3.12-14

Scripture Reading: Colossians 3:12-17

Title: Putting on an Authentic Christian life - Colossians 3:12-17

Introduction:  We are a society that is in love with the name brand.  We eat at authentic restaurants.  We buy authentic clothes, we buy name brand tools, appliances, shoes, and on and on.  There is good reason for this we want quality items, some one who is willing to put their name to their products.  We are willing many times to buy something once for a little more and it last rather than buy the same thing three times because we wore it out.  Cheap imitations are useful only in a bind and often will not survive the occasion.  In a similar way Paul is calling us as believers to move beyond the cheap imitations of Christian living and develop quality authentic Christianity.  As a fake can be spotted miles away.

Central Idea: Believers have the strong responsibility to seek authentic Christianity in their lives.

Main Transition: This morning we pick up really where we left off a few weeks ago.  Then we were beginning a transition from the doctrines of the book the practical guidelines we as Christians should be following.  Paul has made bold assertions of who Christ is, this must move us to a response as Christians.  Therefore, today Paul instructs us to become godly not just in our thinking, but in our actions.  He has a list of six areas we need to be transformed in.  This morning we are going to look at the first three of those areas these are the ones that we must put on.  They begin with putting on a heart of mercy, we then must have a heart of forgiveness, and finally we have to put on a heart of love.

I.  Put on a heart of mercy (12)

            A.  To the follower of God

1.  Paul turns to the Christian now and instructs us to put all that has been taught doctrinally into practice.

2.  The way that we know who he is talking to is revealed in the way he words the first part of the verse.  We were chosen, Christian, you are called by God, you were chosen by God, the word is an adjective which refers to your position before God.

3.  Paul is no longer concerned about the heresy in as much as he is concerned about the individual believer.

4.  It is also important to understand that it is God who makes authentic Christians, He called you, He chose you, your responsibility is to allow Him to complete that work in you.

            B.  Your standing before God

1.  Holy – There can be no mistaken who is being referred to in this passage, those that are believers in Christ, not the ones that act like it, not the ones who follow the crowd to see what is going on, but the ones that have actually taken the step of believing that Jesus is the Christ the Son of God who died for your sins and rose again from the grave.

a.  Those who have believed are holy, set apart and separated from this world of sin.

b.  You who believe are called to this high calling.

2.  Beloved – This means that not only are you holy before God, but you are loved by God.

            C. Put on compassion

1.      The word “put on” means to put on like a garment, this is your attitude and actions that you wear.

Illustration:  There is no doubt that what you wear affects your attitude.  Take for instance what you are wearing now, it is an indication of what your emotions and your cares are.  Now when you go home, you change in sweats and a t-shirt your attitude has changed, your relaxed.

2.      Paul’s instruction here is to be clothed with Compassion, your every move is dictated by your mercy for others, your kindness to them, your patience with them.  While you are putting on these garments, put on humility and gentleness.

3.  This is not an easy set of clothes to wear, but the process of producing authentic name brand items does not skimp on quality, we must humbly wear the garments of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, patience.   

Transition:  A group has been called out this morning.  Those that are true followers of Christ sit up and take notice, you must live out your high calling.  Put on these clothes of righteousness and live out the authentic Christian life.  The difference between the clothes you put on this morning and this is that in a couple of hours you will have changed into something more comfortable, the garments from this passage never need to be removed, never need to be mended or cleaned, they should be worn in your attitude and your actions.  But since we are already in the spiritual closet we have more garments to try on.

II.  Put on a heart of forgiveness (13)

            A.  Put on forgiveness

1.  Once we have put on the garments of Authentic Christianity it is lived out in our actions.  The first of those is that we hold others up.  To bear with one another does not mean that we put up with each other, but instead that we lift each other we encourage we strengthen and we pray for each other.

2.  That means that we also must forgive, or pardon, we must be gracious in restoring our relationships.

3.  This is not to be done just individually but also should be done as a body of Christ, if you are hold up your fellow brother or sister in Christ you must also help to be reconciliation, and encourage forgiveness.

            B.  A select group to forgive

1.  Now there is a very select group of people that we should work to forgive, you may be surprised by the thought of this passage.

2.  Let me read it the straight definition for you, anyone, any man, any thing, any.  In other words we are to forgive everyone.

3.  We are to be working together that we each have a heart of forgiveness.  Restoration of relationships, especially those in the church should be constantly worked on. 

4.  To forgive doesn’t mean that we go back to the way things were before, we are not called to forget, but to pardon, careful to not make the same mistakes twice, this is a continuing and never ending process for the body of Christ to be working on. 

            C.  The example to follow

1.      Just as Christ forgave us, What a challenge,

a.       Paul uses the same word for the forgiveness of Christ as he used for our forgiveness of each other.

b.      Jesus did not hold a grudge, nor did He allow only partial forgiveness, He forgave completely to all who would accept it.

2.  Christ is the example and the testimony that we should follow as Christians, we can stop when we reach the point of forgiveness that Christ did.  The reality is that we will never reach that point, this will be a constant struggle for us and we must be working on it individually and together.

Transition:  Forgiveness is a hard coat to wear.  As authentic Christians we should be bold in our willingness to stand up for each other in order to help bring about forgiveness.  Paul is not being quaint or flippant about or need of forgiveness, if we do not forgive our bitterness will be worn instead of our authentic Christianity.  If we don’t forgive it becomes a cancer that will eat away at the church until it is removed.  As Christians we have a heavy load to bear already this morning, but the passage continues with another layer of garments.

III. Put on a heart of love (14)

            A.  A foundational action to follow

                        1.  The foundation and foremost action of authentic Christianity is love.

2.  Love is what provides the belt that holds the garments of the authentic Christian together.

3.  We must understand that the rest of the clothes of Christianity are legalism without the aspect of Christian love.  

            B.  Authentic Christian love

1.  The word for love here is agape which refers to a fondness a dear love of each other free from encumbrances.  It means more than a brotherly love like phileo.  It is the way that we are loved by God. 

2.      It is this kind of love that unifies the church. 

3.      really verses 12-13 can be summed up by Romans 13:10

4.      This kind of Biblical love for each other provides the perfection of the new man that we studied at the first part of chapter 3. 

5.      All of the aspects studied in verse 12-13 are essential to authentic Christianity but they are worthless unless they are done out of a genuine love for the people of God. 

C.     The purpose of Christian love.

1.      We touched on this a moment ago love is what provides the glue for that produces unity in the church.

2.      All of the proofs of authentic Christianity are meaningless without love. 

John MacArthur says:  Believers will never enjoy mutual fellowship through compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, or patience; they will not bear with each other or forgive each other unless they love one another.

Conclusion:  Paul has called us out this morning.  I am sure that as you read through these three verses and the three that we read for Scripture reading this morning that you will find areas that you must work on.  We are to put on the layers of authentic Christianity.  Failure to do so will cause us to remain weak believers.  Of course if you have never trusted in Christ as Savior you must realize that there is something that you must work out with the Lord.  It is time to stop being a fake and trust in Christ as the Savior of your sins.  It should be wonderful encouraging for us to consider a church body that characterizes the garments of authentic Christianity.  The place to start is individually.  Are you clothed in compassion, humility, gentleness, patience, and kindness?  Do you help bear one another.  Are you forgiving each other?  An mostly are you doing so not because you think you should in order to be a “good” Christian, but because you genuinely love your fellow believer?  If you are doing it to be a “good” Christian you have the wrong motive, the wrong belt holding your garments together, and soon you will be found out as a fake, we must be believers willing to go through the pressures that create authentic Christianity.