Peace of Christ, Word of Christ and Giving Thanks
Colossians 3:15-17 · Bob Eckel · Aug 18, 2019
Colossians (2019), No. 25
Holly Hills Bible Church
https://hollyhillsbiblechurch.org/teaching/messages/49261915562815

Transcribed from the recording by SermonAudio, so expect the occasional misheard word.

We're going to begin with 12 and read down through 17. The verses of interest today are 15 through 17. So I'll go ahead and read. Put on, therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, tender mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, neatness and long-suffering, forbearing one another and forgiving one another.

And if any man have a quarrel against any, even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye. And above all these things, put on love, which is the bond of perfection. And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you are called in one body, and be ye thankful. 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 as to the Lord. And whatever you do, in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by Him. How are you doing here?

No responses. Nobody's willing to admit that maybe they're falling short, but you know, there's no therefore condemnation for those that are in Christ Jesus. So we rest in that truth, don't we? All right, let's begin. Verse 15. And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body, and be thankful. What's the peace of God? And by the way, in some versions it's Christ. The peace of Christ. We're going to see that Christ is central to this whole process of peace. So what's the peace of God?

Question of the class. Don't be quiet. Let's speak up today. I want to see some energy out there. We're going to get there, so you don't have the handout yet. This is good. That's the way we should have it. What is the peace of God? How many people in this room have the peace of God? We're off to a good start there. How many people here have peace with God?

Alright, we've got an astute class here this morning. Alright, and by the way, it's a promise that Christ has given us, John 14, 27, peace I leave with you My peace I give to you, not as the world gives you. Not as the world gives, I give to you, let not your heart be troubled, neither let you be afraid. Boy, peace. The peace we have, describe it. What's this peace all about? It is a rest in knowing who we are and where we are going. And there is a rest of the people of God, correct? Hebrews 4. Other thoughts? What does peace mean to all of you? One thing, there is no condemnation. Romans 8 1, right? There is therefore no condemnation in any of us.

I really like what Thayer said here. He describes peace as the tranquil state of a soul assured of its salvation through Christ. and so fearing nothing from God and content with its earthly lot of whatever sort that it is." How's that? I mean, it's kind of poetic. Let's read it again. The tranquil state of a soul. Is everybody tranquil in that piece? I think there's a tranquility there.

The world system doesn't give us that. And assured of our salvation. And that salvation is Christ, is it not? and so fearing nothing from God. God's not going to offer us anything that we need to fear. He's totally in control of our heavenly position and content with its earthly lot of whatsoever sort that is. Let's go ahead.

Philippians 4.7, and the peace of God which surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and minds through or in or by Christ Jesus.

How often do you see people in kind of general assemblies or mainline churches pray for peace in the world? Is that scriptural? Peace in the world? I don't think so. You look beyond this earthly existence we have, there's no peace in this world that's forthcoming. That doesn't mean we can't desire it, but that's a fleshly desire, peace in the world. It's not scriptural. Unfortunately, it's not special. How is the peace of God to be distinguished from peace with God?

Tom, back to your point. What are your thoughts here? As the Lord works through our hearts through the Holy Spirit, we become more and more convinced and proven by God to know even through our daily walk He is there in you. That was a longer answer than I expected actually. It's good. I'm teasing you. The first part speaks to your condition and the last part speaks to your position. So peace with God is position or condition? of your day-to-day life if you keep your mind on that, but the peace with God to me is like the position. Good. And that's based on our justification.

Romans 5.1.

Another thing, and I tie it in with Philippians 4.7.2, is the peace of God is kind of dependent on our dependence and trust in His sovereignty that He's in control. Okay, I kind of like that, because that is more condition, the peace of God is condition. If we don't live by faith, we don't experience that peace, do we? When we are living by faith we have that peace. But peace with God is having been judged. And Tom you said this earlier. Is that a question? Go ahead please. Is there another aspect of it? Is God at peace at rest because of the cross? Well he is for sure.

But look at Romans 5.1. Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. So I like your concept of positional truth as our justification and that peace with God is our condition by faith. We are paraphrasing, but I think that is a really good way to think about this. Let's go ahead. Notice from both peace of and peace with God, Jesus Christ is essential.

This isn't Old Testament stuff, reading the Psalms and feeling comfortable. I'm not discounting the Old Testament. We have much more than simply reading a Psalm and feeling restful or peaceful. We can be ministered to by the Psalms. We're talking about Jesus Christ here. That's where the peace with God comes and the peace of God comes. What does it mean to have this piece of God rule in our hearts? Think out loud. No hand out looking. You're doing well this morning here.

By the way, present active imperative. This is the first of a series of imperatives. We're going to come back to a few other ones. What's an imperative tense mean in the Greek? Do it. Now, do it, you know, we're not robots. I mean, do it is our act of faith. We're not under a set of rules here. It's our faith that lives out.

And this is the only New Testament use of this term, rule. It's kind of interesting because we think of rules, we think of regulations of law, don't we? But here we're talking about ruling, have this peace rule in our hearts. Olympic term to umpire, governor, control.

I'm a baseball fan. Now, can you think of the day when balls and strikes are going to be able to be reviewed? Now baseball has gone to the point where some calls can be reviewed. Is he safe or is he out? Did the tag get made? Was the foot on the base? That's all fine now. I can tell some people aren't baseball fans out there.

Robotic and artificial intelligence playing these games for us. And football, I think it's gone worse for the NFL now. Pass interference is going to be subject to review. If any of you NFL fans remember the pass interference, the Rams and the Saints game at the end? I mean the guy just clobbered the receiver, the ball wasn't there yet and they didn't call it.

Anyway, all that aside. Again, this is the world system. This is the age in which we live. But the umpire historically makes a call and that's it, right? ball strike, it's it. There's no review. So that's what this rule means. We're talking about something that is really manifested, that governs us or controls us. There's no losing here.

And this is up to us. How do we let this peace of God rule in our hearts? Again, we're not robotic, we live by faith. And what's faith according to Schofield? Come on class. Believing what God has revealed. The problem here is I'm like a broken record with her. She knows all the answers. And she doesn't have a handout. Honey, there's another class over here. We need them here. Did you say we or I?

In our hearts, the totality of one's inner life is our mind, our emotions, and our will. This is all what's in our heart. Our mind, our emotions, and our will. So this is the encompassing inner self is our hearts. If you look at other places in scripture, that's pretty consistent in terms of this interpretation. It's everything that we are and about. Mind, emotions, and will.

Clark, when a man loses his peace, we're talking about having this peace rule in our hearts, it's an awful proof that he has lost something else. that he's given way to evil and grieved the spirit of God while peace rules all is safe. Interesting. Ponder that for a second.

And what's the ultimate of self-centeredness, the ultimate on this earthly experience? What's the ultimate? It's taking one's life, isn't it? I mean, we're talking about depression as being a treatable disorder, and we know medically we can prevent suicide by antidepressants. But ultimately, that's as bad as it gets.

To think of ourselves to the extent that life is better without us, avoiding the fact that we've been created in His image. Alright, here again is this one body concept. We see this often in scripture. We are called. There is passive indicative. That means we are being called.

Who is calling us to one body? One body is what we have in this room, is it not? We are one body in Christ Jesus. Why are we being called to one body? I'm sorry, Phil? The bride and the one body, there should be lack of discontent, etc. This is oneness in Christ Jesus. I think it relates to sound theology. And unfortunately, even within the body of Christ, we don't have this oneness often because of differences in view of what Scripture is telling us. Romans 12, 4 and 5.

For as we have many members in one body, all members do not have the same function. One way to look at one body, we can have one body, but look at Phil and what he does, and look at Vani and what she does. Poems would go around the room, we're each contributing in a different way. We're different parts of that one body.

Ephesians 2.16, and that he might reconcile them, both the God and one body, talking about Greek and Jew. through the cross, thereby putting to death the enmity, so we being many are one body in Christ, as Phil has indicated, and individually members of one another. So this one body concept, and there are other verses that point to one body that we could look at. Alfred says, oneness of body being the sphere and element in which the peace of Christ was to be carried on and realized. And then we look at what some exposers say, I like this, we can discuss this for a minute if you want.

Disunion in the body is incompatible with the peace of the individual members. What are your thoughts about that statement? Nobody has any thoughts about that statement. you know, one group who thinks this and another one and then pretty soon there's a split. Okay, so what's the ultimate of this disunion in a body if there's a church split? And both think they're right, right? They both can't be right, right? And it's sad sometimes, usually, not usually, many times it can be over kind of silly matters, you know, some form or some practice that some believe the church changes a lot. What do you think the basis is of church splits in terms of doctrine or applied doctrine?

The old man kicking. I think so, and think through that for a little bit longer. The old man kicking, and what do we mean by that? What they believe is right. Okay, and what often does the old man believe that's right that is not right? What's that based on? I'm sorry, what pride, vanity and all that kind of stuff, but what's the basis of that? I think the teaching. Okay, but I'm playing guess what I'm thinking. This is Jeopardy, by the way.

It's a legal system, isn't it? Don't you think a system of legality is what causes churches to split? Phil's been drinking too heavily, you shouldn't be part of that. It's that kind of concept. That's a stupid example, but what I'm saying is... churches that I have heard of has split it's about the kind of music or how loud the music is or whatever, but it has to do with music. How ridiculous is that?

It's not even about the teaching. But the problem is that when you're talking with some young people, it's the music that's most important, not the teaching. Music is more important than a lot of churches. Teaching is not number one. But most churches aren't focused on Christ or the Word. But that turns into doctrine doesn't it? Applied theology. We come here for a reason. Wayne?

Merriman used to say when Satan out of heaven, he landed right in the choir loft. I could comment further on that, but maybe I won't. And how about our choir too, right? That's why we don't have a choir. Well, you know Satan said some people say I mean I'm quoting others That's I don't have an opinion or Satan's greatest actors is is it within the body not outside? I mean the world system's his I'm right You know the crown prince of the world system All right.

Good. We're getting the class to be a little more lively as we're going on I kind of like this first I forget which commentary state of this but Psalm 23 do not take me away with a wicked and And we're the workers of iniquity who speak peace to their neighbors, but evil is in their hearts. Charades. Plasticity.

It's the good guy or the good gal next door. They're so nice and everything, but down deep they're separated from the Lord. That's why we have to be careful looking horizontally in people's behavior. Because you know there are some people who are clearly not saved who are living good lives from a human perspective, right? Even better sometimes. Often, yeah. So keep your eyes not looking up, right? Looking down. Positionally based influencing our condition on a day-to-day basis. Alright.

For what are we to be thankful? Well, again, if you will, this is the second imperative. It's a continuous obligation. Therefore, do it. We pray at mealtime. Sometimes I think that's a little legal, but then if you're reminded of this, that's kind of why we pray at mealtime. We should be praying when we get up. I mean, the point is that that's not a legality.

It's where to be thankful and everything. And we could turn to scripture after scripture about trials and tribulations and adverse circumstances that we're to be thankful for. Why should we be thankful for trials and tribulations? What's the will of God for each of our lives?

He's in the front row for a reason here. It's to be conformed to the image of the Lord Jesus Christ. And so trials and tribulations are all part of that process. We don't want them. None of us want trials and tribulations. But that confirmation process is really steeped in the fact that that's where we grow in God's great grace.

Alright, verse 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. Now we're not going to sing as a group here this morning.

J. Vernon McGee constantly apologizes, he has no voice, he cannot sing. So he deals with this and dismisses it.

Word is logos here, of course that can be identified with Christ himself. So let this word of the Lord, of the Lord Jesus Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom. This is the only New Testament use of the word of Christ. Kind of interesting. I think you can play spiritually sophisticated intellectual games here, but we'll just leave it at that.

Dwell richly means to influence abundantly, and I think the best way to look at this is dwelling relates to being at home. Being at home with You know, the word of the Lord, the word of the Lord Jesus Christ. Dwelling as if that's our home. Let it dwell in you as if that's the place where it ultimately resides. Dwell is the third imperative here. Let this dwell or really manifest itself in each and every one of us.

1 Timothy 6.17 Command those who are rich in this present age not to be haughty. nor to trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God who gives us richly all things to enjoy." So the term richly is why I pulled that verse just to remind us about what the Lord or the word of Christ in fact is all about in each and every one of us. Alright, so here's something we can discuss. This is always fun.

You know, one of the commentators, I forget whether it's Wiest or whether it's Constable or whichever other one, I have a whole series of ones I look at. So what comes first? Do we memorize the word of the Lord? Or do we in fact meditate first and then things come to mind? What are your thoughts here? There's no right answer. Memorize to me seems kind of mechanical.

I remember when our daughter was asked to memorize Colossians actually. And a brother in church asked her kids, they were young kids at that point, memorized the book of Colossians. My daughter did that and got $100 for memorizing the book. Well the word of Christ dwelt in her richly because she got $100. She's getting rich out of memorizing. But that certainly didn't guarantee her spiritual maturity. In fact, from what we can tell it had little to do with her spiritual maturity or spiritual advancement. She memorized it.

You know, the money, the money. So you memorize and you can also memorize. I'm a pop up later in service about. just doing things mechanically. I prayed so often, I memorized so many verses, I did all these mechanics to get my poles up, so I can show God how good I am.

But I also think it's not personal. We have personal relationships with God, and memorizing and just saying words is not personalizing it at all. I'm going 360 here. I think it depends on the person. For me, I memorize scripture, but I do it because... It's important to me and I kind of, what got me started in it, I got thinking about that Ray Bradbury book where they burn all the books and in the end people are getting together to try and write books again. And I thought, what if I'm in a situation somewhere where I don't have a Bible and I want to come up with, you know, remind myself of scripture. So for me, it was not that I think everybody should do it, but for me it was a personal choice.

And I'm, that works with my brain too. And so I find when I'm working on a verse, I mean all through the day, I'm, you know, remembering it and, you know, and it helps me to bring it, and I'm like that with songs, too. A lot of times the old hymns will come back to me just because I've sung them so many times, and it jumps in when I'm trying to think of things, and so I think it just depends on the person.

I think sometimes it's very helpful to them, and other people, it's not. Okay, it can be... In fact, it sounds like Carolyn is meditating on that verse that's different if you have a verse I think that's important to you and it means something to you and it's very special then you do say it over and over but that's really meditating on the verse as opposed to just random memorized co-options when it had no meaning to them. I don't know, it's helped me a lot of times, the same thing like Carolyn said.

Times when you're going through different struggles, a verse will come back to your mind. And another time, I know memorizing a passage, but you know, as you're trying to memorize it, you're thinking about each of those phrases, you know, almost coming to Bible study in a way, but you know, you're thinking, what does that mean? I don't know. Memorization, it is mechanical, but yet I feel like it has Can I share a personal example with you?

My kids first of all went to Silver State Baptist and scripture memory became very mechanical. I actually at that time memorized the entire Sermon on the Mount, not really having any perspective as maybe this is kingdom made stuff. By the way, there's a lot of Christ in Sermon on the Mount in terms of the identification. We'll just leave that aside. So I memorized that.

I can remember a few parts of that, but not much. But then I saw a wife get increasingly ill and die at a young age and left with five children. So verses like, Oh, this light affliction which works for a moment, but work of them is a far more eternal and exceeding way to glory.

2 Corinthians 4.17. That kind of thing, you live out. I didn't put that verse to memory, I just, in fact, it became part of me. or this light affliction is just for a moment but works for us entirely. So that's just an example. There are many other examples. There's no right answer here. I think you need to individualize this. But I suspect that both of these are important. A memory can fall short because of the legality of it, but yet meditation requires a rest and a peace and ultimately, by faith, considering the importance for us individually. dwelling richly, the word of Christ, dwelling richly is with all wisdom.

Here's Strong's definition of wisdom. Devout and proper prudence intercourse with men not disciples of Christ, skill and discretion in imparting Christian truth, the knowledge and practice of the requisites for godly and upright living. So that's a complicated kind of definition But the wisdom is in fact ultimately knowing how to interact with the world system. It's not simply knowledge, it's having a spirit-led ability to interact in a timely manner and not being... obtrusive or ultimately pejorative in the way we handle ourselves.

I'm kind of modifying that definition. But it's devout and proper prudence the way we intercourse people who are not the Lord, basically. Teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord, Except for admonishing, which is in this verse, this parallels something Paul wrote in his epistle of the Ephesians, so let's look at that.

In Ephesians 5.19 we read, speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord. So, what about admonishing one another?

What are your thoughts about how we go about doing that? And how important is that? Is it like encouraging? Okay, that's one interpretation. I would always think that admonishing is a little stronger than encouraging. It's more like trying to correct, almost. Alright, let's look at this.

Weiss says as to warn, exhort, and admonish, which is a term in scripture, And the word contains also the ideas of encouragement, reproof, blame as well. So I mean it can be positive or, by the way it's all positive, the admonishment we do is to build others up in the Lord Jesus Christ. But this is not included in Ephesians, I can't really address why we have it in Colossians and not Ephesians, but maybe the Lord had a purpose for the Colossian church to really have it there too. Romans 15-14, Now I myself am confident concerning you, my brethren, that you also are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge, able also to admonish one another. So this looks like a body that is ultimately increasing in maturity and the great grace that God gives us in terms of this oneness of the body. Psalms and hymns, what are your thoughts here? What are the psalms and what are the hymns and are they different? Psalms more worshipped? In general, both of them together.

I was thinking, music is really a part of the human being. It always has been, whether they're saved or unsaved, it's still kind of an emotional thing, but it's really a part, and I feel that's part of the creation. It seemed that way anyway. Was there music in Genesis? I'm trying to remember, was there any music in Genesis? Okay, other thoughts? Alright, let's look at this.

Likely the Psalms really relate to David and all the music that he utilized and written much about in the Book of Psalms. And likely the hymns relate to Christian music, things that are ultimately based on the cross and the resurrected Lord Jesus Christ and the body of Christ that we all live in today. But the idea is both are spiritual. I mean, you know, you could ultimately make the Psalms a spiritual.

I guess you could. I hadn't thought much about that. But in some Christian music we skip verses and hymns because we think they're not appropriate. They really are more about self than they are about the Lord Jesus Christ. So I think we have to discern these things.

The idea of singing these things together relates back to the oneness of the body that we're talking about there. You may not sing well, but you can follow the words and personalize those in terms of your growth and grace and truth. With grace in your hearts through the Lord, 1 Corinthians 1, 14-15, what is the conclusion then? I will pray with the Spirit, and I will also pray with the understanding, and I will sing with the Spirit, and I will also sing with the understanding. So the concept here is I think that ultimately the Spirit leads us in terms of that personalization of the hymns and psalms or whatever we're singing.

I get the impression it's understanding, your mind's engaged. Some songs we see, even in Christianity, are just repeating phrases over and over. The mind can shut down if you're just saying some phrase. Whereas it seems like here it's talking about singing with understanding means your mind is working. Let's come back to something Margaret said that relates to maybe church splits over music. Let's think out loud about that. Is there wrong music? And write music? Are we going to be legal here in terms of addressing this topic? Does anybody listen to anything other than hymns and spiritual songs?

What's that? How about Terry Como? I think there's some of it. I think what I said sometimes is that some of it is just kind of working up an emotion of some kind. Margaret and I had 60's music on coming to church this morning. Do we need to confess that? You just did. You don't have a handout, but anyway, who put the bop in the pompter-mompter? Who did that song? Never mind.

So anyway, we still enjoy the music of the world system. The question is, passing judgment there, I think it's not right. I can actually think of spiritual things when I'm listening to old doo-wop. The point is, I don't think we want to be legal here.

Ma Rainey had great songs. Ma Rainey, yeah. Big Mama Thornton, the first one to do Hound Dog. Come on, pick out loud. What about music? Can it be dividing? Absolutely. But I think it goes back to what is the purpose of us coming to church? What is our focus and why are we even here? Why are you here? If I'm here to play music and not really focus on Christ or whatever, that's what it makes me think about.

That's what Roger indicated before. I think the younger generation wants more upbeat stuff. Some of that may be fine. Sometimes the theology is not all that bad. I don't study this music. Other thoughts? Probably the legal part. People make it a law system. You can only listen to this kind of music. A piano dedicated to the Lord. You can't play jazz on it.

You know, this idea, what did Christ say when he was going to make us free? I'm going to make you free indeed. What's that freedom? Is that freedom to listen to rock music? Well, it's a freedom to live a life without sin. That's where the freedom comes from. To have a spirit-led life. I mean, I'll just personalize this.

I can listen to an old rock song and not feel separated from the Lord. But maybe others would be feeling separated. And also the intent of the song. Sometimes songs are pretty, you know, kind of not so very wholesome down deep. So you've got to kind of use your judgment. But to have a legality of what music we should listen to, that splits churches. And that's not what we're all about.

But we're talking about singing hymns and psalms here that are spiritually motivated, where the words, the verses are consistent with that spiritual kind of tone. I think what Regan said is so important though. It's more about what is the teaching at the church.

I mean a lot of these churches, they are all about the music. And then the teaching is so, I mean it's so way down the list of their priorities. A lot of large churches pay choir directors and they pay vocalists. In fact, our oldest daughter, Kimberly, her career is in music in Jacksonville, Florida, and she's paid to sing in churches. All the time. She collects the coin and goes home with it. And that's what the word of Christ dwelling ritually within is meant for the application. I think we're going tangential here. This is a rabbit trail we're on here now. Notice I didn't have anything written about this music thing. I didn't want anything to go on thread here. Who put the bomb? But never mind. Alright, last verse for this morning.

Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, giving thanks to God and the Father through him. How are we doing at that? I think again, we fall short because of the flesh and the sin nature we have in each and every one of us. But anyway, the challenge is there.

This is another imperative, by the way. Macaulay emphasizes the word all. He claims that in the Greek this word is, in a special way, emphasized. I didn't dig down into the detail of the Greek language and why this is emphatic. Actually, it's also one of my favorite words. It's that word that, in many times, is without exception.

It's totally inclusive. So it means there's not any exceptions. All is all. Speaking of printers, oh, there it is. I was out of paper. Okay, again, this is the fourth imperative. We see all these verbs, you know, dwell, and then now, ultimately, what's the verb here? So anyway, there's a lot of things that we're told that this is part of who we are.

So, 1 Corinthians 10.31, Therefore, whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do all of the glory of God.

I mean in a sense that really is a reminder that as we walk here in a foreign soil that it's God's glory that we want to portray and I've mentioned this many times when we're paying too much attention on our life it's probably one that is misdirected attention. Our life should be that Christ's life lived out in us and ultimately let the world judge that and the body also give glory to God for lives that are changed and walking in grace and truth. 2 Corinthians 5.

He died for all, and those who live should live no longer for themselves, but for him who died for them and rose again. That's kind of what we're talking about here. Hal spent months and years on the glory, bringing glory to the Lord in our lives by faith. This is not a set of Christian rules, but it's a life that's in Christ. A couple of verses we know well, Galatians 2. I've been crucified with Christ, it's no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me, and the life that I live, I now live in the flesh. I live by the faith in the Son of God who loved me and gave himself for me.

And what's verse 21, Margaret? Basically a paraphrase. For in Christ, if righteousness came by the law, then Christ would die as gain. Right. So keep in mind, if righteousness came by the law, then his death is worthless. It's meaningless. Philippians 121, a verse that I really love. For me to live is Christ and die is gain, and there either way you win. Either way you win. How many read The Hungry Heart this morning? Nobody. That's okay. We're not living legally here. But I thought I'd pick out one section of this morning. And this is, I think, Coates and today's Hungry Heart. This is just a brief paragraph.

The secret of being like the Lord Jesus is that we are to court ourselves dead to the old and alive in the new. We are to give up our self-efforts after likeness to him. We are to distrust our own strength as much as we distrust our own weakness and our own sin, and instead of striving to live like the Lord Jesus Christ, in other words walking in his footsteps, let him live through us as he greatly desires to do.

And the verse is quoted in substance for that, 2 Corinthians 4, which is one of my favorite chapters in the whole Bible, 2 Corinthians 4. For God who commanded the light to shine out of darkness has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of the Lord Jesus Christ. How about that?

Alright, so, finally, giving thanks to God the Father through or by Him. And you know, I think it reminds us of something we kind of began the class with today. The Lord Jesus Christ is always our vehicle to the Father, isn't it? I mean, we have a triune God, we're Spirit-led in the new nature to bring glory to the Father, but Christ is the vehicle.

And we, you know, I really think are reminded of that in these three verses we're looking at. So, as I often say, how are we doing here? How do we measure how we're doing here? What's this life look like in terms of what our responsibilities are? It's to live by faith. And what's faith? Believing what God has revealed. To Adam and Eve, that's all they needed at the time, because God had revealed only so much. To Abraham, he revealed only so much. To Jeremiah, he revealed only so much.

Today, we've got a plethora of sound doctrine that we can turn to the Word of God. So, by faith, do we believe that we're identified? And ultimately, that life we live is that other life that's being lived in us. And again, keep looking down. Why do we remind ourselves to do that? Or why am I reminding you to do that? That's our position. We're there already.

And you know that that position does give us that rest and that peace and I think that's what makes the Christian life joyful and makes it fun and not a burden of joy that comes from our position. Other thoughts about today's lesson? Want to talk about music some more? No further thoughts or comments? Wayne close us a prayer would you please?

Father thank you for your word this morning and thank you for the peace that you give us and you told us where that peace comes from and we just thank you for that and we just ask that you would Just keep our hearts and minds looking at you as we go on to the next service. In Jesus name, Amen. Amen.