The Character We Wear

As we have been looking at chapter 3 of the letter written to the church at Colossi we have seen in verses 1-4

Since you are Risen with Christ? You are saved.

A Change took place.

You have new Desires, Duties, and a new Destination.

in verses 4-6

Seeing that Christ Will Appear?

A Challenge has been accepted!

We have some sins our life that need eradicated.

Our sensual sins need Mortifying.

Our social sins need Putting off.

We also have some embracing of the understanding and knowledge of Jesus Christ.

Why? because today we will discover that

It’s all about our Character.

Remember, the old you is dead because your identity is now in Christ.

Our character is illustration of your witness.

So, we come to verse 12.

Colossians 3:12 (KJV 1900)

12 Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering;

Put on = clothe, dress yourself.

It is your responsibility.

It is a command to be obeyed.

It is a continuing action of a Once and for All times.

In other words, once you put it on, Keep it on.

Why?

Because of the the change that has taken place.

You have been elected or chosen by God.

Luke 19:10 (KJV 1900)

10 For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.

Ephesians 1:4 (KJV 1900)

4 According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love:

1 Peter 2:9 (KJV 1900)

9 But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light:

You are now holy and loved, adopted into the family of God.

Therefore, our appearance, not our physical appearance, but rather our internal appearance, our character, should match the character of Christ.

Let me reiterate, that does not mean our outside or physical appearance.

1 Samuel 16:7 (KJV 1900)

7 But the Lord said unto Samuel, Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused him: for the Lord seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart.

The first king of Israel, Saul, looked good, but the second king of Israel, David was good.

Acts 13:22 (KJV 1900)

22 And when he had removed him, he raised up unto them David to be their king; to whom also he gave testimony, and said, I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after mine own heart, which shall fulfil all my will.

God looks at our heart.

God wants a humble individual that will be obedient to His will.

David was not perfect, however, David repented when the deeds of the flesh sprang up in his life and David sought a relationship with God and was willing to obey God.

So, back to our scripture. In order to live up to the change that Christ completed in our life, it is imperative that we do something.

We need to dress up the outside to match the inside.

Clothing is much more than a mere piece of fabric wrapped around our bodies. Our clothing speaks volumes about where we come from, who we are, and where we aim to go.

Today, clothing is powerful enough to define our identity. It has the ability to break or make our confidence. It can reflect an individual’s personality. Your cast, creed, religion, and ethnicity can be revealed just by a piece of clothing – How amazing!

Think with me for just a moment.

Your attire that you wear is deeply personal. It not only expresses yourself but paints your identity. The clothes you wear communicate loudly how you wish to be perceived by society.

Your clothing gives others a sneak peek into your culture, values, and traditions.

The uniforms that doctors, pilots, and air hostesses are supposed to wear give a quick identification of which group these people belong to.

Wearing clothes that doesn’t align with your style can shatter your confidence and self-worth. Mismatched outfits or ill-fitting clothes can make you uncomfortable and feel insecure.

So for boosting your self-esteem, you should make wise choices when it comes to your wardrobe. It is crucial to understand what suits you better and what doesn’t. After all, we cannot overlook the connection between your clothes and your sense of self-worth.

Therefore, as a testament to your new identity and expression, found in Jesus Christ, understanding you are presenting a story of connection, culture, and creativity, Paul says…

Clothe Yourself

Now, we are not dealing with your outward clothing this morning, however, your outward will be a reflection of your inward. Therefore, as a christian, it is very important how we look on the outside, but understand that the weight of our wardrobe is an outward expression of our inward character.

Colossians 3:12–14 (KJV 1900)

12 Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering;

13 Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye.

14 And above all these things put on charity, which is the bond of perfectness.

In Fruitfulness of the Spirit:

bowels of mercies - Mercy = compassion, pity, tenderheartedness. God has had so much mercy upon us, the one thing we should do is to show mercy to others. Notice this compassion comes from the innermost of our being, our seat of emotions, our bowels.

Don’t overlook the needs of the world and even more importantly the individual.

kindness - really = gentleness: it is being kind and good, useful and helpful, gentle and sweet, considerate and gracious through all situations no matter the circumstances.

Mercy is seeing the need, Kindness is reacting to the need, Kindness cares for the feelings of others and feels with them. It experiences the full depth of sympathy and empathy. It shows care and gets right into the situation with a person. Gentleness suffers with those who suffer, and struggles with those who struggle, and works with those who work.

humbleness of mind - to offer oneself as lowly and submissive; to walk in a spirit of lowliness; to present oneself as lowly and low-lying in mind; to be of low degree and low rank; not to be highminded, proud, haughty, arrogant, or assertive.

Humbleness is not weakness but rather strength under control. Humility recognizes I must decrease in order for Christ to increase.

meekness - it means to be gentle, tender, humble, mild, and considerate, but strongly so. Meekness has the strength to control and discipline, and it does so at the right time. Humbleness is the understanding who we are and Meekness is the action of humility.

longsuffering - patience, bearing and suffering a long time, perseverance, being constant, steadfast, and enduring. Longsuffering never gives in; it is never broken no matter what attacks it.

William Barclay says that if God had been a man, He would have long ago wiped man off the face of the earth because of his terrible disobedience (The Letters to the Galatians and Ephesians, p. 56). But God loves and cares for man; therefore, God is longsuffering toward man. God is suffering a long, long time with man, allowing more and more men to be saved.

See, we can only “put on” or “clothe” ourselves with these fruit or actions through the power of the Holy Spirit.

Galatians 5:22–23 (KJV 1900)

22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, 23 Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.

Not only should we wear the fruitfulness of the Holy Spirit, but we should also, Clothe ourself

In Fortitude of Christ:

Forbearance: Forbearing (anechomenoi) means to hold back; to put up with; to refrain; to bear with; to control.

We often forgot this: there are many things about everyone of us that people have to forbear. People have to put up with a great deal of things when dealing with us.

Everyone of us is guilty of …

• some weakness

• some unattractive behavior

• some wrong behavior

• some mistreatment

• some neglect

• some failure

• some bad habit

• some irritating behavior

There are some things about everyone of us that just turn some people off. None of us escapes the fact.

In addition, everyone of us does things that irritate some people.

Again, there is no escaping the fact. Any person can be looked at and have his flaws and weaknesses picked out.

But note: this is not what the Scripture says to do. The Scripture says that the believer is to put on the clothing of forbearance.

As a believer, a child of God, you are to forbear the flaws of others. You are to put up with and bear with the weaknesses of other believers.

Forgiveness: means to be gracious to a person; to pardon him for some wrong done against us.

Note: a quarrel or some difference has taken place. A person has hurt you and brought you pain. But no matter what they have done, you are to have a forgiving spirit clothing us. We are to be so clothed with the spirit of forgiveness that no difference or quarrel can shake us.

Note why: because Christ has forgiven us. No matter how much wrong a person has done against us, it cannot match the wrong we have done against Christ. Yet, Christ has forgiven us. Therefore, we are to forgive those who have done wrong against us—no matter how great the wrong is.

This is kind of hard to swallow, so lets hear the words of Jesus.

Matthew 18:21–22 KJV 1900

21 Then came Peter to him, and said, Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? till seven times? 22 Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee, Until seven times: but, Until seventy times seven.

Luke 17:3–5 KJV 1900

3 Take heed to yourselves: If thy brother trespass against thee, rebuke him; and if he repent, forgive him. 4 And if he trespass against thee seven times in a day, and seven times in a day turn again to thee, saying, I repent; thou shalt forgive him. 5 And the apostles said unto the Lord, Increase our faith.

Wow! Increase our faith, Increase my faith.

Lord, give me your fortitude to forbear with people and forgive people. Help me to clothe myself in your character and nature.

In Fragrance of the Christ:

Why do I say fragrance?

Paul mentions that love is the “bond of perfectness”.

What can you put on that will absolutely bring your whole outfit together, kind of like the cherry on top. The most important accessory.

As a matter of fact, this one thing can make or break your outfit.

There is nothing that will destroy the look you are presenting quicker than body odor.

Everyone of us has a unique smell. but listen

When we are walking in the newness of life, we have put on the fruit of the Spirit, we are exhibiting the fortitude of Christ, but there is one more thing we need to put on.

People reaction is just not on what they see or hear, but also in what they smell.

We need deodorant and maybe a little cologne or perfume.

We need the fragrance of Christ in our lives, and that fragrance is love—John 13:35!

John 13:35 KJV 1900

35 By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.

We want people to get close enough to us that they will see Jesus, hear Jesus, and smell Jesus.

We don’t want people to look at us and say, “Wow, don’t they look sharp? I want to get closer that individual and get to know that individual” and then upon getting close to us, there is a stench that makes them run away.

No, love is the final thing that brings a person close to your life and keeps them there.

Now, we have done all we can do.

We have “Put On” or clothed ourselves the necessities that give the appearance that we know Christ and identify ourself with Him. Now what?

Remember, knowing you dressed right and looking good, helps your self esteem. It gives you confidence.

Therefore, once you have clothed yourself, then

Control Yourself

Colossians 3:15–16 (KJV 1900)

15 And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful.

16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.

Paul twice in this section uses the word “let”.

Let = Control, govern, preside over, rule, or arbitrate.

When you have put on what you should have on, their is a confidence, an aura about you. “I have got this”.

The same thing happens in the Christian life.

Two things will be apparent. Just let them happen.

“peace of God rule”

peace (eirene) means to be bound, joined, and weaved together. It means to be assured, confident, and secure in the love and care of God. It means to know that God will take care of us no matter the problem or circumstance. It means to be absolutely assured that God will allow nothing to swamp or defeat us.

This peace is the peace of Christ, and He alone possesses it. Therefore, a person can experience true peace only as he comes to know Christ. Only Christ can bring real peace to the human heart, the kind of peace that brings deliverance and the assurance of deliverance to the human soul.

You choose Peace.

You do not automatically experience the peace of Christ. You are supposed to, but you may not. This is a command, which means it demands obedience.

The word rule (brabeueto) means to be or to act as an umpire. Peace is to be the umpire, the deciding factor in all circumstances and situations of life.

The point is this: YOU must make a choice—the decision is yours whether you let the peace of Christ rule or not.

Scripture commands it, but you have to be willing to let the umpire of peace rule. You have to be willing to lay aside all the differences and circumstances—to be willing to give up differences and let Christ handle them through the rule of His peace.

Why?

You have one body.

We are not called to be in two bodies, but in one. Any believer who stands out there in another body is not a genuine believer. There is only one body of Christ, only one body of believers, only one church.

This means something significant: believers are to act as one. You are to live and behave as one body, as a body of people in union with each other.

How? By letting the peace of Christ rule in your hearts. Peace is to be the deciding factor, the umpire in all our relationships.

Respond with thankfulness.

When peace is ruling in your heart, and peace is ruling in this body, then you should always thank Christ for His peace …

• the peace He has brought to their own hearts personally

• the peace He has brought to all men who trust Him

• the peace He has brought within His body, the church

• the glorious privilege which all men have to know His peace

Secondly you to control yourself with

“the word of Christ dwell”

You are to have a heart rich with the Word of Christ. You are to let the Word of Christ dwell in your heart. Throughout Scripture this is the only time “the Word of God” is referred to as “the Word of Christ.”

The emphasis of Colossians is Christ; therefore, the Word of God becomes the Word of Christ in this great book. (See 2 Co. 2:17; 4:2; 1 Th. 1:8; 2:13; 4:15; 2 Th. 3:1.)

Again, Three significant points are made about the Word of Christ.

You choose the Word of Christ.

The Word of Christ does not naturally dwell within the believer’s heart.

The word dwell (enoikeito) means to be at home or to make a home; to abide or live within.

Again, dwell is imperative, the command.

You, as the believer must make room within your heart for the Word of Christ.

You must let the Word of Christ enter your heart and make a home within your heart.

You must let the Word of Christ dwell and abide in your heart.

You must clean out all the old furnishings of his heart and let the Word of Christ settle down as the permanent resident within his heart.

Note the word richly.

It is important, for the Word of Christ must be allowed to dwell richly within our hearts. You are not to be satisfied with just a meager visit by the Word of Christ. You are to let the Word of Christ dwell richly within Him. The Word of Christ must be allowed to furnish your heart with all the wealth of its commandments and promises, instructions and warnings.

Why?

You are to Teach and ADMONISH one another in all WISDOM.

This again is your task, the very reason God has not yet taken us home to heaven: we are to teach and admonish one another.

By teaching is meant the instruction of the Word and by admonition is meant the warning of Scripture.

But how can you teach and admonish others if you do not …

• know the Word of Christ?

• let the Word of Christ dwell in us?

The answer is obvious: you can’t.

And note another fact: it is not enough to know the Word of Christ. You must be living the Word of Christ.

Knowing the Word and not living it is hypocrisy.

Our very lives must be the home, the dwelling place for the Word of Christ. When people look at you, they must immediately see that your life is indwelt by the Word of Christ.

Something else should be pointed out as well because of the context of this letter.

We can teach and admonish others in forbearance and not in wisdom. Worldly philosophy and teachings about reality and truth, God and the universe are only the crude notions of men. The truth and wisdom of life are found in the Word of Christ and in the Word of Christ alone.

Respond With your Mouth

Here is the result of the Word of Christ dwelling in your heart and how to tell?:

Are we teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in our hearts to the Lord?

As we walk throughout the day are we …

• talking about Christ?

• sharing the Word of Christ with each other?

• teaching each other?

• admonishing and encouraging and warning each other?

• singing to ourselves and with others?

What a contrasting picture of how so many of us live!

You are to live and move and have your being in Christ, and you are to let Christ live and move and have His being in you.

For the believer, to live is Christ. You are to walk all day long talking about and sharing Christ, teaching and admonishing others in the Word of Christ, singing the psalms of Scripture, the hymns of the church, and the spiritual songs that arise out of a heart filled with the joy of the Lord and His Word.

When you clothe yourself properly and control yourself properly by by letting peace rule and the Word of Christ dwell, then you will naturally properly

Characterize Yourself

Colossians 3:17 (KJV 1900)

17 And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him.

Instead of acting and reacting to everything we come into contact with, you grab control of your actions.

You are the one who speaks and acts; no one speaks and acts for you.

Whether or not you speak and act for Christ is your choice.

The command is there: “do all in the name of the Lord Jesus,” but the choice as to what you talk about and do is yours. You and you alone are responsible for his words and deeds.

“do all”

As a believer, you are to do all in the name of the Lord Jesus.

What does this mean?

It simply means that as a believer, you know something:

You know the name of Christ is the only name that God accepts in His presence. Therefore, the only persons He accepts are those persons who come to Him in the name of Christ.

There is no other name given among men whereby men may be saved.

Therefore, you approach God “in the name of Jesus Christ,” that is, by surrendering your life to Christ and by living for Christ. This is the reason you do not dare speak or act outside the name of Christ. To do so would be evidence that you have not really approached God in Christ, that your profession was a false profession.

Again, what does it mean to do all in the name of the Lord Jesus?

It means …

• to live, move, and have our being in the name of Christ

• to trust and depend upon the name of Christ in all that we do

• to claim the name of Christ in all that we say and do

• to represent Christ in all that we say and do

Simply stated, you must do nothing that dishonors Christ.

Whenever you speak, Christ peppers and fills your conversation; and whenever you act, Christ is honored by our behavior.

You must always remember something: Christ hears every word and sees every deed.

If you love Him with all your hearts; then seek never to hurt or cause pain for Him by what you say or do. Seek diligently to bring only honor to His name.

“giving thanks”

God the Father has become your Father by Christ and only by Christ. Therefore, you are constantly be thanking God the Father.

But note: even in thanksgiving, you still approach God only by Christ. As important as thanking and praising God is, a person still has to approach God by Christ. God will accept no person apart from Christ, not even to offer thanksgiving and praise.

When people look at you, who do they see?

Do they recognize your heritage, a child of God?

Do they recognize your values, the heart and soul of Christ?

Do they see your tradition, holy and loved?