life is paying attention to the positive things we experience. That’s important too; most people don’t like to be around others who are constantly negative.
Most of these quotes contain some truth, but not the whole truth. So, how do we live life to the fullest? But we really can’t answer that question without first asking another question: “What is the meaning and purpose of our life? If you and I don’t know why we’re here or what we’re supposed to do, how can we live life to the fullest?
Nearly 400 years ago, a group of Puritan preachers and elders came together to produce a document known as The Westminster Shorter Catechism. The catechism is laid out in a series of 107 questions and answers. This document has been used throughout the English-speaking world ever since to teach the fundamental doctrines of Christianity.
The very first question of the Catechism addresses this issue of why we exist. It asks, “What is the chief end of man?” Today, we might ask, “Why are we here, and what is the purpose of life?” The catechism answers, “Man’s chief end is to glorify God and to enjoy Him forever.”
I believe it is only as you and I embrace and understand this truth that we will learn to live life to the fullest! That’s the title for our study today, “Live Life to the Fullest.” And our text is Colossians 3:15-17. Listen to these words from the Lord through the apostle Paul.
15 And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful.
16 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.
17 And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.
This text provides several IMPERATIVES that, if obeyed, will enable us to “Live Life to the Fullest.”
I remind you that the theme of this letter to the Colossians is the preeminence of Christ. That is, He is first in rank, dignity, and importance. He is supreme overall. That reality impacts all of life. Keep that in mind as we explore these imperatives.
The First IMPERATIVE (that will enable us to live life to the fullest) is,
Let the Peace of Christ Officiate
The actual wording in this first verse is “let rule the peace of Christ…” This is the only instance of this word in the Greek New Testament. The word is brabeuo (brab-yoo-o). It means to arbitrate, to prevail, to be the umpire. A brabeus (brab-yoose), in Paul’s day, was an Olympic official who judged winners and losers. We’d call him a referee or an umpire. He’s the one officiating the game. He knows the rules and will enforce them.
As you know, the umpire or referee has the final say. If he says, “you’re out,” then you’re out. You can disagree with the umpire, you might even argue with him, but if you get too vehement, you’re liable to get tossed out of the game!
Now, in the context of these verses, what is the umpire? It is the peace of Christ, the peace He gives to us as His children. In John 14:27, Jesus told His followers, “Peace I leave with you, my peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.” This peace isn’t dependent on circumstances. Jesus said this just hours before going to the cross! That same peace is available to you and me. It’s a supernatural peace that, according to Philippians 4:8, will keep, or guard, our hearts and minds in Him.
The lack of peace is pictured in Isaiah chapter 57; “But the wicked are like the troubled sea, when it cannot rest, whose waters cast up mire and dirt. “There is no peace,” Says my God, “for the wicked.” Before we came to know Christ, we were alienated from Him; we opposed Him. So, in a sense, we were at war with Him. We had no peace and no rest.
But when we accepted the sacrifice of Jesus as the only payment for our sin, then we were set at one with Christ, and we were reconciled. And that brings us peace. Not only peace between us and God, but also peace with our fellow human beings.
There is another application of this imperative to let peace rule in our hearts. When you need to choose between several options and all of them are acceptable, how do you decide which one is the right one? In a situation like I just described, I rely on the peace that God brings to my spirit. If that peace is missing, it indicates that I need to reevaluate my decision, my choice. I want the peace of God to be the umpire in my heart.
Notice with me how this instruction to let the peace of Christ rule in our hearts follows the change of character that’s commanded in the earlier verses. When we put on Christ, our lives will be stabilized by His peace. I say stabilized because peace smooths out the rough spots in life. I can’t think of a better current example of this than my wife, Joyce, and her cancer journey. The peace that she has through Jesus has enabled her to bless and encourage many people.
Not long ago, she received a card from a friend who had seen her in a large public gathering but hadn’t spoken to her. The friend’s note said that “when she saw my wife’s peaceful countenance and her joyful interactions with others, it was like hearing a sermon from the Lord.” My wife’s serene expression moved her. That’s not natural peace, that’s supernatural peace. That peace enables her to make decisions without fear and then to rest in the outcome because Christ is in control. She is allowing the peace of Christ to rule in her heart.
Paul says it is to this kind of peace that we, Christ-followers, have been called. Notice too, that the context or setting for the exercise of this peace is in the Body of Christ, the church. When this peace of Christ is ruling in our hearts, then our decision-making processes will result in peace between us and God, and peace between us and those around us.
Listen to these words from the apostle Paul in Ephesians 4. “I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called, with all lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love, endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit — in the bond of peace.” Hebrews 12:14 provides another reminder of the importance of letting peace reign in our hearts. It says, “Follow peace with everyone, and holiness, for without these no one will see the Lord.”
And then, there’s a second imperative at the end of this verse. I chose not to use it as one of the main points in this teaching, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t essential. I’ve included it here under the imperative of letting peace officiate. Paul tells us that while we let the peace of God rule in our hearts and live out this peace relationally with others, we should be thankful. Thankfulness is a vital part of being a follower of Jesus.
When there’s tension between you and your spouse, or you and your children, or you and your fellow employee, are you thankful for that? Generally, not! But when there are peaceful, harmonious relationships, that’s something to rejoice in, something to be grateful for. Peace reduces or eliminates unnecessary tension, a primary cause of stress.
You know, there’s a lot of turmoil in our world today, and many people are worried. Wars and violence are happening all over the world. Persecution of Christ-followers is increasing. Fires, floods, earthquakes, and more all result in tremendous property damage and the loss of human life. And yet, despite all this, we can be thankful for the peace of Christ ruling in our hearts.
If we hope to live life to the fullest, we must let the peace of Christ govern our lives.
The Next IMPERATIVE (that will enable us to live life to the fullest) is,
Let the Word of Christ Educate
Here, the wording is, “let dwell the Word of Christ…” The words “let dwell” imply a relationship. The picture is to allow the word of Christ to make its home in you. The verb tense indicates clearly that this is a continuous action, a process.
What does it look like to have the word of Christ at home in you? First, what is your concept of home? Home is a place of safety, a place to rest, a place that separates us from the cares of work and the constant gaze of the public. It’s a place to spend time with the people we love, to grow in our appreciation for who they are, and to learn about the things that concern them. It’s a place, ideally, where we can be genuine, transparent, and vulnerable.
Now, take that picture of home and apply those scenes to this imperative of letting the Word of God dwell in your heart. If the Word of Christ is going to live in you, you’ll need to spend time reading and meditating on it. You’ll need to shut out distractions and the cares of this life and concentrate on what God is saying to you through His Word. As you do, you’ll learn what is on God’s heart, what’s important to Him, and what He wants you to embrace as important. His Word will likely expose some aspects of your life that need to change as well.
If we’re going to let the Word of Christ dwell in us, we must know what this Word is. Remember, Paul is exalting Christ in this epistle. Now there are two possible ways to understand this phrase, and both, I believe, are valid. One interpretation is that Paul is referring to “the word delivered by Christ,” that is, the “all things” Jesus commanded us to teach in Matthew 28:19-20. The other interpretation is that Paul is referring to “the word about Christ,” which we might call the doctrine of Christ —the truths about His person, His position, His ministry, and so on. Both these interpretations are educative, that is, they expand our knowledge of who Jesus is and our practice of His teachings. And they are both much needed today.
Thanks for sharing these first two imperatives for living life to the fullest. I like how J Mark said that before we can live life to the fullest, we have to answer the question of purpose. Why are we here? Yes, this is a big question, but without this answer, our lives will be aimless. We believe Jesus provides the best answers to the questions about purpose. And I am sure you noticed how both imperatives from today’s lesson were centered on Him. To find real meaning and purpose in life, study the life of Jesus.
If you have any questions about today’s teaching or would like to contact us for any reason, please find a few ways to reach us below. The best way to contact us is by email; our email address is hope@heraldsofhope.org. Alternatively, you can message us online; our website is heraldsofhope.org. Once there, click on the “contact us” link, which is on the top right. We would love to hear from you, so please get in touch with us in the way that is most convenient for you.
Thanks again for being with us today. Please join us next time as we finish the last part of living life to the fullest. Think about these words from Psalm 16 and what the purpose of your life is. “You will show me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy; At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore.” Life, joy, and pleasures, who doesn’t want more of these?
