Discipleship is impossible without the Word of Christ since Jesus said that making disciples fundamentally involves teaching them to observe all that he commanded. In order to observe Christ’s teaching, Christ’s teaching must dwell in us richly.
One of the most well-known verses in all of Scripture about singing is found in Colossians 3:16. And yet, we often quote that verse in isolation and do not recognize the broader context in which Paul gives the command to sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs. But as I would like us to see from this text over the next couple weeks, there is an essential connection between singing and discipleship that ought to compel us to place a high emphasis upon singing in our homes and churches.
In Matthew 28, Christ commissioned his apostles to make disciples of all nations, baptizing them, and teaching them to observe all that I have commanded. In many ways the NT epistles in particular were written to do just that: they teach believers to observe everything that Christ commanded, many times in very practical ways that apply Christ’s teaching to everyday life issues.
The book of Colossians is no different. The end of the book in particular, beginning in verse 18 of chapter 3, deals with how to be a good Christian wife, and husband, and parent, and child, and servant, and master, and even how to relate to the unbelievers around you.
Characteristics of Disciples
But before getting to that very practical application of how to observe what Christ commanded, in the first half of chapter 3, Paul tells us what kind of disciples we need to be in order to live in a Christ-glorifying manner.
He begins by describing the nature of who we are as Christians: “If then you have been raised with Christ.” All who are united to Christ are also seated with him in heaven. Verse 3 alludes to this reality: “For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.” Our identity as disciples of Jesus Christ is that we are hidden with Christ in God. The first step to being a disciple is to be in Christ through faith in him.
On the basis of that gospel reality, Paul gives one overarching command that he then fleshes out through the rest of the text: “Seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth.” We are to direct the center of our spiritual desires upon heavenly things, where Christ is, and not earthly things. As disciples of Christ—followers of Christ, we must set our spiritual focus upon him, not on earthly things.
And Paul then gives us four ways in which disciples of Christ should set their affections on things above and not on things that are on the earth. We’re not going to explore this at depth, but I just want to briefly survey them as we move toward verse 16.