¹² Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, ¹³ bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. ¹⁴ And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. ¹⁵ And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. ¹⁶ Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. ¹⁷ And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

1) What does verse 12 tell us about who we are? How does that connect to the commands that follow?
We are called God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved. That means that we are loved and set apart, and we are selected for God’s purposes! When we think about who we are, it gives us the power, in the Spirit, to act out compassion, humility, kindness, meekness, and patience. All those commands require us to consider others above ourselves, which is only possible because of our security in Christ.

2) What is our reason for forgiving others?
Verse 13 says that we are to forgive others as Jesus has forgiven us. Although forgiveness is difficult, and many people have had great wrongs done to them, there is no debt against us that is greater than the debt against God that we were forgiven. Thinking on and being thankful for God’s forgiveness toward us gives us the perspective and power we need to extend forgiveness to others.

3) What results when we treat each other well and forgive?
Verse 15 says to let the peace of Christ rule in our hearts. When we forgive, we allow peace to rule, so that we are not constantly warring against someone in our hearts and thoughts. Unity with other believers is also a result when we forgive, and so is thankfulness.

4) How do we let the word of Christ dwell in us?
We are to let the word of Christ dwell in us, and this comes through teaching one another, admonishing (reminding, cautioning, exhorting) one another to do what the Word says, and singing the words of Scripture in songs. To dwell is to live, so we are to let the Word of God live in us—through study, teaching, talking with one another about it, and singing its truths.

1) What does verse 12 tell us about who we are? How does that connect to the commands that follow?
We are secure in Christ. We don’t have to try to earn His favor, but we act out our security by being faithful to His commands. Sometimes, it can be difficult to act rightly toward others when we have forgotten who we are—holy, chosen, and loved. Do I find that I am trying to elevate myself and my wishes above others? What can I do to dwell on my security in Christ instead of comparing myself to others?

2) What is our reason for forgiving others?
If you are having a hard time offering forgiveness to someone, ask God to show you how much you have been forgiven by Him. And ask Him to so consume you with the realization of your undeserved forgiveness that you can let go of bitterness and forgive others. Remember that forgiveness is about your heart, not their actions or their remorse. Forgiveness frees you to live and love better. Forgiveness is also not the same as reconciliation. Reconciliation and a restoring of the relationship takes two parties working together, but forgiveness can happen in  your heart regardless of the other party’s actions (or lack thereof).

3) What results when we treat each other well and forgive?
“Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts” is a command, but it hinges on our ability to forgive others and treat them with self-deferring love. Ask God to show you what in your life is keeping you from letting peace rule, and resolve to deal with whatever sin He shows you!

4) How do we let the word of Christ dwell in us?
Knowing who we are, treating others well, and forgiving are only possible when we let the Bible dwell in us. Biblical meditation is when you think on the Scriptures throughout the day. Choose a few verses to read, to meditate on, and to talk with another believer about, and make these disciplines a regular part of your daily life.

Don’t miss today’s other Journey Study, Extending His Embrace
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We love getting help while we study and www.studylight.org is one of many excellent resources.  Just type in the verse you’re looking at and Boom! It’s right in front of you in English and Hebrew (Old Testament) or Greek (New Testament), which are the original languages the Bible was written in.

Want to know more about a specific word in a verse? Click on “Strong’s Interlinear Bible” then click the word you’d like to study. Find super awesome stuff like “origin”, “definition”, and even all the different ways that single word has been translated into English! If you want to be geeky, you can even click the word and hear its original pronunciation – That Is Awesome!

Want to get more background on a word or phrasing or passage? Click “Study Tools”, then pick a few commentaries to read their scholarly approach, keeping in mind that just because a commentary says it, doesn’t mean it’s true. (just like the internet :-))

Finding the original meaning is a huge deal when we study Scripture and can make all the difference in our understanding as we apply God’s truths to our everyday lives.

In our modern-day relationships, we want people to understand our original intention as we communicate; how much more so between God and humanity?!

Here’s a little bit more on why we take Digging Deeper so seriously.

Embracing God’s fullness in our lives is rooted in scripture and memorizing His word is vital to our continued growth and depth with Jesus.
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Looking for other journeys from this theme?
See all past studies in Prodigal!