.....................THE REF........................
In sports you have a coach, a play book. Team mates, and opponents. The game has structure, rules, and regulations. It has penalties if you break a rule. Every play is designed to reach a goal. Every play of your opponent is designed to stop you.
The bible is God’s play book. In it is his general game plan. Every game has referee’s. God has a referee also.
In Colossians chapter 3 we find some great truths and instruction as to things we should not get into and some things to put on or do. Let’s read it.
Passage Colossians 3
1. If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God.
2. Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.
3. For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God.
4. When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory.
5. Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry:
6. For which things' sake the wrath of God cometh on the children of disobedience:
7. In the which ye also walked some time, when ye lived in them.
8. But now ye also put off all these; anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication out of your mouth.
9. Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds;
10. And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him:
11. Where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision, Barbarian, Scythian, bond nor free: but Christ is all, and in all.
12. Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering;
13. Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye.
14. And above all these things put on charity, which is the bond of perfectness.
15. And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful.
16. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.
17. And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him
IN VERSE 15 WE FIND GOD’S REFEREE. LET THE PEACE OF GOD RULE IN YOUR HEARTS. " RULE" A MORE LITERAL TRANSLATION IS " BE THE REFEREE". WHEN THE REF BLOWS THE WHISTLE AND THROWS A FLAG IT MEANS A FOUL HAS BEEN COMMITTED. a RULE HAS BEEN BROKEN AND A PENALTY IS ENFORCED. THE PEACE OF GOD I S OUR REF AND WHEN WE DON’T HAVE PEACE IN OUR HEART WE NEED TO STOP AND SEEK GOD’S GUIDANCE AND FIND OUT WHAT WE NEED TO DO. GOD’S REF TRIES TO WARN US BEFORE WE MAKE A WRONG MOVE OR DECISION AND KEEP US ON TRACK. REMEMBER YOU WILL NEVER LOSE GOD’S PEACE BECAUSE OF WHAT OTHERS DO, IT WILL BE BECAUSE OF WHAT YOU DO. GOD’S PEACE IS THERE TO STOP YOU SO THAT YOU DON’T MAKE THE WRONG MOVE AND TO KEEP YOU WALKING IN VICTORY.