On one hand, we need to let the peace of Christ arbitrate in our hearts; on the other hand, we need to allow the word of Christ to dwell in us richly, allowing the word of the Lord to have the first place in us and to inhabit us so that we may experience the effect of the wonderful functions of the word of God.
The Word of God is living and operative, not merely black and white letters.
Before we come to God’s word, however, we need to have peace in our heart both toward God and toward man.
We cannot just read the Bible and be nourished and supplied if our heart is not at peace.
We need to keep our heart with all vigilance, for from it are the issues of life.
We keep our hearts by opening to the Lord again and again, talking to Him, allowing Him to guard our heart with His peace, and setting our mind on our spirit.
Our heart is quite tricky, to say the least; our heart is deceitful, for it loves someone right now but a few moments later is filled with hate toward that person.
Our heart is so changeable, so fickle, and so unstable; no one knows his heart, for if anything were to happen, his heart would change just like that.
We may know someone for many years and we may think we’re their friend, but if anything were to happen and that person changes their heart, there’s nothing we can do to get him back to be our friend. So we need to enthrone the peace of Christ in our heart.
When the peace of Christ is enthroned and rules in us, when Christ as peace guards our heart and is enthroned in us, we experience peace with God and peace with man.
All disputes and problems can be dealt with by the Lord’s peace in us; when His peace has the first place, we are kept in His peace.
And when our heart is in a peaceful situation, being filled with the Lord as our peace, the word of God can operate within us to minister the riches of Christ to us.
The reason many times we come to God’s word but do not experience the wonderful functions of God’s word is that our heart is not at peace.
Our heart is in turmoil, our heart is troubled, and our heart is not at peace; only when peace reigns in our heart can the word of God have an effect on us.
Before we can let the word of Christ dwell in us richly, we need to let the peace of Christ arbitrate in our hearts.
Our focus shouldn’t be doing the right thing or choosing the right way; we should focus on setting our mind on our spirit so that peace would rule and reign in us.
Amen, when peace rules in us, when we are kept in the Lord’s peace in the one new man, the word of Christ can dwell in us richly, and we can enjoy the functions of God’s word.
We need to Let the Word of Christ Dwell in us Richly so that it Operates in us in a Living Way
Our letting the word of Christ dwell in us richly is not something passive; it is not merely reading the word here and there, and then “let” it abide in us.
It is a proactive let, a letting that requires our exercise.
Just having a daily Bible reading schedule and keeping it faithfully day by day doesn’t necessarily mean that we let the word of Christ dwell in us richly.
We need to make our whole being available to the word of God so that the divine life in God’s word would shine on us.
We need to seek the Lord in His word with all of our hearts. We need to deal with all the things that are between us and the Lord when we come to Him.
Without having an active and aggressive approach to God’s word, there is no way for the word of Christ to dwell in us richly.
The Word of God will not suddenly dwell in us just by us being in the realm of God’s word, going to meetings, and reading the Bible daily.
Rather, we need to allow the word of Christ to make its home in us and inhabit us. The word of God, the embodiment of Christ, needs to settle in our being.
The word should inhabit us, like someone moving into a new house.
If someone moves into your house, you don’t just sit there and let him do whatever he wants; it is your home, so you have many things to say about it.
We need to permit the Lord as the Word to settle down in us, to inhabit us, and to dwell in us richly.
The word of God is not merely the black and white letters in the Bible; the word of God is living and operative, for it is the Lord Jesus Himself coming to us as the word.
We need to let the word of Christ dwell in us richly; this means we can’t just superficially and lightly read the Bible and generally know the word of God but do this in a rich way.
And the word needs to dwell in us richly in all wisdom, meaning that our reading of the Bible should not just be a cursory reading, verse by verse and chapter by chapter, but reading with our spirit exercised to have God as wisdom infused into us.
Wisdom is in our spirit; when we exercise our spirit, we have not only Bible knowledge (which is in the mind) but even more, Christ as our wisdom in our spirit.
Our whole being needs to be prepared and focused when we come to God’s word; we need to have a proper approach when we come to God’s word.
It is easy to just read the Bible here and there, have some Bible knowledge, and think that the word dwells in you richly; but is the indwelling word of God affecting your daily living and your being?
Does the word reconstitute you and make his home in you? Is the word of God indwelling you to the extent that you have not only Bible knowledge but even more, wisdom?
When the arbitrating peace of Christ is enthroned in our being and we’re preserved in oneness, the Lord can speak to us. And His speaking is through His word.
When we come to the Lord’s word and the peace of Christ is arbitrating in our heart, the Lord as the word can inhabit us, dwell in us, make His home in us, and operate in our being.
May we open to the Lord as we come to His word, dealing with our whole being as we read the Bible so that the word may operate in us and gain what the Lord is after in our being.
Lord Jesus, may Your peace arbitrate in our hearts so that we may have Your rich speaking through Your word. May the arbitrating peace of Christ preserve us in peace and oneness for us to have the Lord’s speaking in His word. We come to You in Your word, dear Lord, to enjoy You and be infused with You. We exercise our spirit, our heart, and our whole being when we come to You in the word. We open to You, dear Lord, and we allow Your word to dwell in us richly. Amen, may the word of Christ dwell in us richly in all wisdom! Yes, Lord, we give Your word the first place in our being. We want to not merely read the Bible but even more, contact You in Your word to be infused with You. May Your word be living and operative in us. May we gain more of Christ as we come to the word. Operate freely in us as we read and pray over Your word, dear Lord!
Experience the Functions of the Word of God Operating in us and Ministering Christ’s Riches into us
When we as believers in Christ allow the word of God to have the first place in us and to inhabit us, we will experience the functions of the word of God operating within us and ministering the riches of Christ into our being.
A very practical and wonderful way for us to let the word of Christ dwell in us richly is with the help of the Recovery Version Bible and the life studies, which open up the word of God.
Our Christian life many times is impoverished and in poverty because the word of Christ does not dwell in us richly.
We need to have a revolution in our coming to the word of God so that the word may dwell in us richly and we may experience the functions of the word of God operating in us and ministering the riches of Christ into us.
The word of God enlightens us (Psa. 119:105, 130).
The word of God is full of light; when we come to God’s word, we are shined on by the Lord, and we are enlightened.
When we turn our heart to the Lord and we have the opening of God’s word, our heart is filled with light and understanding.
The word of God shines on us and in us, and we are clear about many different things.
The word of God nourishes us (Matt. 4:4; 1 Tim. 4:6); the word of God is food to us.
The word of God is full of nourishment, and when we come to the Lord in His word, we can enjoy Him as our food.
The word of God waters us and quenches our thirst (Isa. 55:1, 8-11).
We may go quite a few days without food, but water is absolutely necessary; similarly, in the spiritual realm, we need to have the living water.
If we do not have water, we have no way to live. When we come to the word of God, our thirst is quenched, for we drink of the Lord as the living water in His word.
The word of God strengthens us (1 John 2:14; Prov. 4:20-22); many times we are so weak because we’re thirsty and undernourished, so we need to come to God’s word.
When we come to the word of God, we are nourished, our thirst is quenched, and we are strengthened.
The word of God strengthens our inner man, and even our soul is strengthened by the word of God.
We all can testify that, when we read the word of God with the exercise of our spirit, we are strengthened into our inner man and also in our soul; even our body is strengthened through God’s word.
Many times we come to God’s word and our spirit is happy, our soul is strengthened, and our body is also revived and kept in a healthy way.
When we’re happy spiritually and psychologically, we will also be healthy in our body.
The best cure for the problems in our souls is the word of God, for the word strengthens us and heals us.
The word of God washes us (Eph. 5:26) to prepare us and beautify us to be the Lord’s spotless bride.
As we come to the word of God we experience the washing of the water in the word.
There’s living water in the word not only to quench our thirst but also to wash us and cleanse us.
We need to be washed from anything of worldly defilement, from ourselves, from sin, and from anything that corrupts and defiles us, and we experience this washing by coming to the word of God.
The word of God builds us up (Acts 20:32).
The way the Body is built up is not merely by the peace of Christ arbitrating in our heart; the peace creates the right environment for the building to take place, and this building is through the Lord’s word.
The peace of Christ keeps us in the proper situation for the building work to be done by God’s word.
The more we read the Bible and exercise our spirit to contact the Lord, the more built up we will be.
The word of God completes and perfects us (2 Tim. 3:15-17).
As we breathe in the breathed-out word of God, we not only grow in life and are built up, but we’re also being perfected.
A child has all the organs and is complete in all that he needs, but he needs to grow to be perfected in his function.
Similarly, we need to eat the Lord in His word so that we may grow in life and be perfected in our function.
As members of the Body, we all should function in our measure.
How can we function? It is by being perfected by the word of God. First, we need to be perfected, and then we can function.
And we are perfected as we grow in life by eating the Lord in His word.
The nourishment we receive from the word of God completes us and perfects us as members of the Body of Christ.
The word of God edifies us in our virtues; the more we have the word of God, the more virtues we will have.
When we enjoy the Lord in His word, our kindness, patience, wisdom, and humility are increased and strengthened.
The word of God sanctifies us to bring us into the oneness in the Triune God (John 17:14-21).
We are sanctified in and by the word of God, and this word brings us into the oneness of the Triune God. Wow!
May we all enjoy the wonderful functions of the word of God operating within us and ministering the riches of Christ into our being day by day.
May we not just passively come to God’s word but seek the Lord, open the Bible, use the footnotes in the Recovery Version Bible, and benefit from the help of the life-studies so that the word of God would operate in us in a living way and impart the riches of Christ into our being.
Lord Jesus, we allow Your word to have the first place in us and to inhabit us richly. We want to experience and enjoy the wonderful functions of the word of God operating within us and ministering the riches of Christ into our being. We come to You in Your word, dear Lord; enlighten us, shine on us, and shed a light on the path we are to walk. We need the nourishment in Your word – feed us as we come to Your word. Amen, Lord, Your word is living water to us to quench our thirst. Strengthen us through Your word. May we experience the washing of the water in the word so that we may be prepared and beautified as the bride of Christ. Fill us with Your word so that we may grow in life, be built up, and be completed and perfected! Lord, sanctify us in Your word, which is truth. May Your word sanctify us and bring us into the oneness in the Triune God!
References and Hymns on this Topic
- Inspiration for this article/sharing comes from the Word of God, the enjoyment in the ministry, a sharing by the brothers in the message for this week, and portions from, Life-study of Colossians, pp. 571-573, as quoted in the Holy Word for Morning Revival on, Knowing, Experiencing, and Living the All-inclusive Christ for the Genuine Church Life (2023 spring ITERO), week 6, entitled, Allowing the Peace of Christ to Arbitrate in Our Hearts, Letting the Word of Christ Dwell in Us Richly, and Persevering in Prayer for the Genuine Church Life.
- Similar articles on this topic we recommend:
– 8 Reasons to Let the Word of God Dwell in You, article at, Holding to Truth.
– The function of God’s law as His living word to His loving seekers, article at, Life-Study of Exodus, Chapter 58.
– The word of Christ dwelling in us richly, a portion from, Life-Study of Philippians, Chapter 37. - Hymns on this topic:
– Thou art the food and the water of life, / Thou canst revive me, my spirit upbear; / I long to eat and to drink here of Thee, / Thyself enjoy through my reading and prayer. / Thou art the Word with God’s fulness in Thee, / Thou too the Spirit that God my life be; / Thee in the Word I enjoy as my food, / Thou as the Spirit art water to me. (Hymns #811 stanzas 2-3)
– Oh, purify us, Lord, by speaking in our heart; / Thy living, spoken word this washing will impart. / Increase Thy speaking, Lord, and cleanse our every part. / Oh, purify us, Lord, we pray. / Oh, purify us, Lord, today; / Wash all our natural life away. / Speak now Thy words in us, / And make us glorious. / O Lord, do speak in us today. (Hymns #1135 stanza 2 and chorus)
– Just as we need the earthly food / Our body’s need to satisfy, / We need the food for spirit too- / Thyself, Thy Word, its true supply. / Thou art the Spirit, and Thy Word / Thy very Self expressed doth make; / Thus, it is Spirit as Thyself, / Which by our spirit we must take. (Hymns #814 stanzas 3-4)
About aGodMan
Life-study of Colossians, pp. 571-573, by Witness Lee
As the peace of Christ arbitrates in our heart, we have a peaceful situation for the word of Christ to dwell in us richly.
The Word of God enlightens us, is our food, quenches our thirst, strengthens us in our whole being, builds us up, washes us, completes us, perfects us, and edifies us.
Today we need the word of Christ, the God-breathed scripture, to dwell, inhabit us.
When the word is in us it will enlighten, nourish, and strengthen us.
Through the teaching, the conviction, correction and instruction in the word of God we will not be undernourished, weak Christians but be men of God supplied for every good work!
The Word of God is not only for church life, but also helps for the real oneness among our own spirit, soul and body.
Otherwise there would be confusion in our walk of life because of the conflict between our spirit and soul.
Praise the Lord for our meaningful life in this wicked world.
Praise to the Lord for His word as the main food to eat and drink so that we can have life.
There is life in Him. This life is the light for man. If the right life and light is in us, no place for the dark.
To be fitted in the building, the rough stone must be smooth by the builder’s hammer which is the Word of God too.
The word of God is our food, if we are not eating and drinking, definitely we will die.
In general His eternal word is our everything to live the real church life fruitfully.
Praise Him all the time. Amen
Not only do we need to allow the peace of Christ to arbitrate in our hearts but also to let the word of Christ to dwell, inhabit us richly that we may experience the functions of the word operating within us and ministering the riches of Christ into our being.
Praise the Lord! 😃🙋🏽🙏.
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