For those who came in last night, and those who came this morning, probably it will be necessary for us to mention what we have covered during the afternoon sessions.
Our main burden during these afternoons is centred upon one word, and that is fullness.
From the letter to the Colossians, we find that Paul’s thought in that particular letter is a thought of fullness. He had heard of these things in Colossae: how they had believed in the Lord Jesus, how they had faith in Christ Jesus, and how they had love toward all the saints—and even toward Paul, whom they had not seen in the flesh, but loved in the Spirit. He had also heard how these people had hope laid up in heaven.
In other words, Paul was told that these people had a good foundation in the grace of God. The grace of God was evident in them; it was expressed in faith, in love, and in hope.
Probably when we hear of such a condition, we will feel very happy. Paul felt very happy too. We may feel, “Well, that is very good. We only hope that such a condition can continue to the end.” And that will be all.
But Paul had the mind of God. On the one hand, he was most thankful for what God had done among these people. Yet, on the other hand, he was even more burdened than ever before, because he saw that God had begun in these lives and he longed to see that the work Christ had begun would be perfected.
You remember how he gave himself to prayer. He could not be with them in person because he was in prison in Rome. He could only wrestle before the Lord with one supreme purpose: that these believers in Christ might be filled with the full knowledge of God’s will.
Throughout this short letter, you find that Paul repeatedly uses words such as fill, fullness, fulfil, complete, and perfect. The prevailing thought is fullness.
So, dear brothers and sisters, we feel burdened with this burden of God concerning His own people. God’s concern for His own is that we may come unto fullness, that we may not stop short, and that we may enter into the fullness of God—that we may be filled with all the fullness of God. This is God’s purpose concerning His people.
Secondly, we mentioned how this fullness of God is in Christ. All the fullness of the Godhead—the totality of divine attributes and power—makes its permanent home in Christ, and nowhere else. Christ is the fullness of God. If you ever want to find the fullness of God, it is to be found only in Christ.
In Colossians 2, it is said:
For in Him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily,
and in Him ye are made full.
—Colossians 2:9-10
So far as our union with Christ is concerned, His fullness is our fullness. You cannot be united with Christ without sharing His fullness. That is the reason why the Apostle Paul says, “All the fullness of the Godhead dwells in Him bodily, and ye are made full in Him.”
Yet, when we come down to our experience, we find that we are progressively led into the experience of His fullness by way of the cross. As the cross works deeper and deeper in every different area of our lives, we find that His fullness is experienced more and more in those areas.
But the fullness of Christ is the church, His body. We remember Ephesians 1:
The church, which is His body,
the fulness of Him that filleth all in all.
—Ephesians 1:22-23
This afternoon, I would like to go on a little further. The Bible tells us that all the fullness of the Godhead dwells in Christ bodily. That is, it dwells in bodily form—in a form that can be seen, heard, touched, and known.
The fullness of God is in Christ, but this is not just something intangible. This is something very real, something that can be seen, heard, touched, and known, because it dwells in Him bodily. It is available. It can be communicated. It is most real.
That is why you find in the Gospel of John:
And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us
(and we beheld His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father),
full of grace and truth.
For of His fulness we all received, and grace for grace.
—John 1:14, 16
Then again, in the first letter of John, you find John saying the same thing:
That which was from the beginning,
that which we have heard,
that which we have seen with our eyes,
that which we beheld,
and our hands handled, concerning the Word of life
(and the life was manifested, and we have seen,
and bear witness, and declare unto you the life, the eternal life,
which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us).
—1 John 1:1-2
John says, in effect, “We have seen Him, we have heard Him, we have known Him, we have touched Him.” Because they had fellowship with Him, they could have fellowship with others. So, dear brothers and sisters, we find that the fullness of God in Christ is a bodily reality, embodied in a bodily form.
When our Lord Jesus was on earth in human form, He walked in the land of Judea and Galilee for thirty-three years or so. As He walked on this earth, people saw Him, heard Him, and even touched Him. Here, the fullness of God was literally manifested in this body, in Christ Jesus.
It was not just a vague idea or a theory. It was a reality manifested in life—a life on earth—and that life was Christ.
Now, dear brothers and sisters, if this is true of Christ, Who is the fullness of God, it must be true of the church, of us, the body of Christ, which is the fullness of Christ.
When we talk about the fullness of Christ—the church as the fullness of Christ—we should not have the impression that it is merely a good theory. Yes, it is very good to say that the church, the body, is the fullness of Christ, but this is not merely to give us a good feeling. This is the will of God.
The church, the body, and the fullness of Christ must also be expressed bodily. In other words, it must be seen, heard, touched, and known by the world. It must be expressed in our daily, practical living.
Unless the church expresses it, unless the members of the body of Christ manifest the fullness of Christ in their various relationships of life, it is not real. It is not true. It has to come out in our daily life.
So this afternoon, we would like to move on to this practical expression of the fullness which dwells in the church. Let us return to Colossians 3.
Put on therefore, as God’s elect, holy and beloved, a heart of compassion, kindness, lowliness, meekness, longsuffering;
forbearing one another, and forgiving each other, if any man have a complaint against any;
even as the Lord forgave you, so also do ye:
and above all these things put on love, which is the bond of perfectness.And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to the which also ye were 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 with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts unto God.
And whatsoever ye do, in word or in deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.Wives, be in subjection to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord.
Husbands, love your wives, and be not bitter against them.
Children, obey your parents in all things, for this is well-pleasing in the Lord.
Fathers, provoke not your children, that they be not discouraged.
Servants, obey in all things them that are your masters according to the flesh; not with eyeservice, as men-pleasers, but in singleness of heart, fearing the Lord:
whatsoever ye do, work heartily, as unto the Lord, and not unto men;
knowing that from the Lord ye shall receive the recompense of the inheritance: ye serve the Lord Christ.
For he that doeth wrong shall receive again for the wrong that he hath done: and there is no respect of persons.Masters, render unto your servants that which is just and equal; knowing that ye also have a Master in heaven.
Continue steadfastly in prayer, watching therein with thanksgiving;
withal praying for us also, that God may open unto us a door for the word, to speak the mystery of Christ, for which I am also in bonds;
that I may make it manifest, as I ought to speak.
Walk in wisdom toward them that are without, redeeming the time.
Let your speech be always with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer each one.
—Colossians 3:12-4:6
We will just read this portion.
We find here in this letter to the Colossians that, when Paul deals with this noble and lofty subject of fullness, he first brings us, in a sense, to the third heaven, to see how the fullness of God is in Christ. He also shows us that we, as His body, are joined to Christ and share in His fullness.
We are like people who are being lifted to the third heaven, where we have heard things almost unspeakable. But, dear brothers and sisters, Paul does not leave us there. After he has led us to the third heaven, by the Spirit of God he leads us back to this earth.
You remember the story we mentioned before: the three disciples went up the mountain with our Lord Jesus, and there our Lord was transfigured before them. It was the glory of the kingdom of God coming in power, and the disciples longed to remain there forever and never come down.
The Mount of Transfiguration is a scene of great critical importance. Here you find our Lord Jesus, after He had walked on this earth for some time and demonstrated a life in perfect harmony with God.
After He had revealed the Father and declared the Father, after He had shown the world what the fullness of God was, our Lord had led a life that was perfect—in perfect declaration and demonstration of the Father and of His fullness. There was nothing short in Him. Then He went to the mountain and was transfigured.
It seems as if it was the crowning of His days on earth. Then Moses and Elijah appeared, and what were they talking about? They were talking about His departure, His exodus—how He was going to leave the world.
So far as our Lord Himself was concerned, He could have left the earth at that moment. He was ready. He had come to this earth to declare the Father, and He had declared the Father in such perfectness by life, by word, and by deed.
There He was on that mountain, transfigured. He could well have passed from earth and gone back to the glory that He had with the Father before the foundation of the world. There was nothing standing in His way. He could have departed and gone back to the Father. So far as He Himself was concerned, He could do that.
But if He had done that, where would you and I be?
Thank God, even though He was able to depart just like that, and even though Moses and Elijah talked with Him about His departure, He had a very different departure in His mind. He would depart from this world by the cross.
He would rather depart in this way, by the cross, because only when He departed in this way was there redemption for the world.
So here you find our Lord Jesus on the Mount of Transfiguration in such glory—a glimpse, a foretaste, of the kingdom of God in power. No wonder Peter, James, and John longed for this to be it. Then they would not need to go down from the mountain and face the multitude, the problems, the difficulties, the temptations, and the trials of this world.
If this is the kingdom of God, and we are already in it, well, let it be so forever. You cannot blame these disciples, because if you were there, you would do the same thing.
Oh, how we walk on this earth surrounded by temptations, trials, difficult people, many problems, and suffering. If we could be taken up and be with Christ in glory, we would not want to come back again.
But the Lord came back, and He brought His disciples back to the valley. There, in the plain, in the valley, was a need to be met. Our Lord came back to manifest the fullness of God in healing this little child.
Dear brothers and sisters, in like manner, we who have been taken up by His Spirit into a glimpse of the fullness of God—the fullness of Christ in the body—may long to remain there. It is a beautiful thought. Let us remain there and forget everything else.
Very often, in a conference or convention, if the blessing of the Lord is there, how we long that it may continue forever. I remember this morning, one sister who sat behind me whispered, “Oh, I wish this convention would last two weeks instead of one week. It is just too fast.”
Brothers and sisters, I would say, “Oh, that it may last forever.” Then we would not need to go back to our various places, our various homes, and our various occupations. We would not need to face the world and all its problems and difficulties. If we could remain here forever, in the third heaven, how good that would be.
But, dear brothers and sisters, this is not God’s way. God’s way is that after you have attended, you must be sent.
Put on therefore, as God’s elect, holy and beloved.
—Colossians 3:12
“Therefore, therefore.” After we have been brought to the Lord, face to face with Him, and have been open to His dealing and His speaking, now, dear brothers and sisters, therefore we must go forth in His strength and in His life to meet the world and its many relationships.
If anything real has been done in us, it will be expressed and manifested when we meet all these relationships. Only then will it be proved whether this week means something real to us or whether these are just words that pass away.
We do not expect Paul, after writing theology on such lofty subjects, to deal with details and small matters. Yet very often, in reading Paul’s letters, we find that in the beginning he has led us up and up and up to the third heaven, and suddenly he drops us into the bottom of the earth, because he touches upon husbands and wives, children and parents, masters and servants.
We may think, “Now, these things are not spiritual. How can Paul be so unspiritual as to leave the heavens and come into earthly relationships?” But, dear brothers and sisters, Paul—and certainly the Holy Spirit—does not think this way.
The spiritual is the most practical.
In this portion of the Word that we have read, we find at least three areas. Life is mainly composed of relationships.
Aside from Adam, perhaps for a short while—I do not know how long—after Adam was created and before Eve was made, he was alone. Some people try to work it all out and find out that Adam was created on a certain day and at a certain hour, and that after a few hours Eve was built. I do not have that mathematical mind.
But after Adam was created, there was a short period while he was alone, aside from his relationship with God, of course, which was there from the very beginning. But aside from Adam, no one in this world can remain alone. Our life is composed of relationships.
If we have the right relationships—whether in the church, in the home, or in business and the world—then we experience something of life. But if relationships are out of order, it is chaotic. It is almost like hell upon earth.
How are we to maintain our relationships with others? This is not ethics. There is a great difference between ethics and life.
In China, in our Chinese classics, much emphasis is placed upon human relationships: the relationship between the king and his subjects, between parents and children, and between teachers and pupils. The Chinese classics emphasise this matter of relationships. This is education—to educate us into a right relationship on every side. If you can do that, you are a moral person.
But, dear brothers and sisters, here you find something very different. The beginning and the source are very different. Outwardly, it may appear that there is no difference, yet the source is different.
Paul does not start with right relationships. Paul does not start out to correct us, to instruct us, and to inform us how we must be related to one another. No. Paul starts by relating us to God, that we may receive the life of Christ within us.
After we have received from Him grace upon grace, Paul begins to instruct us how this life should be seen, heard, and expressed in all these different areas of life.
So, brothers and sisters, we are not here trying to teach so-called Christian ethics. We are here to say that the church, which is the body of Christ, is where the fullness of Christ dwells. Now this fullness of life must be manifested in the various areas of our lives. Otherwise, it is not real.
It is not a matter of education, trying, or self-improvement. It is a matter of growing in the life of Christ. If we abide and dwell in Him, and He in us, then out of this life of abiding, the fullness of Christ will overflow into the various relationships that we have on this earth.
This is what Paul is really speaking about. Here you find three areas:
We who are the beloved children of God first have a relationship with our brothers and sisters. That is church life. Paul begins with body life.
I have met people who put great emphasis on their home life. That is good. I am afraid some people do not emphasise home life enough. There are people who leave their homes in disorder and try to go out and preach the gospel, visiting house after house. I do not think this is the will of God.
But, on the other hand, it grieves my heart when I see those who really love the Lord, and yet it seems as if their home life is first and there is very little church—very little church, very little body life.
Often I ask myself this question. I have heard people use the words “church life.” “Oh, we want church life. We want to live church life.” I ask myself: What is church life?
Is church life simply having a meeting every day? We say, “If we only meet on Sunday, that is no church life, because only once in seven days you meet for one hour.” Certainly, you cannot say this is church life.
But, brothers and sisters, if we should meet every day—and even twice a day—you may think that is impossible, but I have seen it. In 1942, when I went to India, there was a company of the Lord’s people in Madras, and they had been meeting together twice a day for a whole year.
Before they went to work, they met together; then in the evening, after work, they came together again. Of course, that is very good, if it can be done. That is very good.
But, dear brothers and sisters, my point is this: Is church life merely meeting together day after day, week after week, month after month, and year after year? Certainly church life includes assembling, because if we do not assemble, how can we have church life?
Some people are so spiritual that they say they do not need to assemble because they assemble in the spirit. Now, I believe that. I have found people telling me, “Now, brother, I am with you in the spirit.” Sometimes I long to say, “Can I see you in the flesh too?”
Church life does include this matter of assembly. That is true. But merely assembling does not represent church.
Brothers and sisters, we may assemble month after month and year after year, and yet we may all grow apart. We may never really be organically united into one.
Sometimes you think the less you meet, the better. If we only meet on Sunday, everyone puts on his or her best clothes—and not only the best clothes, but the best behaviour too. We all come in smiling, shake hands, and leave very happy.
But if we meet day after day, week after week, month after month, year after year, and even twice a day, before the month is out you may find that we are at odds with one another. We need to exercise great patience. It is not that easy.
What is church life? How can the fullness of Christ be expressed in church life?
Some people say that church life is being active in the church. Or if you merely go to church on Sunday and listen to a sermon, you develop the skill of being a hearer. There is no church life. But if you want to have church life, you must be active: be a Sunday school teacher, be an usher, or even be a superintendent. You have to be active in church work; then you have church life.
Not necessarily. Maybe the more active you are in the church, the less alive you become. The less life there will be. Your zeal and enthusiasm may gradually abate.
What is church life? What is body life? How is the fullness of Christ being expressed and embodied?
You find here that Paul says:
Put on therefore, as God’s elect, holy and beloved,
a heart of compassion, kindness, lowliness, meekness, longsuffering;
forbearing one another, and forgiving each other.
—Colossians 3:12-13
What is church life? This is the overflowing of the fullness of Christ in the body.
First of all, church life—body life—is a life of the heart. Here you find the word heart, and as you read on, you find:
And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts.
—Colossians 3:15
Church or body life is a life of the heart. It is not merely an assembling of many people. We may meet together and try to have a good time; and if we do not have a good time, we go away downcast and try to point the finger at somebody else. “He or she must be the cause.” This is not body life.
Body life is a life of the heart. It is nothing superficial, nothing merely outward. We may be together in physical appearance, but are we really together in our hearts?
We can be very courteous to each other, but are we really kind to each other? There is a great difference. Is there that reality?
This world lies under the wicked one, and the wicked one is the liar. In other words, the whole world is a great lie. Everything is full of pretence.
Are you weary of all the pretending in the world? Try to be true and honest in the world, and you know what will happen to you. Are you weary of pretending, of not being real, of not opening your heart?
The more you live in the world, the less real, in a sense, you become. You cannot afford it. The more you hide yourself behind a heavy wall, like a castle, you build a castle and hide yourself in it because you feel you need that protection.
But, dear brothers and sisters, when you come to the church of God, do we need that? Should we still continue in that condition?
Oh, I often feel tired of all pretending. I do not want to come to the house of God and put up a front again. This is a place of rest. We can be true to one another. We do not need to defend ourselves. We do not need to be on guard all the time, as if everyone is our enemy trying to get us.
We can open our hearts and be related to our brothers and sisters too. In the body, there is that reality.
A heart of compassion.
—Colossians 3:12
Oh, that we may go out to one another in love. Romans speaks of brotherly love and kindly affection one to another. That we may go out to our brothers and sisters in compassion, just as Christ is compassionate toward us.
Let us be compassionate to our brothers and sisters. Give them a warm heart, not a cold one. Give them a heart, not merely an outward manner.
And kindness: whatever another may do to you, you repay him in kindness. That is kindness.
Brothers and sisters, what is church life? What is body life? God has so put us together and joined us together that we are members one of another. Being in such unity and such closeness, if we do not have hearts of compassion and kindness, how can we go on? It is impossible.
If my hand is not compassionate toward my mouth, when my mouth wants to eat and the hand refuses to pick up the food, what will happen to me?
Dear brothers and sisters, God has tempered the body together. God has set us in the body as members of that one body. Now, how are we going to live?
If we fight against one another, devour one another, stand upon our rights, and insist upon our opinions, how can we have body life? There is no body life. There is no church life.
For, dear brothers and sisters, in His sovereignty God has put us together. Unless we know the fullness of Christ overflowing in compassion and kindness, it is just impossible.
Lowliness, meekness, and longsuffering—these are the attitudes of our heart concerning ourselves.
Lowliness is not merely looking down upon oneself as little, very little; it is not thinking of oneself at all. Our Lord is lowly and meek. Learn of Him, for He is lowly. He never thinks of Himself. He not only thinks little of Himself; He does not think of Himself. That is lowliness. That is humility.
And meekness: He never harms another. You may do anything to Him, but He never returns in kind.
Longsuffering means bearing with others. Perhaps you will say, “Well, that may be necessary if you live among your enemies. If you live in the world, surely you need that. But if you live in the church, in the body of Christ, with your brothers and sisters, you do not need these things.”
You may think, “Your brother will never step on you. Your sister will never mistreat you. You need not suffer, because they will not make you suffer.” Brothers and sisters, we all know what he is talking about.
There is no place on earth where you need more lowliness, meekness, and longsuffering than in the church.
How often we say, “If this comes from an unbeliever, I forgive him because he does not know. I cannot expect anything better.” But if it comes from your brother or your sister, you begin to question. If it comes from a leading brother or a leading sister, you are really offended. That should not be.
Here, brothers and sisters, there is nowhere that the fullness of Christ can be manifested so brilliantly as in real church life. Real church life is not merely outward activity or outward meetings. Real church life is in our inward relationships.
There is an inward relationship of love, compassion, kindness, lowliness, meekness, and longsuffering. When you see these things coming out, you know you are living in the church. You are experiencing the fullness of Christ in the church.
I often thought, when I became a believer and read 1 Corinthians 13, that Paul was too negative. We say that 1 Corinthians 13 is a chapter on love. Yes, it is. But when you read that chapter, you cannot help feeling that Paul begins on a negative note.
Love suffereth long, and is kind.
—1 Corinthians 13:4
Love suffers long. Can he not give us a better definition of love? Is not love something aggressive, active, positive, and outgoing? How good is love? Yet Paul says that love suffers long and is kind. I did not understand.
I had trouble for many years in reading 1 Corinthians 13. I did not understand why Paul began with such a negative note, until one day the Lord began to show me where this chapter on love stands.
It stands between chapters 12 and 14. Chapter 12 speaks of the body. Chapter 14 speaks of the functioning of the body. In the middle is love.
Love in the body of Christ first suffers long. Now I know.
Dear brothers and sisters, do not be shocked when you find that your brothers and sisters make you suffer. They will not only make you suffer; they may make you suffer wrong. And love suffers long.
Forbearing one another, and forgiving each other, if any man have a complaint against any;
even as the Lord forgave you, so also do ye.
—Colossians 3:13
Here, brothers and sisters, how we need to forbear one another—not only to bear one another, but to forgive quickly. This is the overflowing of the fullness of Christ.
I often use this illustration, because that was my weakness, and it still is. Sometimes I am very quick. I like to do things quickly, and even in eating I do that. Because I eat so quickly, I often bite my tongue.
Yes, I pulled all my teeth out. I have false teeth now, but even these false teeth bite my tongue.
No neighbours are so close as the teeth and the tongue. They live together and they serve together. We often say that we eat with our teeth, but if you have no tongue, how can you eat? You need the tongue to move the food around so that the teeth can bite. The tongue helps the teeth to fulfil their function.
The same is true when you speak. You talk with your tongue, but you need the help of your teeth. Only with the help of your teeth is the functioning of the tongue complete. Oh, how we need one another.
But because they are so close, sometimes one bites the other. When this happens, suppose the tongue rises up and says, “Now I am finished with you. I will not forgive you.” What would happen to that man?
Forbearing and forgiving—the same thing is true in the church, in our relationship with one another.
Dear brothers and sisters, it is true that we cannot do this in ourselves. You remember once the disciples came to the Lord. The Lord said that if your brother sins against you seven times in a day, and each time comes back and says, “I repent,” you shall forgive him.
That was even worse than what Peter had experienced. I do not know whether Peter had accumulated seven offences against his brother over many years, but here the Lord said that if someone sins against you seven times in one day, and each time comes back and says, “I am sorry,” you are to forgive him.
Then the disciples asked the Lord about that. The Lord said, “Even seventy times seven.” And you know what the disciples said? “Lord, increase our faith.” They did not say, “Give us love.” They said, “Give us faith.” Not only did they not have the love; they did not even have the faith.
Brothers and sisters, we cannot do it. No one can. No matter how patient you may naturally be, the Lord will see to it that you are tested beyond your measure.
It is only when the fullness of Christ is drawn upon that you find forbearing and forgiving. That is love.
If there is love in the church, if there is love among the members of the body of Christ, if love prevails, then the peace of Christ presides.
You know, we believers are a strange species of mankind in this world. In the world, the more you gain the upper hand, the more you oppress people, and the more you can take revenge, the happier you may feel.
But in the church, among believers, if ever you oppress anyone, you lose your peace. If ever you do not forgive, you lose your peace.
But if you forbear and forgive, strangely, the peace of Christ presides in your heart. Have you not experienced such things?
When you have an unforgiving spirit or a revengeful spirit, you lose your peace. You cannot pray. But when you tell the Lord, “O Lord, I cannot, but by Thy grace, out of Thy fullness, I draw Thy forgiving spirit,” you find that thing is gone.
Strangely, even though outwardly you seem to suffer, inwardly the peace of Christ reigns. Here, brothers and sisters, this is the way to live church life.
Let us move on to verse 16:
Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly;
in all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another
with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs,
singing with grace in your hearts unto God.
And whatsoever ye do, in word or in deed,
do all in the name of the Lord Jesus,
giving thanks to God the Father through Him.
—Colossians 3:16-17
On the one hand, love prevails. We live in love—love one another with brotherly love. If we love one another, then God is seen. The Head is seen in the body. This is our testimony.
Then Paul turns to another thing: how we need to have the word of Christ dwell in us richly, in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another. In other words, we must minister one to another out of that life.
Our brother mentioned last night about ministry. I have to make a confession: I had that in mind for this message, but our brother has done it so ably that I could never do that. I thank the Lord for that.
The real ministry is the ministry of the body. This is ministering fullness.
No matter how able you are or how gifted you are, if you are the only one ministering to the body, the body is poor. But when all the members of the body function, ministering one to another according to the measure God has given, then you find there is fullness.
We may have experienced sitting under the feet of a great teacher of God. We say, “How rich is this ministry, and how we have been helped.” But, dear brothers and sisters, in comparison with the ministry of the body—teaching and admonishing one another—what fullness is experienced!
It is not God’s will that we should merely sit there receiving and receiving. That will end in deadness and barrenness. But it is the will of God that, as members of one body, according to the grace and gift of Christ, we minister one to another.
Just like the teeth and the tongue, we work together in love, and the whole man enjoys the fullness.
But in order to minister, you have to have something real within you. That is why the word of Christ must dwell in you richly.
We need to have the word of Christ dwelling in us richly, in all wisdom. Why? Because it is not merely a mental knowledge of the Word. It is the Word of God constituted, digested, and absorbed into our very life.
So it comes out in psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs. Now, what are hymns and spiritual songs? We know they are not the product of the mind. They are the product of the heart.
When you sing a hymn that is written out of deep experience, it touches us. If you read a treatise or paper that is merely a collection of the research of someone’s mind, it may nourish your mind, but it does not nourish your heart.
So here you find: “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another”—not merely in words, but in psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs.
In other words, after you have assimilated the Word, it becomes your life. Then, out of the grace of God in you, you pour into the body.
As each member pours into the body that which he has received of Christ, what happens? The body increases with the increase of God. That is fullness. This is body life. This is true.
This is just one area in which the fullness of Christ is manifested. Of course, Paul goes on to home life: wives and husbands, parents and children.
I do not need to comment much on this because, from time to time, the Lord gives us—not merely advice, but good experience—leading us into proper relationships.
Oh, brothers and sisters, every time I unite a man and a woman in marriage, I feel that it is more than a physical union. It is a spiritual union. In that union, the mystery of Christ and His church must be represented.
The relationship between husband and wife is more than merely having a happy home life or a happy married life. It must be the overflowing of the fullness of Christ in the relationship between husband and wife.
That is why Paul says:
Wives, be in subjection to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord.
Husbands, love your wives, and be not bitter against them.
—Colossians 3:18-19
If the Lord gives you children, then children must obey their parents in all things, for this is well-pleasing in the Lord. Parents should not provoke or discourage their children, lest they be disheartened. I do not need to go into this, because it is evident.
Then, thirdly, Paul enters into social life. We are not hermits. We live in this world, yet we are not of this world. Now, how are we to live in this world in order to express the fullness of Christ?
First, persevere in prayer, watching in it with thanksgiving.
Dear brothers and sisters, we live in a very dangerous world. It is full of confusion. How easily we may be led astray in these things. So we must pray, watch, and trust that we do not enter into temptation.
Pray that the purpose of God may be fulfilled in you. Pray that a door may be opened for the speaking of the mystery of Christ, that many may be brought into the fullness of Him.
Walk in wisdom toward them that are without, redeeming the time.
—Colossians 4:5
We are in the world, yet we are not of the world. Because we are not of the world, we are sent into the world. There is a mission. We must see the opportunity for Christ.
Let your speech be always with grace, seasoned with salt,
that ye may know how ye ought to answer each one.
—Colossians 4:6
I had trouble with this verse for many years. “Let your speech be always with grace”—I can understand that. Gracious words, words that bring grace to people. But I could not understand “seasoned with salt.”
It is true that in cooking and in food we want salt to make it more tasteful and effective. But I could not understand it. Let your word always be with grace—is that not enough? Seasoned with salt—what is that salt? How do you season it?
I am not an expositor or a commentator. But one day something came to me that satisfied me. If it does not satisfy you, I am perfectly happy.
One day it came to me: “Seasoned with salt.” What is salt? The Lord said, “Ye are the salt.” Oh, believer, we are the salt. There is a salty taste in us. If the salt loses its taste, the salt is useless.
Brothers and sisters, what is this? This is life—our life in Christ, our life with Christ, the fullness of Christ in us, Christ in you, the hope of glory. This is salt. We are the salt.
No matter how graciously you speak, if your life does not season your speech, it is not effective. You have to season it with your life.
When there is life behind the gracious word, you find effectiveness in your witness and in your answering the questions of the world. It is the outflowing of the fullness of Christ.
So, dear brothers and sisters, we find that the body, which is the fullness of Him that filleth all in all, must be seen, heard, touched, and known.
May the Lord help us.