“And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts!”

“And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful.” (Col. 3:14-15 ESV)

The transition word “But” is used to show contrast from one thought to another. In verse 8 of this chapter, Apostle Paul transitions from verses 1-7, which explain what Christ has done for us and our position with Him in the heavenly places, to verses 8-17, which explain how we should live our lives based on what our Lord and Savior has done for us. The conjunction “but” is used in verse 8 to connect what the Lord has done for us to what we should do for Him, not out of obligation, but out of appreciation of this new life that Jesus has given us. “If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.” (vv. 1-3)

Paul in verse 5 uses his famous “Therefore” to instruct us that because of what has already taken place, through the righteousness of Jesus having been imputed (given) to us, we should consider our bodies dead to this list of sins. Now, for those of you who know me, you know I’m about as far away from “list theology” as you can get. It’s all about grace; I can’t do a list of things to become acceptable to God, and I can’t do a list of things to stay acceptable to God. The only thing I can do is, by faith, accept His grace of eternal life and sanctification. Sanctification is the setting apart of believers to be used by God; it isn’t something I can work to get. It’s something that I do because God has already set me apart to do his will. (See Eph. 2:8-10).

Now that I am saved and set apart for God, I have the spirit of Jesus and the Holy Spirit living in me (dwelling in me), I want to live a life that will bring honor and glory to my Savior and my God. So, Paul tells us in verse 9 to put aside these activities and not let sin reign in our lives. In verse 10, he says we are “to put on the new self” that Jesus has given us by His death, burial, and resurrection. Talking off the old and putting on the new is something that Paul also told the believers in Ephesians 4:22-24, he says to lay aside or put off the old self and to put on the new self. This is only possible because of what Christ has done for us. Because we are now new creations (2 Cor. 5:17), we can actually live our lives to bring honor and glory to our Savior.

Paul is not giving us a list of things to avoid for us to get saved or to become sanctified, but he is saying, now that you are saved and sanctified (set apart for God’s use), we should avoid these types of activities, because they do not bring honor and glory to Jesus. Just go back and reread verses 1-7, stop and say thank you Lord for seating me with Christ at the right hand of God, thank you Lord that my life is now hidden with Christ in God, thank you Lord that Christ is our life, thank you Lord that because of what You have done, I can consider my earthly body dead to immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire and greed, which amounts to idolatry.

Then in verse 15 Paul says, “And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful.”, which is the result of understanding verses 1-7 what Christ has done for us, and verses 8-14 what we can now do for our Savior. The peace of Christ can indeed rule in our hearts.

So rather than reading any of Paul’s letters as a list of things we “must” do in order to “get right with God”, we should read them as he intended, exhortations for us to avoid these activities (vv. 8-9 anger, wrath, slander) and to practice these activities (vv. 12-14 kindness, humility, patience). Because Christ now rules in our hearts. We are able to “put off” the old self and to “put on” the new self that Christ has given us; we are now capable of living a life that honors and glorifies our Savior.

Here’s a simple question: Are we doing that?

"Living in Grace is not about what I can do, but about what Jesus has already done!"