Admonish One Another
“…admonishing one another…” Paul (Colossians 3:16c)
Teaching and admonishing others are both very important and necessary aspects of growing in The Lord, and in particular, making disciples who make disciples. May we not neglect our duty to obey these commands and respond when others are obedient in teaching and admonishing us.
We pick up with our next “one anothers” of love and stay in the same verse as our last week’s post…Colossians 3:16c. In this text, from last week’s sharing, Paul has already told us to “teach (one another).” He continues by taking it a bit deeper with “…Admonish one another.”
Okay, that sounds like a big fancy Old English word from the King James Version and that’s exactly what it is so what does it mean? To admonish others means everything from advising or urging to warning and reprimanding. You may be asking, “What’s up, I thought this was about loving ‘one another?'”
I’m glad you asked (even if you didn’t I asked for you to make this powerful point from Scripture) because that’s exactly what it is. Every “One Another” is about loving “others” and this one, as some of the previous negative sounding ones are just as important if not more so in a fallen world.
This requires integrity in The Word for those who admonish. How are you doing when it comes to being in and walking in His Word so that you can teach…and admonish other in love as needed?
We must be able to both humbly give admonition to those we love and be willing to humbly receive it as well. This is God’s Love steering us in His Truth as we help and love others and as they do so with us. May we always be willing to accept teaching and correction from Him and from other believers and may we admonish others as we see the loving need and do so and follow through in humility and grace, covered in Love!
It’s so interesting that, just as with teaching in the same command, The Holy Spirit through Paul pairs this command to admonish with how we are to do it…”with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs as we sing with grace (gratitude) in our hearts to The Lord.” Don’t you think we would all better receive the encouragements, warnings and reprimands as they come wrapped in gracious melodies and harmonies and with thankfulness!
Again, this all begins with in Colossians 3:16a with the encouragement and command of “the Word dwelling richly in you.” Does it? What are you doing to make it so that God’s Word is dwelling deeply and richly in you?
How do you respond when others admonish you? What about when you know someone needs to be lovingly admonished… what is your response? How can we look to Christ to both give and receive admonition and together grow in Him as disciples and as His Body, The Church?
Love and Lordship…Food for Thought – Once again we’re reminded that we don’t readily accept teaching, and certainly not admonition or correction, in our own flesh. That all changes as we receive Christ and walk in His Spirit and not in our flesh and selfishness. Then His Word can dwell richly in us and we can both share and receive teaching and correction in grace, humility and love!
Love and Lordship…Action Item(s)
- Spend time with Him in His Word and prayer daily – read and study the Scriptures in this message as a way to start.
- Ask The Holy Spirit to teach you.
- Are you pouring into the lives of others with teaching and even admonishing then in grace and love?
- Do you allow others who are more mature to admonish and correct you in The Lord and His Word?
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