Col 3:14 | KingComments | STEP | . You know what to put to death and what to put off. If you have done that, then nothing more is expected of you since you do not want to do anything with the old man. The way is now free that you can put on something else. The aim is that you show your new clothing to people around you, in all that you say and do. Now do not think: Who am I that I could do that? Listen to the kind of appeal made to you: 1. You are one of the “chosen of God”. That is because of the special act of God’s grace. He has chosen you to be His and for Him. Why should He do this to you is a question which could overwhelm you. But exalt Him for this unmerited favor. 2. You are a “holy” one. He has chosen you and separated you from all people who live without Him. He gave you a special place in order that you may be holy and blameless in His sight ( ). You are called a saint. 3. You are one of His “beloved”. He loves you. Everything has come from God. How ungrateful you would be if you refused to accept this love in its entirety on basis of false humility. It is great to think that these three names are also used for the Lord Jesus ( ; ; ). This is your position. God declares that He sees you like that. Now Christ can be made visible in your life. The life of Christ is expressed in your life in its different aspects as mentioned here. If we go through them separately you will see that every time it is connected to some form of self-denial. You can exhibit these characteristics only if you are able to bow down and humble yourself. The Lord Jesus Christ showed all these features in His life in perfection. 1. “A heart of compassion” is in contrast to passion that seeks its own gratification. It is the tender mercy from which forgiveness flows ( ); it is the affection of Christ Jesus ( ). 2. “Kindness” is the abundance of goodness that comes from the tender mercies. 3. “Humility” is an attitude that is proper for you before God and people. The Lord Jesus calls us to learn this from Him ( ; ). 4. “Gentleness” is an expression in which you put up with injustice and do not insist on your rights and privileges ( ). In the world meekness means not being able to push through and run everything. Gentleness is the opposite of self-consciousness and self-interest. 5. “Patience” is the patient endurance of evil. It is the spiritual ability to bear evil without direct retaliation. . You find opportunities everywhere in the world to exhibit these characteristics in which Christ is visible. The following characteristics will be shown more clearly in your relationship with believers who can make things difficult for you. The word “one another” also involves you. Sometimes you too might be an uncomfortable fellow believer to someone else. “Bearing with one another” means that you do not pass comments on about someone else when you think he makes or does something in a strange way. Be restrained or cautious toward others. If “bearing” is more passive “forgiving each another” is more active. If you deal with people it is inevitable that you get to know their mistakes. It can quickly create a situation where accusations fly back and forth. The peace within the church disappears quickly. The solution is to have an attitude of forgiveness. Then you will not answer a reproach to you with a reproach to the other. The standard of forgiveness is Christ. Look at Him and at all that He has forgiven you. Think of His parable on forgiveness ( ). You will see that you are able to forgive. . Paul is not yet ready with accumulating the pieces of a clothing. There is something more which holds all these pieces together like a belt and that is “love”. Love is the virtue which not only holds together all the other virtues but brings them to maturity and thus perfects them. The characteristics mentioned here are not acquired characteristics but they spring from love. Nothing in our behavior toward others is perfect without the love of God which is expressed in brotherly love ( ). Therefore love is the perfect bond of unity. You are in a position to tie this band around because you have received the Divine nature ( ), and the nature of God is love ( ). When this bond of love is put on by every believer, it will bind the believers with one another. . The clothing is put on. Everything is in its place. Now you can go out of the door and show your clothing to the believers and to the world. You are not called to flaunt your clothing but to show your life as a witness for Christ. In order to give this testimony in the right way, it is necessary that the “peace of Christ” rules in your heart. All your actions, words and thoughts will take place in an atmosphere of peace. The nature of peace is that of Christ. The Lord spoke about this in the upper room and called it “My peace” ( ). It is the peace of heart and mind that emerges from a complete trust in the love of the Father in complete submission to His will. He walked in this peace on earth. When this peace rules in your heart and in the hearts of your fellow believers with whom you are associated, then this meets the requirement for the call to be “one body”. The absence of the definite article before body suggests that the local church is meant here. The emphasis therefore is not personal peace which you can experience if you walk with the Lord. It is more about the peace that determines your attitude and your goodwill in dealing with others. It is all about the one body. If the members are subject to Him, the peace that He offers should determine their dealings among themselves. You will not do anything that disturbs this peace. By the way and the means these things are described it is clear that it does not mean that you should draw yourself into isolation so that you do not get into any kind of dispute with anyone. Thankfulness is an important ‘trade mark’ of the Christian who sees the hand of God in all things. This should always characterize him and should come to expression by every opportunity. It is an obligation to be thankful. You must practice this. Of all the people on earth, Christians definitely have the most reason to be thankful. Anyone who is not thankful is far from God. Thankfulness is not dependent on circumstances. Paul himself shows this here and calls for it from imprisonment. I think, after writing all these things, his heart also overflowed with thankfulness. After you have understood your position before God, the forgiveness that you received in Christ, the peace of Christ which is your portion, and the attributes of the Lord it will not be difficult to comply with the call to be thankful. Everything stands in relation to Christ. The point is to show Him in everything. You have received in Christ Jesus all that is necessary for this. What a joy must fill the heart of God when He sees Christ in your life and in the life of believers with whom you gather and live. Now read Colossians 3:11-15 again. Reflection: Learn by heart what you should wear and ask the Lord to help you to display these characteristics.

‏ Colossians 3:14

Put On Then …

Col 3:12. You know what to put to death and what to put off. If you have done that, then nothing more is expected of you since you do not want to do anything with the old man. The way is now free that you can put on something else. The aim is that you show your new clothing to people around you, in all that you say and do.

Now do not think: Who am I that I could do that? Listen to the kind of appeal made to you:

1. You are one of the “chosen of God”. That is because of the special act of God’s grace. He has chosen you to be His and for Him. Why should He do this to you is a question which could overwhelm you. But exalt Him for this unmerited favor.

2. You are a “holy” one. He has chosen you and separated you from all people who live without Him. He gave you a special place in order that you may be holy and blameless in His sight (Eph 1:4). You are called a saint.

3. You are one of His “beloved”. He loves you. Everything has come from God. How ungrateful you would be if you refused to accept this love in its entirety on basis of false humility.

It is great to think that these three names are also used for the Lord Jesus (Lk 9:35; Jn 6:69; Mt 3:17).

This is your position. God declares that He sees you like that. Now Christ can be made visible in your life. The life of Christ is expressed in your life in its different aspects as mentioned here. If we go through them separately you will see that every time it is connected to some form of self-denial. You can exhibit these characteristics only if you are able to bow down and humble yourself. The Lord Jesus Christ showed all these features in His life in perfection.

1. “A heart of compassion” is in contrast to passion that seeks its own gratification. It is the tender mercy from which forgiveness flows (Lk 1:78); it is the affection of Christ Jesus (Phil 1:8).

2. “Kindness” is the abundance of goodness that comes from the tender mercies.

3. “Humility” is an attitude that is proper for you before God and people. The Lord Jesus calls us to learn this from Him (Mt 11:29; Phil 2:3).

4. “Gentleness” is an expression in which you put up with injustice and do not insist on your rights and privileges (Num 12:3). In the world meekness means not being able to push through and run everything. Gentleness is the opposite of self-consciousness and self-interest.

5. “Patience” is the patient endurance of evil. It is the spiritual ability to bear evil without direct retaliation.

Col 3:13. You find opportunities everywhere in the world to exhibit these characteristics in which Christ is visible. The following characteristics will be shown more clearly in your relationship with believers who can make things difficult for you. The word “one another” also involves you. Sometimes you too might be an uncomfortable fellow believer to someone else.

“Bearing with one another” means that you do not pass comments on about someone else when you think he makes or does something in a strange way. Be restrained or cautious toward others.

If “bearing” is more passive “forgiving each another” is more active. If you deal with people it is inevitable that you get to know their mistakes. It can quickly create a situation where accusations fly back and forth. The peace within the church disappears quickly. The solution is to have an attitude of forgiveness. Then you will not answer a reproach to you with a reproach to the other.

The standard of forgiveness is Christ. Look at Him and at all that He has forgiven you. Think of His parable on forgiveness (Mt 18:21-35). You will see that you are able to forgive.

Col 3:14. Paul is not yet ready with accumulating the pieces of a clothing. There is something more which holds all these pieces together like a belt and that is “love”. Love is the virtue which not only holds together all the other virtues but brings them to maturity and thus perfects them.

The characteristics mentioned here are not acquired characteristics but they spring from love. Nothing in our behavior toward others is perfect without the love of God which is expressed in brotherly love (2Pet 1:7). Therefore love is the perfect bond of unity. You are in a position to tie this band around because you have received the Divine nature (2Pet 1:4), and the nature of God is love (1Jn 4:8). When this bond of love is put on by every believer, it will bind the believers with one another.

Col 3:15. The clothing is put on. Everything is in its place. Now you can go out of the door and show your clothing to the believers and to the world. You are not called to flaunt your clothing but to show your life as a witness for Christ. In order to give this testimony in the right way, it is necessary that the “peace of Christ” rules in your heart. All your actions, words and thoughts will take place in an atmosphere of peace.

The nature of peace is that of Christ. The Lord spoke about this in the upper room and called it “My peace” (Jn 14:27). It is the peace of heart and mind that emerges from a complete trust in the love of the Father in complete submission to His will. He walked in this peace on earth.

When this peace rules in your heart and in the hearts of your fellow believers with whom you are associated, then this meets the requirement for the call to be “one body”. The absence of the definite article before body suggests that the local church is meant here.

The emphasis therefore is not personal peace which you can experience if you walk with the Lord. It is more about the peace that determines your attitude and your goodwill in dealing with others. It is all about the one body. If the members are subject to Him, the peace that He offers should determine their dealings among themselves. You will not do anything that disturbs this peace. By the way and the means these things are described it is clear that it does not mean that you should draw yourself into isolation so that you do not get into any kind of dispute with anyone.

Thankfulness is an important ‘trade mark’ of the Christian who sees the hand of God in all things. This should always characterize him and should come to expression by every opportunity. It is an obligation to be thankful. You must practice this.

Of all the people on earth, Christians definitely have the most reason to be thankful. Anyone who is not thankful is far from God. Thankfulness is not dependent on circumstances. Paul himself shows this here and calls for it from imprisonment. I think, after writing all these things, his heart also overflowed with thankfulness.

After you have understood your position before God, the forgiveness that you received in Christ, the peace of Christ which is your portion, and the attributes of the Lord it will not be difficult to comply with the call to be thankful.

Everything stands in relation to Christ. The point is to show Him in everything. You have received in Christ Jesus all that is necessary for this. What a joy must fill the heart of God when He sees Christ in your life and in the life of believers with whom you gather and live.

Now read Colossians 3:11-15 again.

Reflection: Learn by heart what you should wear and ask the Lord to help you to display these characteristics.