Colossians 3:12-17 (NIV) states, “Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.
Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts. And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.”
In Colossians Ch. 3, verse 12 begins with “Therefore.” It is a reminder to us to remember of what came before and, therefore, it serves as an introduction. In the previous verses Paul said that you have died with Christ and your life is hidden with Christ in God, that you are to consider yourselves dead to sin, that you are to put aside abusive things, and that you are to “put on the new self who is being renewed to a true knowledge according to the image of the One who created him.” This means that the old self has been put off or put away. The old self with its passions and desires, its wants and its needs, its pride and self-centeredness. It has been put off because you have died with Christ, because you are born again, because the Holy Lord has made you His. And, as a Christian, your proper response to God is to live as He wants you to live. Because you have taken Christ into your heart, you need to behave as though that were true. Additionally, you have been chosen of God.
Verses 12 and 13 means that God has indeed chosen you. To be chosen of God means that from the foundations of the world God has elected you to salvation. You are eternally secure in His choice; God does not change His mind, nor does He make mistakes. And because of His choosing you, there are certain benefits which are yours, such as: 1) You are made Holy by the blood of His Son, Jesus. 2) You are set apart for the Lord and His holy work. 3) You are loved by God and cared for. As a loving response to God’s choosing, you are to put on a heart of:
Compassion, Kindness, Humility, Gentleness, and Patience (vs.15).
God has not called you out of the world to be alone, He has chosen you to exist within the context of a Christian church.
To bear with one another (vs.13) means to endure, to stand up under, to be tolerant of.
To forgive means to forgive as Jesus forgave you (vs. 13). Jesus is the standard of forgiveness.
Jesus taught us to pray, “Father, forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. He said to forgive seventy times seven. Forgiveness is a Christian trait because it is a Godly trait. Forgiveness is truer when humility and gentleness adorn it. Forgiveness comes easier when your heart is filled with compassion, humility, and patience. Forgiveness is Holy when you forgive in the name of Jesus, the one who has forgiven you.
Verse 14, Love is supreme above all the qualities mentioned before, which means that you love because God first loved you. Love comes from God and filters through you, to others. And you are to put it on. Unity comes easier where there is love. [Unity] means that within the body of Christ there is harmony. And this is very important for many reasons such as:
-It glorifies God.
-Strife, separation, and disagreement in the church of Jesus is ungodly.
-Sacrifice, humility, enduring, forgiving, and loving; these things are Godly.
-It helps you to further the work of God for which the church of Christ has been called.
It is not knowledge or philosophy that truly unite God’s people, it’s His love. Colossians Ch.2:8 tells us, “See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the elemental spiritual forces of this world rather than on Christ.” Your love for Him and towards others, your forgiveness, and your goodness, should be your response to His love for you.
Verse 15, let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, is telling us that, where before, there was a storm in your soul, now there is peace. Christ will calm your soul. Peace is a blessing. It is contentment. It is a rest in assurance and trust of God, belief that He loves you and is working for your good in your life. God is active in electing you. You are active in letting the peace of Christ rule in your hearts. You must want and choose this. It is there because Jesus is there. He will meet you halfway. The peace of Christ is always with you. You simply need to allow it to work in your heart. And you do this by trusting God and obeying God.
This peace that God gives will rule in your hearts. The peace of Christ will direct and control your hearts. It is better to answer a person out of a peaceful heart than out of an angry one. It is better to make decisions out of a peaceful heart than out of a worried one.
Verse 16, Let the word of Christ richly dwell within (in) you. If the word of Christ richly dwells within you, then every thought, word, and deed, will conform to God’s will. If the word of Christ is within you, then it can move upon your heart. It can correct your thoughts. It can shape your attitudes, your behaviors, your dealings with others, and how you even react to different situations. If the word of Christ richly dwells in you, then you are going to bear fruit. The fruit of the Spirit is “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Because you are chosen of God, you are to be thankful; singing with thankfulness is done with psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs. This is a natural result and response to the indwelling word of Christ. It should be a natural response to every Christian who has been chosen and loved of God.
Lastly, concerning verse 17, “whatever you do” is very general. Paul is allowing you to apply this for yourselves. “Whatever you do” can mean many things from suffering to praising, from giving to taking. Whatever you do, whether it be to love God or love your neighbor, whether it be putting on a heart of compassion and kindness, and love, or forgiving your brother and sister in Christ, let the word of Jesus richly dwell within you, but doing it so, in His name, the name that means everything. Determine in your hearts to respond to God’s choosing by responding to others with love. Determine in your hearts to respond to God’s love, by letting the peace of Christ rule in your hearts and, therefore, your lives. Determine in your minds to let the word of Christ richly dwell within you, by meditating on it, memorizing it, and learning from it. Do it all in the name of our Lord & Savior Jesus Christ, giving thanks to God the Father through Him. Amen, Amen, and Amen. Until next time folks, stay safe and stay blessed!!
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