What does it mean to let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts (Colossians 3:15)?

Answer

Peace can encompass various situations. World peace denotes the absence of conflict between nations. Interpersonal peace signifies the lack of conflict between individuals. Inner peace denotes harmony within oneself, reconciling different desires and aspects of one’s personality, as well as aligning aspirations with reality. However, the most crucial peace for any individual is peace with God. Until we surrender to His lordship, we are all sinners in conflict with God.

Romans 5:1 discusses peace with God: “Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.” Once we reconcile with God, we can then pursue other forms of peace in our lives and characters.

Philippians 4:6–7 addresses the inner peace that arises from trusting God completely to fulfill our needs: “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.”

Colossians 3:15, when taken out of context, appears to promote a similar idea: “Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful.” The verse suggests that allowing the peace of Christ to govern our hearts when we are anxious or troubled leads to genuine inner peace. However, the context of Colossians 3:15 pertains more to interpersonal peace than inner peace.

Colossians 3 lists behaviors that hinder interpersonal peace. Christians are instructed to avoid such actions: “Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires, and greed, which is idolatry.”Impurity, lust, evil desires, and greed are considered idolatry. Due to these, the wrath of God is imminent. You once followed these ways in your past life. However, now you must rid yourselves of anger, rage, malice, slander, and foul language. Do not deceive one another, as you have put off your old self with its practices” (verses 5–9). By eliminating these sinful behaviors from one’s life, one can experience greater peace with others.

Colossians 3:11 addresses the racial and social barriers that often caused conflict in Paul’s time. In Christ, these distinctions are irrelevant: “Here there is no Gentile or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave or free, but Christ is all, and is in all.”

Instead of actions that sow discord, Christians are urged to heed this instruction: “Clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. Bear with one another and forgive each other if any of you has a grievance. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And above all these virtues, put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity” (Colossians 3:12-14).

All these principles can be summarized in one directive: “Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, as members of one body called to peace” «And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful. », (Colossians 3:15). Allowing the peace of Christ to govern your hearts means letting the truth of Christ’s actions guide your behavior. We are not adversaries. We should not view fellow Christians as rivals for the same resources. Instead, we should see them as teammates, all part of the same squad.

Our bodies are interconnected, and what benefits others is ultimately beneficial for us as well. Christ rescued us to live harmoniously with one another. By choosing to demonstrate love and maintain peace with fellow believers, we are enabling the peace of Christ to govern our hearts.