Make Sure You Have the Right Clothes!

Living as Those Made Alive in Christ - Colossians 3:12-17

12 Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. 13 Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.14 And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.

There is probably not a finer set of verses than the ones above describing what we are called to be and how we are called to live together in the body of Christ. When Paul says "therefore" he is always referring to how to apply the doctrine he has just taught.  In this case he says, "Therefore as God's chosen people." Usually we look at the word "chosen" and think of people set apart like a pastor, a missionary or some other called worker in the church.  But notice Paul is talking to the whole church.  As a Christian we are called and set apart for the sake of the gospel.  In this sense we all have the same calling to represent Christ to each other and the world. 

So how do we live a life as "set apart" or "chosen"?  Paul says to "clothe yourselves with humility, compassion, kindness, gentleness and patience".  Other versions say "put on", but the idea is we make a conscious choice to live out our faith in relationship with others.  

One commentator says this, 

"It is most significant to note that every one of the graces listed has to do with personal relationships between man and man. There is no mention of virtues like efficiency or cleverness, not even of diligence or industry – not that these things are unimportant. But the great basic Christian virtues are those which govern human relationships." Barclay

We all have a relationship with God through faith in Christ, but it is lived out in relationships with others in our family, at work and in the body of Christ.  The people we are closest to get the closest look at who we really are day in and day out.  We may put on a facade at work or even in church, but those we work and live with are the best indicators of how we are living out our Christian faith. 

Finally, Paul says we should forgive each other as the Lord has forgiven us."  Like the other character qualities, we choose to be a person who forgives others. And we all know it is not easy when someone has hurt us to forgive them.  Just as we did not deserve to be forgiven others in our estimation may not either, but that didn't stop God from sending Jesus to forgive us of all of our sin.  It was in love God sent his only Son, and it is in love we extend that same grace to others.  When we have fully understood and received all God has done for us in forgiving us of all of our sin, it is pretty hard to justify withholding forgiveness from your brother or sister in Christ!  

When you get up tomorrow put on your clothes for the day, and don't forget to cloth yourselves as ones who has been made alive in Christ!