What To WearColossians 3:12-14

Adapted from a Jeffery Anselmi sermonhttp://www.sermoncentral.com/print_friendly.asp?

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Did you hear about the teacher who was helping one of her kindergarten

students put his boots on?

He asked for help and she could see why. With her pulling and him pushing, the boots still didn’t want to go on. By the time the second boot was on, she

had worked up a sweat.

She almost whimpered when the little boy said, “Teacher, they’re on the wrong feet.” She looked and sure

enough, they were. It wasn’t any easier pulling the boots off than it was putting

them on. She managed to keep her cool as together they worked to get the

boots back on – this time on the correct feet.

He then announced, “These aren’t my boots.” She bit her tongue rather than get right in his face and scream, “Why

didn’t you say so?” like she wanted to. Once again she struggled to help him

pull the ill-fitting boots off. He then said, “They’re my brother’ s

boots. My Mom made me wear them.” She didn’t know if she should laugh or

cry. She mustered up the grace to wrestle the boots on his feet again.

Then she asked, “Now, where are your mittens?”

He said, “I stuffed them in the toes of my boots…”

Last week we looked at some things we need to rid ourselves of as we strive to

live the new life we have in Christ.If I were to re-title that message to flow

with this week, it would be called, “What Not To Wear.”

This week we are going to look at “What To Wear.”

When we take off the old life, the old ways of life, we need to replace them

with something else, lest we go around naked.

What we wear is important. If you were to go to a typical job interview, would

you dress like a bum?

Certain jobs require certain clothing.If you were a mechanic, you would not

wear a business suit to the garage.When you are clothed with Christ, you

are called to wear some special clothing.

Today we will look at “What To Wear.”

Colossians 3:12 ESV Put on then, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved,

compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, 13 bearing with one another and, if one

has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has

forgiven you, so you also must forgive. 14 And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in

perfect harmony.

I. The Wardrobe God Has Picked.

12 Put on then, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate

hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience,

Notice in our passage today that Paul calls us God's chosen ones, holy and

beloved.

This implies that we have a special calling.

We are chosen by God for a special purpose and a special destiny.

The word “holy” means to be set apart. Because we are chosen for special

service, we are told to “put on” some special items.

In life, special jobs require special clothing.

Astronauts wear special clothing, athletes wear special clothing, and

Christians are to wear special clothing in the figurative sense.

As we look at what to wear, we need to wear the wardrobe that God has picked

for us.Let us take a look at five things that God wants us to wear at all times.

Each one of the qualities mentioned in this passage express themselves in relationships. A significant measure of

our Christian life is found simply in how we treat people and the quality of

our relationships with them. (Guzik)

1. Compassionate Hearts

"Bowels of mercies" (KJV) is a reference to emotions and feelings. Thayer "the bowels, internal organs, which were thought to be the seat of

compassion" Compassion goes to the very heart and seat of the emotions.

Without compassion it is not possible to be right with God or man. (Luscomb)

1 John 3:17 ESV But if anyone has the world's goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God's love abide in him? 18 Little children, let us not love in word

or talk but in deed and in truth.

Compassion is a sensitivity and sympathy for the needs of others. How many times have we been alerted to the needs of others only to just ignore the

need?We think that someone else will take

care of it. Christians need to be sympathetic to the needs of others.

It is easy to be callous toward others because we can think that people

cause their own problems.Many times that is true.

Did that affect how Jesus felt about those who were hurting and in need?

I am guilty of lacking in compassion at times.

This is something I need to work on. This is something we all need to work

on.

2. Kindness

Kindness is acting charitably or being benevolent toward others. Kindness is

closely related to compassion.

John MacArthur says that kindness is a term that refers to the grace that

pervades the whole person, mellowing all that might be harsh.

Jesus used the word when He said, “My yoke is easy” (Matt. 11:30), not

harsh or hard to bear.

The kind person is as concerned about his neighbor’s good as he is about his

own.

3. Humility

This is an attitude in which we do not look at ourselves as being “better”

than other people.It is also an attitude in which we do not

run ourselves down as being worthless.

Jesus was the ultimate example of humility as He humbled Himself to the

point of death on the cross.

In reality, there is, perhaps, no one of our natural passions so hard to subdue

as pride. Disguise it, struggle with it, beat it down, stifle it, mortify it as much as one pleases, it is still alive, and will every now and then peep out and show itself; you will see it, perhaps, often in

this history; for, even if I could conceive that I had completely

overcome it, I should probably be proud of my humility. (Benjamin Franklin’s

autobiography)

4. Meekness

Meekness is closely related to humility. It is a willingness to suffer injury rather than inflicting it on another. You know people who are meek. They are people

who are a joy to be around.

The meek person knows he is a sinner among sinners and is willing to suffer

the burdens others’ sin may impose on him.

This meekness can only be produced by the Holy Spirit (cf. Gal. 5:22-23) and

should mark the Christian’s behavior at all times, even when restoring a

sinning brother (Gal. 6:1), or defending the faith against attacks from

unbelievers. (MacArthur Jr.)

5. Patience

Patience is putting up with people who irritate.

It is a spirit that does not lose patience with His fellow man.

This is not talking about the ability to wait to take your turn like when you are

behind the wheel or in the checkout line at the store.

It is about human interaction.

We can say that humility (which was not considered a virtue among the

ancient Greeks) is the "parent" of both meekness and patience. Meekness shows how humility will effect my

actions towards others;

I will not dominate, manipulate, or coerce for my own ends, even if I have

the power and the ability. Patience shows how humility will effect my reaction towards others; I will not

become impatient, short, or filled with resentment towards the weaknesses

and sins of others. (Guzik)

II. The Clothes Make The Man.

13 bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another,

forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive.

When you take it to what we are dealing with today, we find that putting

on Christ affects how we treat other people.

Clothing ourselves with Christ will make us different people. It is the

ultimate make over!

1. We will bear with one another.bearing with one another means we will

endure or hold out in spite of persecution, threats, injury,

indifference, or complaints and not retaliate.

We know that no matter what others do to us, it is not up to us to seek to “even

the score.”Jesus by enduring the suffering He did

in route to the cross showed us how we can do it.

1 Corinthians 4:12 ESV and we labor, working with our own hands. When

reviled, we bless; when persecuted, we endure;

2. We will forgive one another.

We are not only to bear with one another, we are called to forgive one

another.The passage tells us to forgive

because the Lord has forgiven you!Jesus modeled what it means to

forgive.We are to continually forgive one

another. We are to forgive one another no matter what.

In the Corinthian church, brothers and sisters in Christ were taking one

another to court to settle disputes. 1 Corinthians 6:7 ESV To have lawsuits

at all with one another is already a defeat for you. Why not rather suffer

wrong? Why not rather be defrauded? 8 But you yourselves wrong and

defraud—even your own brothers!

3. Jesus extended special grace to us.

Romans 5:6 ESV For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for

the ungodly. 7 For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though

perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die— 8 but God shows his

love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

When we did not deserve it, God sent His Son to die so that we could have

forgiveness.

Forgiveness means that much to God.If we cannot extend that grace to

others, we cannot expect to receive it ourselves.

III. The Finishing Touch

14 And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in

perfect harmony.

Whenever you put on a nice outfit, you need something to finish off,

something to bring it all together or make it complete.

1. Put on love.

This is something that must drive everything we do.

Love is the summary of all the things described in this passage.

Love perfectly fulfills what God requires of us in relationships. (Guzik)"The other virtues, pursued without

love, become distorted and unbalanced." (Wright)

2. Love brings the outfit together.

Love is the tie that binds. Many times a man’s tie or a woman’s

scarf will be the essential element that pulls the suit & shirt or dress & shoes

together.Love is what brings the whole outfit together. We are told that love is the

perfect bond of unity.

3. Love binds everything together in perfect harmony.

Love is the binding power which holds the whole Christian body together. The

tendency of any body of people is sooner or later to fly apart; love is the

one bond which will hold them together in unbreakable fellowship. (DSB)

Everything we do MUST flow from our love for God & the souls Jesus died for.

1 Corinthians 13:1 ESV If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have

not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 And if I have

prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I

have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am

nothing. 3 If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned,

but have not love, I gain nothing.

Conclusion

When you cloth yourself with Christ, it will make a difference in your life.

Are you ready to cloth yourself with Christ?