Text - Colossians 3:16, James 3:17
A sign of our maturity in faith is when our lives are aligned with the faith we profess in Christ not either in private or public but both - even in our local church and small Christian cycles.
Practical Christian living and relationships amongst God's elect must be built on the foundation of theological truth so that the word of God can find expression in our community as believers but this is only achievable when we let the word of God dwell richly in us.
To let the word of God dwell richly in us is to allow THE truth we have received about Christ to have its way, permeate every aspect of our being to direct and to instruct and show us how to live. It is also to let THE truth become our master so that it produces the life of Christ in us and so that others who see, may learn of it.
"Others" isn't restricted to those who aren't part of the church, it refers also to those with whom we share this faith in Christ.
For us to succeed in our core mandate, we have to cater for other believers by teaching, admonishing, singing hymns and songs - we do all these with the wisdom bestowed upon us by the divine revelation of God's truth.
Teach - We have a responsibility to impact one another with the knowledge of the gospel of Christ; to give others the same lessons we have learned by our intimacy and fellowship with Christ; to train them in the knowledge of the truth that they also may be guided. We train not just by speaking but also by demonstrating.
Admonish - We ought to rebuke gently, to warn others when they are losing sight of God, to bring them back to walk in the way that they should go and - using an appropriate word from Christ - to encourage one another.
In living with other believers, we must carry out the instructions of Christ without selfishness and personal ambition but with godly wisdom, as described in James 3:17 - Pure, peace-loving, gentle, compliant, full of mercy and good fruits, without favouritism and hypocrisy. Our relationships should be as worship to God in gratitude, promoting friendship amongst God's elect.
God spreads His kingdom through the church but even in the church, we are called to be as light to other Christians so when we're replaying the litany of activities we can use to draw unbelievers into the faith, we should also remember that our Christian cycles and communities also need some fortification too.
By following the pattern Saint Paul offers us from verse 12 to 17 of Colossians, we can succeed in nurturing our Christian relationships and pressing one another towards living in accordance with the gospel in love and compassion.
It is Saint Paul's hope that we spend our lives helping other Christians like us, wipe off the grime on the glass so that we can all see Jesus clearly, love him dearly and follow Him truly. That way, others can yearn for the same fellowship that we share; they can be drawn in to be covered and to learn that this is what God intends we should be; one big family of His and for the benefit of our souls.
May our lives reflect the kinds of things that are true of a man or woman who is causing the Word of Christ to dwell in them richly. Amen.