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.
Colossians 3:16 AMPC
By the fact of my creation, there is a power that I have been given by God, and this is the power of choice. This power is the foundation of the discussion of today. The power of choice covers different things, and one of them has to do with the choice of inspiration and guidance for my daily life. For all of us, we are faced with these choices on a regular basis: who do I listen to, who/what do I submit to, how do I make use of the things I have learnt?
God will and he always plays his part; I am the one who has to LET the Word of Christ in. He does not force himself on me or go against the exercise of my freewill. He stands at the door of my heart knocking, waiting for me to open up to him. But I must also note that the devil is also interested in making an offer to you, just as God is. Don't think you can escape making a choice; there are only 2 options, no fence or middle ground. The one I submit to defines the rest of my life.
In making that choice, I need to know what I am getting into. What God and the devil offer are made clear: one comes to steal, kill and destroy, while the other comes to give abundant life. No matter how the devil pretends, he can't offer me what God does, because he does not have what God does. Each gives what he has. In making the choice too, I must also remember that the choice first impacts my inner man before it flows out to touch the outer man. People see the fruit of my life, and some may applaud while others criticise, but I can never show fruit that is different from the choice I have made. I can pretend for a while but eventually, the choice I have made will be made manifest.
There is a richness that the Word of Christ has, and it is only by total submission to it that I can enjoy its benefits and blessings. In defining what this richness is, it is not so much about monetary value but about spiritual and eternal value. There is no phase of life that the Word of Christ does not speak about. There is no human experience that the Word of Christ does not speak about. That is why the Word of Christ is given for my growth and development, as it is profitable for doctrine, reproof, instruction and training in righteousness. Whatever my need may be, the Word of Christ is the answer.
Before my life can flow out with the benefits of the Word of Christ, the Word must have found a home in me. It is not the occasional interest, or the type where I only go in when it is convenient or when I am in trouble, but the Word must DWELL. The picture here is one of residence and settlement, not uncertainty. The Word of Christ is not a magic wand to be waved at problems when they arise and then ignored when all is well. The Word of Christ is the tool to change the world, and it starts with me. How do I teach, train and admonish others with something I do not know? How do I show others the example of a life that is patterned after the Word of Christ if I do not even know what the Word is?
The inside will be revealed by the outward pursuits and priorities. It remains the written word until my surrendered life brings it to real life. My life must be the proof of the power of the Word of Christ. Whether it is in teaching or in singing, God's grace must be evident upon my life. It is from the indwelling Word of Christ that the grace to teach, sing and encourage others will come. It is the Word of Christ that should inspire the right kind of songs. All that I do and say must flow out of the abundance of the grace of God upon my life.
Men cannot ignore the reality of the evidence of the presence of the Word of Christ in me. It is either there or it is not. You can't fake it if it is not there, and you can't hide it if it is there. Is my life a visible and audible proof of the indwelling Word of Christ? Is my life a melody of psalms, hymns and spiritual songs, or is it a harsh discordant mixture of sounds, because my actual life does not line up with what I claim to be? God knows what my life is, and I also know. If I have to make changes, now is the time. No one is promised tomorrow; I have just now to make the right decision:, who will I allow to dwell in my heart? Is it God, in all his richness or the devil, with all his deceit? Eternity is at stake; I must make sure I have it sorted out before it is too late. God's time of favour is here.
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