Now we come to the crucial matter of where to find the processed Triune God as the all-inclusive drink. It is true to say that He is in heaven. It is also true that He is in us. But although the Triune God indwells us as the all-inclusive Spirit, He may not dwell in us richly. In Colossians 3:16 Paul says, “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, in all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another in psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to God.” What does it mean to let the word of Christ dwell in us richly? Years ago I thought that this meant that we should memorize Bible verses and be able to recite them. According to my concept at the time, to let the word of Christ dwell in me richly was to memorize more and more verses. However, this is not the meaning of Paul’s word in Colossians 3:16.
For the word of Christ to dwell in us richly means that it inhabits us, indwells us, in a rich way. This can be illustrated by eating. After we eat a meal, the food inhabits us in a rich way. The food contains many rich, nourishing elements. When we take this nourishing food into us and assimilate it, it indwells us richly. In like manner, for the word of Christ to dwell in us richly means that it inhabits us in the way of nourishment and enrichment. This is not a matter of memorizing verses, but a matter of having the Word containing the unsearchable riches of Christ dwell in us in such a way that it nourishes us and enriches us.
I have met some people who had memorized the whole book of Ephesians and even one who had memorized the Gospel of Matthew. But to memorize entire books of the New Testament does not mean that the word of Christ is dwelling in us richly. For example, we may take food into us, but our stomach may not digest it properly. Indigestion indicates that the food does not enter into us richly. The food may be rich in nourishment, but its entering into us is not rich if we suffer from indigestion after eating it. In such a case we do not have the ability to absorb the riches of the food. But if we have a proper metabolism and digest the food we eat, the elements of the food will enter into us richly. We need the word of Christ to dwell in us in this way.
It is possible for the same verse of the Bible to enter into us either in a rich way or in a poor way. At one time you may not be able to digest and assimilate a particular verse. But at another time the Word may be rich in its entering into you and dwell in you richly. We all need to let the word of Christ dwell in us richly.
At this point it is important to consider the way to let the word of Christ inhabit us richly. Paul gives us the way in Colossians 3:16, where he says “in all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another in psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to God.” Here Paul indicates that we should teach and admonish, not in an ordinary way, but in psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs. Psalms are often rather long, spiritual songs tend to be short, and hymns are usually of medium length. As we admonish one another in psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, we should sing with grace in our hearts to God. We need to sing with the exercise of the spirit. The more we sing in this way, the more we shall be inspired and set on fire. By this kind of singing, we let the word of Christ dwell in us richly.
Suppose in a meeting we sing a hymn composed of Ephesians 3:16-21. If we sing these verses with the exercise of the spirit, this portion of the Word will inhabit us richly, and we shall receive nourishment. This nourishment is supplied first to the spirit, not to the mentality. By singing with our spirit we have a way to let the word of Christ inhabit us with all its riches to nourish us.
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