Colossians 3:12

Put on therefore, as God's elect, holy and beloved,. heart of compassion, kindness, lowliness, meekness, longsuffering;

'PUT ON THEREFORE' -The statements in Colossians 3:10-11, demand. new life. If the New man is patterned after God, then let's see some serious changing. 'they must don the graces which are characteristic of him.' (O'Brien p. 197)

'AS GOD'S ELECT' -'Then put on the garments that suit God's chosen people' (NEB).

'HOLY AND BELOVED' -'his own, his beloved' (NEB); 'consecrated and dear to him' (TCNT).

Points to Note:

1. The "election" mentioned isn't some choice that God made concerning the salvation of specific individuals before the foundation of the world. For when the Biblical writers mention "elect" or "election" they also in the context say something about human accountability. The "elect" are required of their own freewill to "put off and put on" specific qualities. If Calvinistic Predestination were true, if would be irrelevant what type of life the "elect" lived. See 1 Peter 1:2; 1 Peter 2:9 ff.

2. The words "elect", "holy", "beloved" were all used in reference to the nation of Israel in the O.T. Therefore: (a) The church, Christians constitute the people of God since the cross of Christ (1 Peter 2:9). (b) The physical nation of Israel has ceased to be God's people. Only Jews and Gentiles who become Christians are part of the chosen people (Galatians 3:28).

3. God really loves Christians, He doesn't merely tolerate them.

4. "Holy" means that we are separated from sin and dedicated to God and His purposes (Ephesians 2:10; Titus 2:14). And God's work for us is important, serious, and challenging (Mark 16:15). Great traits of character will be needed to succeed.

'A HEART OF COMPASSION' -'tenderness of heart' (Con); 'be merciful in action' (Phi). 'The Colossians were not to cherish. hard or unrelenting disposition.' (Eadie p. 235)

Points to Note:

1. 'It describes his (Jesus') feeling for the multitudes, for the poor, for the widow, for the blind. It is. sentiment which easily can be stifled by selfishness, by familiarity with distress..'(Erdman p. 96) (Matthew 9:36). This is. compassion that actually results in action, much more than. simple, 'Oh, the poor soul'.

2. Barclay notes, 'If there was no thing that the ancient world needed it was mercy...The maimed and the sickly went to the wall. There was no provision for the aged. The treatment of the idiot and simple-minded were unfeeling..' (p. 157)

3. It is very easy to lose compassion: (a) When others have abused our kindness, it is easy to think that everyone "in need", is lazy and only interested in scamming good hearted people. (b) When we invest time and effort into people, and they give up. Despite the bad-apples, we must always be willing to show compassion to those who are truly in need (James 1:27).

'KINDNESS' -5544. chrestotes khray-stot'-ace; from 5543; usefulness, i.e. moral excellence (in character or demeanor): -gentleness, good(-ness), kindness.

-'The ancient writers defined...as the virtue of the man whose neighbor's good is. dear to him as his own.' (Barclay p. 157) (Matthew 7:12)

-Notice that this is. goodness that is "useful". It is much more than just. smile or cheery disposition. It truly tries to help people with their problems. Note, it doesn't help. person continue in their sin--that is. false kindness. (Luke 6:35; Romans 2:4). This kindness can have some teeth in it, i.e. insisting to those we are trying to help, that they help themselves, that they try. God always stands ready to help people out of sin, but never, to help them continue in it. This "kindness" will not give money or food to the person who refuses to work (2 Thessalonians 3:10).

'LOWLINESS' -'humble in mind' (Phi). 5012. tapeinophrosune tap-i-nof-ros-oo'-nay; from. compound of 5011 and the base of 5424; humiliation of mind, i.e. modesty: -humbleness of mind, humility (of mind, loneliness (of mind).

-This isn't. false humility. This humility doesn't make ourselves small because we are great, rather, humility esteems itself as small-because we are small! False humility says, 'I can't do it because. am no good'. True humility says, 'I know my short-comings and flaws, but God commands me to do this or that, and. will obey.' (1 Corinthians 15:10) False humility uses personal failures as the reason why it can't. True humility uses personal failures as the reason why it must!

Points to Note:

1. Barclay makes. good point when he says, 'it is based on the awareness of the creaturelines of humanity. God is the Creator, man the creature, and in the presence of the Creator the creature cannot feel anything else but humility.' (p. 158)

2. Bruce notes, 'and. community in which this grace is cultivated is likely to be free from the tensions which spring from pride and self-assertiveness.' (p. 154) (1 Peter 2:3)

3. Many note that humility was. quality that was despised in the ancient world (and it still is). For it requires: (a) That we accept that God is God and we are not. (b) That we admit and honestly see our own short-comings (Romans 12:3). (c) That we admit that we aren't more "special" than other people (Acts 10:34. (d) And humility applied means that many times in life, the needs of others will take precedence over our own (1 Peter 2:3).

'MEEKNESS' -4236. praiotes prah-ot'-ace; from 4235; gentleness, by implication, humility: -meekness.

-Often defined as the person completely under control. The meek person isn't lukewarm or apathetic. Meekness isn't being. slacker. This is the person who is God-controlled. Meekness is strength under control, all the desires and passions properly harnessed and channeled. The man who is angry at the right time and at the right thing. (Ephesians 4:26)

I like what Barclay said, 'It is when...we can rebuke without rancor..that we can face the truth without resentment, that we can be angry and sin not, that we can be gentle and yet not weak.' (Flesh and Spirit p. 121)

Points to Note:

1. Both Moses and Jesus are examples of meekness (Matthew 11:29; Numbers 2:3).

2. Check out the following passages (Galatians 6:1; James 1:21; 1 Peter 3:15; 2 Timothy 2:25). Unfortunately, we are often too aggressive or too passive. Probably because we are still preoccupied with our feelings, our goals, and ourselves. The meek man has his mind off of self. He presses the issue as far as God wants it pressed. He first asks, 'How serious is this is the sight of God', and then properly adjusts his speech, emotions, etc..to meet the situation.

3. Sadly, we often think that doing nothing is "Christian". Meekness isn't spinelessness. But the person who stands ready to wave his rights--if that is what God wants. Ready to rebuke the sinner-if that is what God wants. Ready to forgive-if that is what God wants. Ready to remain silent--if that is what God wants.

4. Meekness also doesn't complain against God. Meekness believes that God is always good (James 1:17).

'LONGSUFFERING' -3115. makrothumia mak-roth-oo-mee'-ah; from the same as 3116; longanimity, i.e. (objectively) forbearance or (subjectively) fortitude: -longsuffering, patience.

Points to Note:

1. The person who stays then all others have fled. Barclay notes, 'This is the spirit which never loses its patience with its fellow-men. Their foolishness and their unteachability never drive it to cynicism and despair; their insults and their ill-treatment never drive it to bitterness or wrath.' (p. 158)

2. Note the word "LONG". How long is our suffering? At times. don't see much length to our patience. God expected Christians to remain patient when provoked, when persecuted, when physically beaten, when slandered, etc...We seem to be ready to quit or write brethren off over. simple misunderstanding!. minor slight!

3. But we think that we are being really patient! Compare your patience to God's patience. Are you being more patience with others, than God is being with you? Are you having to forgive more--than being forgiven yourself?? (Read Matthew 18:21).