Colossians 3:16

THE WORD OF CHRIST

‘Let the Word of Christ dwell in you.’

Colossians 3:16

Note those words ‘dwell in you.’ They mean more than that the Bible should have a place in your library or on your table. ‘Dwell in you’ means make its home in your innermost being. And thus will it be treasured in your memory, enlighten your conscience, purify your heart, and nerve your will to do what pleases God.

I. We need the teaching of the Holy Spirit.—Man as he is by nature cannot understand the Word of God (1 Corinthians 2:14). It is the treasure-house filled with boundless stores of holy lore, but only the Holy Ghost can give us the key.

II. The Word of God is living.—‘The Word of God is quick …’ (Hebrews 4:12), where the Revised Version has it, ‘The Word of God is living … and sharper than any two-edged sword,’ the two edges being either for convincing or destroying. The oracles of God are ‘ living oracles’ (Acts 7:38).

III. Read quietly.—Do not be in a hurry. The best business men are never in haste. And sacred studies cannot be pursued in a constant whirl and bustle. The sweetest spots in nature are hidden from the hasty tourist. You may see a good deal of a country in a few days or weeks: you may visit the mountains and lakes and rivers, the smoky cities and the great buildings; but the calm retreats, the quiet shades—all these are hidden from the hasty traveller.

IV. Look out for a personal message.—When you pray, ask yourself, What have I to say to God? And when you read, ask, What has God to say to me? If that is your attitude, God will surely speak, and speak to you. You will rejoice in those ‘precious promises’ which enrich the Holy Scriptures, and you will find that verily and indeed ‘glorious things are spoken’ of true believers.

V. Read with reverence.—Our fathers used to wrap their faces in their mantles and stand or kneel in reverential silence. There is far too little reverence now.

—Rev. F. Harper.

Illustrations

(1) ‘St. Chrysostom said, “I always do, and always will, exhort you that at home you accustom yourselves to a daily reading of the Scriptures”; and he goes on to say that the busy man, oppressed with worldly cares, has all the more need to study the Scriptures.’

(2) ‘In a Letter to a boy, M’Cheyne says: “You read your Bible regularly, of course; but do try to understand it, and still more, to feel it. Read more parts than one at a time. For example, if you are reading Genesis, read a Psalm also; or if you are reading St. Matthew, read a small bit of an Epistle also. Turn the Bible into prayer.” ’