Good morning. And of
course it's great to have the peace of Christ rule in our hearts; but there's
something else that is needed also. Otherwise, that could get a little spooky.
We need to: let the word of Christ richly dwell within you. Remember the saying
"having the word without the Spirit you will dry up; having the Spirit
without the word you will blow up". We have to have both. And so what do
we do with this word - just keep it to ourselves? With all wisdom teaching and
admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with
thankfulness in your hearts to God. Notice – here is a good use of that tongue.
And whatever you do in word or deed do all in the name of the Lord Jesus,
giving thanks through Him to God the Father. That's a pretty high standard - to
do all in the name of the Lord Jesus. Notice that in three straight verses it
says to be thankful. Then we have the things about wives, husbands, children,
and even slaves. Then a verse that goes with the one we just looked at a minute
ago. Whatever you do, do you work heartily, as for the Lord rather than for
men. We are to not be like the Pharisees who did "spiritual" things
to be seen by men. And we should do our work heartily rather than begrudgingly.
And why should we do our work for the Lord? Knowing that from the Lord you will
receive the reward of the inheritance. It is the Lord Christ whom you serve.
Father thank You that the reader lets the peace of Christ rule in his/her
heart; the word of Christ richly dwell within him/her; and he/she does all in
the name of the Lord Jesus!
Therefore I exhort you, be imitators of me
Good morning. Paul then gives a list of a lot of things that he has gone through as an apostle. I do not write these things to shame you, but to admonish you as my beloved children. For if you were to have countless tutors in Christ, yet you would not have many fathers, for in Christ Jesus I became your father through the gospel. There could be many people that you listen to either in church or through the Internet or other means; but there was only one person (as a general rule it was a person) that lead you to Christ. Therefore I exhort you, be imitators of me. He was saying that just like a child imitates his or her father, they were to imitate him. He says that again seven chapters later. Since it is easy to forget some things about people we have not seen in a while, Paul says that he sent Timothy to them to remind them of his ways which are in Christ, just as he taught everywhere in every church. Some have become arrogant, as though I were not coming to you. I shall find ou...
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