Colossians 3:12-14 NKJV
“12Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering; 13bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do. 14But above all these things put on love, which is the bond of perfection.”
The Old Self and New Self
The apostle Paul had just finished teaching on how we, who
profess faith in Jesus Christ, are to set our minds on things above, not on
things on the earth. We are to put to death all spiritual and moral uncleanness
in our lives, i.e. all evil desire, all wickedness, all disobedience to God,
all idolatry, and all wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy language, and lying,
etc. For, if our faith is genuine, we should have put off the deeds of the
flesh, and we should now be walking in obedience to our Lord. And then he gave
a warning that the wrath of God is coming upon the sons and daughters of
disobedience to God.
All throughout the New Testament writings we are given
instructions as to what we should put off (out of our lives) and what we should
put on (in place of what we put off), by faith in Jesus Christ, in the power of
God. So here we have a list of what we are to put on in place of what we should
have first put off. So I am going to be going through this list and talk about
what these things are that we are to be putting on, and what that should look
like in how we live on a day to day basis. Now this is not teaching absolute
sinless perfection, but sin should no longer be our habit, our go to by habit.
Put Offs and Put
Ons: [Matthew 5:27-30; Matthew 7:21-23; Luke 9:23-26; Romans 1:18-32; Romans
6:1-23; Romans 8:1-14; 1 Corinthians 6:9-10; Galatians 5:16-24; Ephesians
4:17-32; Ephesians 5:3-6; Colossians 3:1-17; 1 Timothy 4:7; 1 Thessalonians
4:1-8; Titus 2:11-14; Hebrews 12:1-17; 1 Peter 1:14; 1 Peter 2:24; 1 John
1:5-10; 1 John 2:3-6; 1 John 3:4-10]
Our New Character
As the elect
(chosen) of God, holy (unlike the world of sin because we are being molded into
the likeness of Christ by God, in full cooperation with God), as the beloved of
God, there are things (qualities, actions, behaviors) we are to be putting on
and into practice in our daily lives, in the power of God, by the grace of God.
And first is listed for us that we should put on “tender mercies, kindness,
humility, meekness, longsuffering; bearing with one another, and forgiving one
another.” “But above all put on love.”
Now, there are many
ways in which these may get realized and interpreted, depending upon how
someone defines each of these character traits and how they believe they should
be applied to our everyday lives. For these can get interpreted in opposite
directions. For many people in the institutional “churches” of our day and time
are redefining what these mean. And they are giving the impression that to show
mercy and kindness, et al, is to go soft on sin, and to not call people to
repentance and obedience to God.
But Jesus, who was
all these things and so much more, allowed himself to be put to death on a
cross that he might put our sins to death with him, and then to rise from the
dead, but in order that by faith in him we will now deny self, die to sin, and
obey God, in practice. That was mercy. That was grace. That was kindness,
humility, meekness and forgiving one another, et all, and it was definitely
love in action. He insisted on repentance. He insisted on obedience to his
commands, or else we would not have eternal life in him.
So, one of the most
loving, kind, humble, meek, and merciful things we can do for others is to tell
them the truth of the gospel that Jesus taught, and that his New Testament
apostles taught, and to never pamper people in their sin by giving them the
impression that God will never judge them for their sins. For speaking
half-truths deliberately to pacify human flesh is never kind, and it is not
merciful, and it is not loving. We can be super nice to people so they will
like us, but we curse them to hell if we lie to them.
And willfully and
knowingly withholding truth that is necessary and critical for all people to
hear is a form of lying to people, too. It may feel like kindness, but it is
not kind if we give people the impression that they do not have to repent of
(turn away from) their sins, and that they do not have to obey God, or that
those things are optional and not required of God. For God’s grace, which is
bringing us salvation, is training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly
passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives while we wait
for our Lord’s return for his faithful bride.
[Matthew 7:13-14,21-23; Luke 9:23-26; John 10:27-30; Acts
26:18; Romans 1:18-32; Romans 2:5-10; Romans 3:23; Romans 6:1-23; Romans
8:1-14; Romans 12:1-2; 1 Corinthians 6:9-10,19-20; 1
Corinthians 10:1-22; 2 Corinthians 5:10,15,21; Galatians
5:16-24; Ephesians 2:8-10; Ephesians 4:17-32; Ephesians 5:3-6; Titus 2:11-14;
Hebrews 3:1-19; Hebrews 4:1-13; Hebrews 10:19-39; Hebrews 12:1-2; 1 Peter 2:24;
1 John 1:1-10; 1 John 2:1-6; 1 John 3:4-10; Revelation 2:1-29; Revelation
3:1-22]
A Still Small Voice
An Original Work /
May 23, 2011
Christ’s Free Servant, Sue J Love
In a still small
voice He calls you.
Won’t you hear and
let him in?
He’s still speaking,
oh, how gently.
He died to save you
from sin.
Softly He speaks to
our hearts.
His mercy and love
imparts.
Won’t you come to
Him today?
Let Him wash your
sins away.
In a still small
voice He whispers,
Kindly, calling you
to Him.
He loves you so
much, He’s willing
You not die, but
live with Him.
He keeps prodding,
gently so,
For His grace, you
come to know.
He died so that
you’d go free;
Live with Him
eternally.
In a still small
voice He hastens
You to turn your
lives to Him,
Humbly walking in
obedience,
Making Him your Lord
and King!
Turn from your sin,
turn to God,
Put your trust in
Christ, His Son.
Invite Him into your
hearts.
He’ll give you a
brand new start.
Put On Tender
Mercies
An Original Work / June 27, 2026
Christ’s Free Servant, Sue J Love
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