“And let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts. For as members of one body you are called to live in peace. And always be thankful. Let the message about Christ, in all its richness, fill your lives. Teach and counsel each other with all the wisdom he gives. Sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs to God with thankful hearts. And whatever you do or say, do it as a representative of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through him to God the Father.”
Colossians 3:15-17 NLT
These three verses provide a powerful proof for a healthy church. They challenge churches to do as individuals had been challenged in the previous verses. Instead of merely looking like Christ but continuing to be like the world, we are to put on his new nature. Here we see what that should be in our interactions. It should be guided by a sense of peace. This is in difference to the sense of hostility with each other that happened in Eden when man and woman first hid their nakedness. Unlike in Eden, we are to be thankful for what we have instead of always pursuing forbidden fruit. We are to be filled with God’s revealed word, rather than our own thoughts about what is desirable. Whereas Eve didn’t understand the directive fully, we are to teach it fully to each other. This generation still pushes against these things. It still values autonomy and selfish ambition as the highest virtues. But Christians are not to interact this way. We are to corporately be at peace, in thanks, sharing blessings and insights and counsel, freely and without fear, knowing that God’s grace is more powerful than our own frailties. If more were to see this church, more would come to understand and accept why a relationship with Christ is so vital to being a human in this life.
JOSH McGARY. COM 