Day #187: Colossians 3:12-14

Background:

Many christians are living defeated lives not realizing the fact that we are the elect of God chosen in Christ Jesus.Paul here is bringing out the character of the New Man and exhorting the believer to live a life of newness filled with compassion.

SO WHAT?

Col. 3:12 Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering;

The miracle of election did not depend on anything that we are or that we have done; for God chose us in Christ “before the foundation of the world” (Eph. 1:4).

Only God knows who the “elect” will be, and that decision rests with everybody’s free will.

Rom. 8:29 says: “For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren.”

The analogy of getting dressed continues here that I had written in the blog post yesterday; this time we put on godly attitudes.

Whenever we take off, we must then put on.

The first thing they were to put on was “tender mercies.” The Greeks used the term “bowels of compassion” because they believed the deeper emotions were located in the intestinal area, whereas in our culture we locate them in the heart.

Next comes kindness; “be kind one to another” (Eph. 4:32). One of the most beautiful pictures of kindness in the Bible was David’s treatment of Mephibosheth (2 Sam. 9).

Following, comes humility of mind; the pagan world did not admire humility; instead they admired pride and domination.

Next comes meekness and longsuffering; these are demonstrations of power under control.

Col. 3:13 …bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do.

It is not enough that the Christian must endure grief and provocation, and refuse to retaliate; he must also forgive the troublemaker.

If he does not, then feelings of malice develop, which leads to greater sins.

It is Christ-like to forgive, and forgiveness opens the heart to the fullness of the love of God.

The very instant that we have an offence with an unbeliever, we should try to forgive him at once; if the offence is toward a brother, we are to go to him (Mt. 18:15-35).

Col. 3:14 But above all these things put on love, which is the bond of perfection.

Love is the most important of all Christian virtues.

1 Cor. 13:13 reads, “But now faith, hope, love, abide these three; but the greatest of these is love.”

Have a heart of compassion and put on the godly attributes to exhibit the character of new man for you are God's elect.