The Christian's Peace and Gratitude

Introduction

We’ve been looking together at this passage from Colossians 3, and my real desire through has study is to show that the Gospel that we profess to love and hold dear immense application to everyday life.

This Gospel that saves is not simply an intellectual exercise, aimed at affirming facts. It is also not merely or purely aimed at our final salvation. It’s not that we as Christians are just like anyone else in the world, but our end is going to differ from the end of others.

And you’ll sometimes find this thinking… It’s seen sometimes in the way evangelism is done. It’s seen in the way Christians speak about their faith… it’s really mostly about - I’ve been saved from going to hell. Perhaps they don’t mean it quite like that, but so often the thinking is along those lines.

Furthermore, what happens in many professing Christian’s lives is that they live purely with the end goal in sight… and they try to keep themselves to kind of a moralistic pathway or trajectory so that they can make sure that their ticket to heaven is secured.

Too often, this leads to a life of legalism… although most would not see that it’s legalistic. But really it boils down to that.

I really want this series to help us see that the Gospel should so tranform our hearts, our minds, our attitudes, our thinking, that we live each and every single day as citizens of heaven in the here and now.

That our lives are actually being lived day in and day out for the kingdom of Christ, with us being the citizens of the kingdom of Christ.

Our goal is not so much to get to heaven, as it is to grow in Christ-likeness and live for His glory each and every day.

If that is what is driving us… if our true identity in Christ is driving us and motivating us each day of our lives, I’m convinced that our manner of life, and our entire attitude towards life is going to be profoundly different to the world’s. Profoundly.

Far too many Christians do not live profoundly distinct lives… They try to live a little better than others… But Christ has not really changed them beyond what many people can change themselves. I don’t think that’s the goal that Christ had for His people. He empowers and enables us for so much more…

So a good question to ask yourself as you go through life is, “what difference has Christ made in my life today....”

As we’ve slowly worked our way through this series, we’ve seen that all of this flows out of solid theological truths. Our theology matters. What we believe about God, about Christ, about man, about the work that Christ did, and why He did it… all of this matters! It matters profoundly!!

But it’s not all that matters. In other words, theology is not merely intellectual. It’s not merely head knowledge; knowing facts about God or Jesus.... These facts and truths must be taken to heart, truly believed within ourselves, and then applied to everyday life.

That’s what we’re seeking to do.

I can’t go over all the ground that we’ve covered so far, but let me just remind you that we’ve most recently been considering that we are to put off the old manner of life; that we’re then to be renewed in our thinking… in our minds in terms of how and what we think; and then we are to put on, clothe ourselves with Christ.

Last time we were in this series, we looked at Colossians 3:11-14, in terms of some of those things that we are to put on as Christians. We began to consider what some of the marks of a true disciple of Jesus are.

Today we will pick up on that, and we’re going to focus on a further two aspects or qualities or marks of a Christian. A further two things that are to be characterizing the Christian in light of the powerful and transformative work of the Gospel.

We’re only going to be looking at verse 15 this evening, and we’ll note two qualities or characteristics that mark the Christian...

1. Ruled by Peace (v.15a)

We read in verse 15 of our passage...

Colossians 3:15 (NIV84)

15 Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace....

One of the key qualities of the Christian once they have come to understand the Gospel of Christ and the purposes of God is that they are marked by a deep sense of inner peace.

As we consider this quality, there are four things that I want to point out from our passage regarding this peace that is to mark our lives.

1.1. The Source of Peace

It is the "peace of Christ."

The only way to have genuine peace, the only source of genuine peace, is Christ. When we say this, we need to understand that the peace that is given flows out of the work that Christ has done on our behalf.

Let me try to bring some clarity in this. We need to recognise that the lack of peace in life is a consequence of sin, separation from God - Genesis 3. That was the cause and initiator of a lack of peace. At the moment when Adam and Eve sinned against God, hostility, enmity entered into the relationship between man and God.

Man has not been created to live apart from God. Neither can he.

When sin entered the world, man’s enmity with God led to enmity with men. Self became the new ruler.

The Gospel addresses that issue. Notice how Paul has already outlined this in this very letter…

Colossians 1:19–22 NASB95

19 For it was the Father’s good pleasure for all the fullness to dwell in Him, 20 and through Him to reconcile all things to Himself, having made peace through the blood of His cross; through Him, I say, whether things on earth or things in heaven. 21 And although you were formerly alienated and hostile in mind, engaged in evil deeds, 22 yet He has now reconciled you in His fleshly body through death, in order to present you before Him holy and blameless and beyond reproach—

Later on in this letter, Paul wrote....

Colossians 2:13–14 NASB95

13 When you were dead in your transgressions and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He made you alive together with Him, having forgiven us all our transgressions, 14 having canceled out the certificate of debt consisting of decrees against us, which was hostile to us; and He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross.

The Gospel message brings reconciliation between God and man. It precisely because of the work that Christ did on the cross that man is able to be brought into a peace-filled relationship with the eternal God.

Beyond that, however, the Gospel leads to peace in inter-personal relationships. This is so critical for us. Even the most strained of relationships, when properly rooted and grounded in Gospel hope, ought to produce peace in relationships.

Ephesians 2:13–17 NASB95

13 But now in Christ Jesus you who formerly were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. 14 For He Himself is our peace, who made both groups into one and broke down the barrier of the dividing wall, 15 by abolishing in His flesh the enmity, which is the Law of commandments contained in ordinances, so that in Himself He might make the two into one new man, thus establishing peace, 16 and might reconcile them both in one body to God through the cross, by it having put to death the enmity. 17 And He came and preached peace to you who were far away, and peace to those who were near;

The work of the Gospel, based on what God did in Jesus Christ, leads to a deep peace of heart. It creates a peace between man and God, which inevitably leads to a peace between man and man.

The antidote for a troubled heart is the peace of Christ ruling that heart.

I would suggest to you that unless we are ruled by the peace of Christ in this world, we will not be able to be at peace with those around us.

We need to understand that peace comes from God, and it begins with a right relationship with God.

Let us consider this in terms of the Old Testament teaching.

Numbers 6:26 NASB95

26 The Lord lift up His countenance on you, And give you peace.’

It is the Lord that gives us peace, and there is no other source of peace.

Psalm 4:8 NASB95

8 In peace I will both lie down and sleep, For You alone, O Lord, make me to dwell in safety.

In other words, the peace of the Psalmist was rooted in the character of God, in knowing God. He was able to trust God, and thus was at peace.

Isaiah 26:3 NASB95

3 “The steadfast of mind You will keep in perfect peace, Because he trusts in You.

Again, this peace is a gift from God, but it is rooted in and flows out of a knowledge of God and a trust placed in God.

When we come to the New Testament, the work of Christ that was done, we find that through the work done in Christ’s death and resurrection, is that place where ultimate peace may be gained. It is through the cross that we see the extent of the mercies and grace of God. It’s at the cross where we find the love of God, and the faithfulness of God being shown forth in all is granduer.

As we look to that, and believe in that, and trust in God through our true belief in all that the Gospel conveys, we will be granted by God this deep sense of peace.

Dear friends, the peace can only come from God through Christ as we trust in Him. We need to have a deep trust in the person, the character and the promises of God, as most perfectly demonstrated through Christ.

Next, very briefly, we should consider...

1.2. The Place of Peace

Peace is to be in our hearts.

It is to rule our hearts.

In other words, the dominating state of being of the heart is that of peacefulness.

Paul uses the same picture of peace in the heart in Philippians 4:7, where he is speaking within the context of anxiety.

Philippians 4:6–7 NASB95

6 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

The heart is the wellspring of life.

Proverbs 4:23 NASB95

23 Watch over your heart with all diligence, For from it flow the springs of life.

The heart, as we know, represents the core of a person’s being. Their person which is represented in their actions. Our actions and responses to life flow out of our hearts.

In other words, our actions and responses to life are to be marked by peace-filled responses, rather than anxious, worrying responses.

Again this is all rooted in the true knowledge of the God we serve, as pictured most fully in Christ’s work on our behalf.

We need to ask ourselves, practically speaking, if our hearts are ruled by peace? Are our responses to life’s circumstances ruled by peace?

Notice thirdly in this regard…

1.3. The Outworking of Peace

This continues on from the first main point, and that is the relational dimension of peace. That peace of God is to be evidenced through our interactions with others. Are our interactions with one another marked by and characterised by peace.

Notice how Paul brings this out in verse 15....

Colossians 3:15 (NIV84)

15 Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace.

In other words, this is where that peace of Christ is to be worked. This is where it is to be evidenced.

This peace of Christ is to mark our relationships with one another.

If we do not have the peace of Christ rule our hearts, we will not have peaceable relations within the church.

The same could be applied to the context of marriage, families, work relationships etc.

The greater our peace and rest in our Lord, the greater will be the peace that marks our relationships. And dear friends, this is what God has called us to…

Ephesians 4:3–4 NASB95

3 being diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. 4 There is one body and one Spirit, just as also you were called in one hope of your calling;

There is this perfect peace and unity that is to be strived towards in Christ because we are one body… the body of Christ. He is the head.

It’s utterly incongruent to have conflict and strife in our relationships with one another when we profess to be directed by the same head!!

One further point to note from this verse and the reference to peace, and that is…

1.4. The Practice of Peace

There is an exhortation in this verse.

"Let the peace of Christ rule..." - There is activity and resolve involved in this.

The word that is used here for rule has the primary meaning to “award a prize” and so to “act as judge or umpire...”

In other words, the peace of Christ is to be the ruler and the umpire and the decider in difficult situations. One Commentator says this…

The Epistles to the Colossians and to Philemon General Guidelines and Practical Exhortations (3:5–17)

To be noted is the fact that the subject is “the peace of Christ,” not “you”; this is something the Colossians have not to accomplish but to let happen—to let go any attempt to control and manipulate and to let the peace of Christ be the determiner—just as in the following clause peace is a call to which they can only respond.

The Peace of Christ must be the determining factor in our relationships with one another. It’s not about my way or your way. It’s not about ensuring that my voice is heard above your voice, or yours above mine.

The point is that Christ is Lord!! And He calls us to peace!!!

Another commentator writes:

Colossians and Philemon 3. Putting on the Practices of the “New Self” (3:12–17)

Without sacrificing principle, believers should relate to one another in a way that facilitates and demonstrates the peace that Christ has secured for them (cf. Rom. 14:19).

Romans 14:19 NASB95

19 So then we pursue the things which make for peace and the building up of one another.

Dear friends, although this is something that flows out of Gospel transforming work, we need to recognise that we are responsible to live in this manner, and cultivate this peace.

Our thinking and our motivations need to be so rooted in Gospel truth, the glorious truths of who we are in Christ, who God is as our Father, what He has promised us, that we are motivated to respond in peace to those around us. There needs be no striving. There ought to be no striving.

The question here is, how do we do this?

We need to know the Scriptures, and apply that Scripture to our lives. We need to know God. We need to truly understand ourselves.

Remember I said earlier, what we believe affects how we live.

Elaborate....

Secondly…

2. Characterized by Gratitude (v.15b)

Paul ends verse 15 with a very brief exhortation… “And be thankful.”

It seems strange for this exhortation to be found in the midst of speaking to how we are to relate to one another. But gratitude very much affects our relationships with others. A thankful person is generally easier on those around them. An ungrateful person affects others through their words and conduct.

This emphasis on gratitude is crucial, and once again is rooted and grounded in the Gospel. In other words, it’s not so much of being thankful for the physical goods, health, prosperity that you have in life, as it is a gratitude for the immense blessings that are yours in Christ.

Colossians 1:9–12 NASB95

9 For this reason also, since the day we heard of it, we have not ceased to pray for you and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, 10 so that you will walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, to please Him in all respects, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; 11 strengthened with all power, according to His glorious might, for the attaining of all steadfastness and patience; joyously 12 giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified us to share in the inheritance of the saints in Light.

Look down at Colossians 2:2-3

Colossians 2:2–3 NIV84

2 My purpose is that they may be encouraged in heart and united in love, so that they may have the full riches of complete understanding, in order that they may know the mystery of God, namely, Christ, 3 in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.

Notice how Paul draws attention to the riches of the grace of God in Christ.

Then turn our eyes down to Col 2:6-7

Colossians 2:6–7 NIV84

6 So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in him, 7 rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.

Further exhortations to thankfulness are found in Col.3:16-17, along with Col.4:2.

Clearly, a spirit of thankfulness is to mark the life of the Christ.

Douglas Moo comments on this aspect of thankfulness with these words:

Colossians and Philemon 3. Putting on the Practices of the “New Self” (3:12–17)

Believers who are full of gratitude to God for his gracious calling (v. 15a) will find it easier to extend to fellow believers the grace of love and forgiveness and to put aside petty issues that might inhibit the expression of peace in the community.

Now, while the exhortation is simple in form, it is goes very much against the natural inclination and heart of man.

Nonetheless, it is extremely important for the Christian to live a life of thankfulness. This is something that we are called to based on the abundance of God’s goodness and grace to us.

Let me ask you…

Have you come to realise the depth of God’s love for you in Christ?

Just ponder it for a moment… how much do you think that God has forgiven you?

How far do the extents of God’s grace go towards you in your life?

As you think about that, I want to read part of a blog post from some missionaries in Cameroon who are doing some Bible Translation in that country. The name of the writer is Dave Hare, and he writes this:

We often hear comments from friends and supporters that they wish their children could come and visit us in Cameroon for a time. What they mean is that their kids have been expressing attitudes of ingratitude or entitlement and they believe that some time spent in an African village will help them to see how much they have to be thankful for. We all chuckle, and sigh, with the recognition that we are not going to fly a child to Cameroon just for an attitude check. However, whether these parents know it or not, there is a greater problem with the plan than just logistics: exposure to poverty will never cure an ungrateful heart.

In Cameroon we live primarily with the poor, and we see the things you think about when you imagine an African village. I have seen a child die of starvation. I regularly see women walking to the fields with enormous goiters, and returning with impossible loads on their backs. I know one child that had to have his finger amputated because of an easily curable infection. Our neighbors primarily have dirt floors, cook outside over a fire, and have constant, gnawing needs that seem impossible to resolve.

I, on the other hand, have never gone long without a good meal. I have always had a way to get good medical care. No one in my family has ever died of a curable disease. And I do not worry about my children’s futures, ever. And yet, deep within my well cared for, overnourished flesh I consistently and disappointingly discover a deep, nagging, ingratitude. My mind tends to focus on what I lack, rather than what I have. And there is no physical experience that can bring remedy to this deep problem.

I have come to learn that exposure to poverty does not make the rich less entitled. Exposure to the sick does not make the well more thankful for their health. Rather, I have come to see that gratitude is a discipline.[1]

I would add to that, that gratitude is a discipline that is cultivated with the context of Gospel appreciation.

In other words, it’s not merely that we express gratitude for what we have… but rather that we express overwhelming gratitude for the abundance of spiritual riches that we have in Christ.

As Dave Hare states in his blog post, this is not something that we just pray to have, and then it comes to us miraculously without any effort. As Christians, this forms part of the renewing of our minds that we are called to. Our thinking patterns need to be brought into alignment with the truths of God’s word as we search and meditate upon the Scriptures.

Conclusion

As we close, I would like to encourage each and every one of us to search our own hearts and our own standing before God. We’re in this secion of Colossians where we’re being exhorted to clothe ourselves with particular qualities that flow out of our union with Christ.

Very soon, Paul is going to begin to apply these truths to various specific relationships, including wives towards husbands (v.18) husbands towards wives (v.19) children towards parents (v.20) parents towards children (v.21) etc.

All of these relationships are going to need to be marked by the qualities that we’re looking at in the present verses (11-17).

I want to encourage each one of us to pray that the Lord would greatly enable us to display these qualities more fully and frequently in our lives.

From today’s verse particularly, let us pray that the Lord would enable us to deeply appreciate our reconciliation with God through Christ so that our hearts would be at peace. Let us pray that this peace would be evidenced in our relationships with one another.

And let us pray for a deeper sense of gratitude towards God for hisoverwhelming kindness towards us in Christ.

References

[1] Available Online: https://www.haretranslation.com/2022/09/21/the-discipline-of-gratitude/; Accessed 30/09/2022