The Christian’s Dress Code

Last week, I had to end in cut the text in half. Verses 1-17 are one unit with three main points. we read of the first two parts of this passage that instructed us to look to Christ. Then to put off the Old Deeds of the flesh, and to put your sin to death, and this week we will look at the remainder of that passage that teaches us what we ought to put on in place of the deeds that we put off.

And I would encourage you when you go home today to look at the list of sins that we are told to put off in verses 1-11, and the deeds we are told to put on in 12-17 and ask yourself - truly and honestly… what do I, by the grace of God, need to put off? and what do I, by the grace of God, need to put on?

This is for the Christian, the one who has been given salvation by grace through faith in Jesus, this is not about earning salvation by works.

If you are in Christ have a new identity, and with that new identity you have a new dress code. In the same sense that when you go to the hospital you might expect to see your physician in scrubs or a white coat, with a stethoscope. So should one expect to see the Christian dressed in the following.

Job Title

As our text for today starts, it begins with an appeal to status. Put on then, as God’s chosen one, so again this isn’t about earning anything from God.

The Bible never gives the impression that our actions earn us salvation - but rather here the instruction is that for those who have been chosen by God, those who believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, they are expected to put on these attitudes.

This status of being chosen by God is in response to the previous statement in verse 11, no longer are you to be considered as a Greek, or Jew, or circumcised or uncircumcised, or Scythian or slave, or free. But you are in Christ, and you have been chosen by God.

Holy and beloved. You are not defined by the sins of your past your are defined by what God has called you.

God’s Chosen ones…

Holy and Beloved… Those who have been chosen by God are holy and beloved. This

Dress Code

Put on… so much like the elements of a good outfit are well coordinated… specifically when you’re really trying to look your best… your shirt and your pants match, or your coat, pants, vest and tie all work together. Or for women - Idk your jewelry matches, maybe your earrings, necklace and bracelet go together, or your shoes and your dress match - in the same sense these attitudes that we are told to put on all coordinate. They all work well together, and many of them build on each other in the same sense that the elements of a nice suit or outfit coordinate.

Many of the characteristics that we have listed here in this text are familiar. However, many of them have also been culturally replaced by a counterfeit. Empathy rather than compassion. Niceness rather than Kindness. Weakness or passivity rather than meekness.

1. Compassionate hearts

Compassion means to suffer with someone. Sympathy is the same word from a different root language. We see this in verses like mourn with those who mourn. We have a problem in 2026, where many people attempt to force empathy rather than sympathy. In many cases, empathy and sympathy are used synonymously - and that can be fine. But in other cases, some will say that compassion and sympathy - feeling for someone - isn’t enough.

However, in many other instances empathy is weaponized. Specifically, in identity politics. I just recently finished a book called Leadership and the Sin of Empathy that touches on this issue. Specifically, the author condemns not all empathy but instead untethered and manipulative empathy. In many cases, empathy is actually emotionally charged weaponized pity used to justify what God has called sin.

This is a big cultural issue right now. Specifically, when Charlie Kirk was killed there were many different responses. But two demonstrate this well. One group was shocked, and angry. And another group laughed. The group who laughed would make a comment like “he had it coming for his comments on x-issue.” And then they might follow up with “Why should I feel empathetic, when he said he didn’t believe in empathy?” He actually said he doesn’t think empathy exists and that sympathy and compassion are better alternatives.

Part of the issue with empathy is that everyone is using a different definition. Empathy literally means to suffering in… in short, rather than handing someone a rope to get them out of the quick sand, you jump in the quick sand with them.

The Bible does not speak of empathy - one translation - uses empathy in one instance.

To be compassionate, does not mean that you need to completely understand what someone else is going through.

Do you care about others?

2. Kindness

Paul also links kindness and compassion in Ephesians 4:32

Ephesians 4:32 ESV

32 Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.

And Ephesians 4 is a very similar passage to Colossians 3 as they both deal with putting off the deeds of the flesh and putting on Christ.

Kind and nice are not the same thing. You can be kind and tell people harsh true, you cannot be nice and tell someone harsh true. It is kind to warn someone of the the coming wrath of God, and the eternity of hell for those who are outside of Christ. You cannot be nice and do that.

Our culture wants us to be nice and empathetic. The Scriptures call us to be kind and compassionate.

Jesus wasn’t always nice, nor was he always empathetic. It is neither nice nor empathetic to make a whip and chase animals out of the temple, and flip the money changers tables. A nice and empathy looks at that scenario and says “what about the families of the money changes who didn’t get to eat that night?”

Where as a kind and compassionate person looks at that and acknowledge that Jesus did what was best for everyone by not allowing the temple of God to continue to be run like a marketplace.

Jesus was not always nice. Jesus didn’t show to the pharisees who were deceiving others. Jesus was not nice to Peter when he rebuked him saying “Get behind me, Satan.” But the rebuke was bold, and kind to do so immediately.

Let the dead bury their own is neither nice nor empathetic. But the value that it does for the soul of that individual is both kind and compassionate.

Sometimes empathy and niceness are appropriate for the situation - but kindness and compassion are to be part of the basic wardrobe of the Christian.

But Jesus was always kind and he was always compassionate.

3. Humility

Even humility has often be substituted for self depreciation. True humility is not think less of yourself, but rather thinking of your self less. Humility isn’t telling others “Oh, I’m not that great.” when they compliment you - or saying “It was nothing” . But rather acknowledging God’s grace in equipping you to do what you can. Or accepting the compliment and celebrating those who helped you.

4. Meekness

Meekness not weakness. Gentleness not passivity.

One definition that I continued to find concerning meekness is that it is strength under control. David demonstrated meekness when he chose to spare Saul’s life even though he had the opportunity. Jesus demonstrates meekness during his arrest. Though Peter slices a soldiers ear off, Jesus humbly and meekly, heals that soldiers ear. And then in the coming moments where he stood trial with unjust accusers and he does not lash out, he opens not his mouth. Meekness is Jesus on the cross having the power to call down angels to save him from the cross and yet willingly laying his life down to save sinners.

The next two attitudes to put on are closely connected. Patience - which is some cases is translated as long suffering, others use forbearance. And bearing with one another. Two attitudes that are like the necklace and earring set, or matching cufflinks and tie clip.

If you are patient you should be able to bear with others.

Though there is a condition upon bearing with others, and that condition is in the instances when they wrong you. And if you have a complaint against someone you ought to be able to forgive them.

7. forgiving one another

    2. We are called to forgive one another as Christ has forgiven us.

    3. The Christian community ought to be the most forgiving community on earth. We forgive much because we have been forgiven much.

    4. This is why I think Christians should eliminate “it’s okay” from our vocabulary when we mean to say, "I forgive you.” To say, it’s okay, communicates that there was never anything wrong. To say I forgive you is to admit you indeed did something wrong and hurt me - but I have determined that in the midst of your wrong doing I will wipe that away. Forgiveness admits that there was a wrong but instead of holding a grudge I will show you grace.

    5. How we forgive others demonstrates, how we understand the forgiveness we have received. If you never forgive anyone, and can hold a grudge like no other - you may have an issue with God and not with people.

If you truly understand your sin, and you understand that the forgiveness that you have been given cost Jesus his life - and was given to you not because you earned it or because you had done anything but because God loved you - then you ought to be willing to forgive great offenses against you as well.

Paul closes out his conversation of put off and put on by demonstrating that most important thing to put on love. He cites love as that which binds everything together. This is the final piece of the outfit that pulls it all together, and holds it all together.

Paul in 1 Cor. 13 when speaking of Spiritual gifts states that one can do great works of miraculous nature but without love they are in vain. Jesus told his disciples that the world will know that they are his by their love for one another. The Christian community should be the most loving community that someone can find - and contrary to what the world believes calling out sin - pointing out the things that should be put to death in the life of a Christian is extremely loving. 

These characteristics that Paul list are the dress code for the Christian.

When people see you do they expect you to be dressed with these characteristics as you expect your doctor to come in to your appointment with a white coat and a stethoscope?

So to step into application for this part of the text, how are you dressed? What are you wearing?

Consider the first part of our job the, the dress code.

Are you dressed in:

Compassionate Hearts

Kindness

humility

meekness

patience

forbearance

forgiveness

love

Paul makes a similar statement in Romans 13:14

Romans 13:14 ESV

14 But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires.

To use this verse in Romans to summarize our text here in Colossians, leaves us with the question: Are you putting on Christ?

Job Responsibilities

If the previous sections of our text have given us the job title and the responsibility then these final three verses give us the job responsibilities. And three times in these last three verses Paul tells us to be thankful or grateful. Greed and selfishness are to be put away that we may abound in thanksgiving.

In addition to that in verses 15 and 16, Paul makes two similar statements:

Colossians 3:15–16 ESV

15 And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. 16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God.

Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts.

Does the peace of Christ - bring comfort and rest to you when life is chaotic?

I’ve been on a Rich Mullins kick recently and while most people know him for “Awesome God” - he has a song called “Hold Me Jesus”. Which has this line in it “You have been king of my glory, wont you be my prince of peace?”

In the moments of terror, fear, confusion, discomfort, disorder, war, whatever… do you look to Jesus as you prince of peace to bring order to chaos?

Let Christ, the King of Glory, the Prince of Peace, bring peace to your heart when nothing else in the world can.

Let the peace of Christ, bring peace into the church body. There’s just one body - the church - and the peace of Christ ought to rule that in our dealings and interactions with one another.

Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly.

We have a book. The word of God - the Word that points us entirely to Christ - should dwell in us.

Our church should be centered on the Word of Christ, never a preacher or pastor’s opinion, or the spirit of the age, or the trending topics on google, or the hot headlines of the month. While the Bible speaks into those things - the Word of Christ should be what dwells in us.

That it might teach and admonish us. THat it might fill us with all wisdom.

And it should drive the very songs that we as a community sing. The Psalms, the hymns, the spiritual songs.

The Psalms are the songbook of the Old Testament. In many cases, they are the backbone of the songs that we do sing. One example of that is the song we began our service this morning, 10,000 Reasons, it is based upon Psalm 103.

The Psalms communicate to us who God is. His attributes are clearly on display in the songs that the people of Israel. We see the Psalms speak to us of Jesus long before his birth. The Psalms are beautiful songs inspired by God to aid his people. 

Even in the Sing Hymnals that we have a few of, and have begun to use, there are musical arrangement of Psalms from entry 502 to 589 that in coming months I hope to introduce more of those.

READ Entry 502, 503, 504, 505 from Sing! Hymnal

Psalms 120-134 are the Songs of Ascent. These were songs that were song by the people of Israel as they traveled into Jerusalem for Passover, Pentecost and the Feast of Tabernacles. So as they were traveling they would sing songs like Psalm 121 “My eyes look to the hills, where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the maker of heaven and earth.”

Or Psalm 122 “I rejoiced with those who said to me let us go to the house of the Lord.” As they are on their way to them temple they are singing of the great joy that it is to be gathered with the people of God, to worship the Lord.

Or Psalm 130 “Out of the depths, I cried to you, let your ears ring with my pleas for mercy.” A psalm that speaks of our soul waiting on the Lord. Every emotion that we find in life is met in the book of Psalms.

With this, I encourage you to learn the Psalms. Sing them in your home. There are many modern artists that have put Psalms to music and can easily be found on YouTube or Spotify, or CD (or whatever)… Shane and Shane have put out a series of albums of Psalms.

Hymns and Spiritual songs - we should sing songs that teach us about the Lord. That’s what Paul is telling us here - use songs to teach and admonish one another. Our songs should be a representation of the word of Christ dwelling in us. 

We should fill out homes with the songs of the Lord.

Much of these text is caught up with the idea of Christian maturity. The concept of Christian maturity is defined not by being able to answer all of the Bible trivia questions that come up on Jeopardy but rather Christian maturity is hearing the word and doing what it says. And this is governed by the final charge that Paul gives in this text:

Colossians 3:17 ESV

17 And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

If that is your goal, that everything in word or deed, is done it is to glorify the Lord Jesus Christ. Is that is our focus then all the rest of these attitudes will fall in line. If everything you do is in the name of the the Lord Jesus, and done for his glory, and with thanksgiving - then you will put on Christ.

Application:

How does the title “Chosen ones of God, holy and beloved” shape how you think of yourself and other Christians?

Are you putting on Christ?

What does it look like for you to do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus?