Colossians 3:12 "Since God chose you to be the holy
people he loves, you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness,
humility, gentleness, and patience."
To understand the garments of holiness listed in Colossians
3:12 we first need to have an understanding of what is meant by “holy people.”
Holiness
The Encyclopedia of The Bible says, “The holiness of God is
expressed not only in His own mighty acts both of judgment and of mercy, but is
also reflected in the holiness of His people.”
The Dictionary of Bible Themes says, “Believers are holy, in
that they are called to be set apart from the world as God’s own people.”
A Christian’s holiness is both positional and actual.
Positional: Paul calls believers “saints” because we are
born again. (1 Corinthians 1:2 “I am writing to God’s church in Corinth, to you
who have been called by God to be his own holy people. He made you holy by
means of Christ Jesus, just as he did for all people everywhere who call on the
name of our Lord Jesus Christ, their Lord and ours.”)
Actual: Paul exhorts the church in Corinth to work on
cleansing themselves. We are encouraged to work on holy living as God works
holiness in our lives.
2 Corinthians 7:1 “Because we have these promises, dear
friends, let us cleanse ourselves from everything that can defile our body or
spirit. And let us work toward complete holiness because we fear God.”
1 Thessalonians 5:23 “Now may the God of peace make you holy
in every way, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless
until our Lord Jesus Christ comes again.”
Holiness means our being set apart from the world. One way the world will know we are followers
of Christ is by how we treat others. A
large part of holiness involves our behavior toward others, both believers and non-believers.
Colossians 3:12 tells us to “clothe ourselves” with tenderhearted
mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. These garments are relational garments. They
demonstrate our holiness in our relationships with those around us.
Mercy
Easton's Bible Dictionary defines mercy as compassion for
the miserable.
The Dictionary of Bible Themes defines compassion as an
attitude of care and concern, grounded in pity and sympathy towards others.
Christian compassion towards others should reflect the compassion of God for
his people.
One way we practice holiness in our relationships is by
demonstrating mercy for those in need.
Peter writes in 1 Peter 3:8 “Finally, all of you should be of one mind.
Sympathize with each other. Love each other as brothers and sisters. Be
tenderhearted, and keep a humble attitude.”
Matthew tells us, “And if you give even a cup of cold water
to one of the least of my followers, you will surely be rewarded.” (Matthew
10:42)
Acts 20:35 “And I have been a constant example of how you
can help those in need by working hard. You should remember the words of the
Lord Jesus: ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’”
The Word tell us to show mercy/compassion to the following:
1.
To the oppressed and needy (Job 29:12-17; Job
30:25; Pr 14:31; Lk 10:33-35; Ac 28:2)
2.
To the bereaved (Ge 37:35; Ru 2:1-20; 2Sa
10:1-2; 1Ch 7:22; Jn 11:19)
3.
To children (Ex 2:6; 1Ki 3:26; Isa 49:15)
4.
To prisoners (2Ch 28:15; 2Ch 30:9; Ac 16:33-34;
Heb 13:3)
5.
To forgiven sinners (2Co 2:7-8; Gal 6:1)
6.
To the sick (Job 2:11-13; Ps 35:13)
7.
To the solitary (Ecc 4:10-11)
8.
To widows and orphans (Zec 7:9-10; Jas 1:27)
9. To Jerusalem (Ps 102:14)
Kindness
The Dictionary of Bible Themes defines kindness as: The
quality of compassion and generosity, characteristic of God’s dealings towards
the weak and poor, and demanded of believers. This kindness is also shown in
the words and deeds of Jesus Christ.
Proverbs 11:16-17 “A gracious woman gains respect, but
ruthless men gain only wealth. Your kindness will reward you, but your cruelty
will destroy you.”
Proverbs 12:25 (NIV) “Anxiety weighs down the heart, but a
kind word cheers it up.”
Ephesians 4:32 “Instead, be kind to each other,
tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven
you.”
1 Corinthians 13:4 “Love is patient and kind. Love is not
jealous or boastful or proud.”
2 Corinthians 6:6 “We prove ourselves by our purity, our
understanding, our patience, our kindness, by the Holy Spirit within us, and by
our sincere love.”
We must learn to be kind in the face of unkindness and not
repay evil for evil. 1 Peter 3:9 “Don’t
repay evil for evil. Don’t retaliate with insults when people insult you.
Instead, pay them back with a blessing. That is what God has called you to do,
and he will grant you his blessing.” We need to put on the garment of kindness
every day. When we do, kindness will be
demonstrated toward everyone we meet.
Humility
The Dictionary of Bible Themes defines humility as: An
attitude of lowliness and obedience, grounded in the recognition of one’s
status before God as his creatures.
Webster’s Dictionary defines humility as: the quality or
state of not thinking you are better than other people.
Humility does not mean being a “whipping boy” for others, it
means not seeing anyone as above us or anyone as below us, but seeing everyone
on level ground at the foot of the cross.
For instance, if we say, “I’m not the most holy person,”
then we are saying that we think there are others who are holier than us. This must also mean that there are Christians
who are less holy than us. In reality we
are all equally holy. When we compare
ourselves to the true measure, Christ, we all fall so far short that to compare
ourselves to each other is futile. The Word
tells us that “ALL have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.” (Romans
3:23) It also says, “There is no one righteous, no not one.” (Romans 3:10) We are all in the process of being sanctified
as we choose holy living daily.
Gentleness
The Dictionary of Bible Themes defines gentleness as: An
expression of compassion, seen in God’s dealings with the frail and weak, and
expected of believers in their dealings with others.
Webster’s Dictionary defines gentleness as: the quality or
state of being gentle; especially :
mildness of manners or disposition.
We see in the Word that God sees gentleness as strength.
Proverbs 15:1 “A gentle answer deflects anger, but harsh
words make tempers flare.”
James 3:17 “But the wisdom from above is first of all pure.
It is also peace loving, gentle at all times, and willing to yield to others.
It is full of mercy and the fruit of good deeds. It shows no favoritism and is
always sincere.”
1 Peter 3:3-4 “Don’t be concerned about the outward beauty
of fancy hairstyles, expensive jewelry, or beautiful clothes. You should clothe
yourselves instead with the beauty that comes from within, the unfading beauty
of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is so precious to God.”
Ephesians 4:1-2 “Therefore I, a prisoner for serving the
Lord, beg you to lead a life worthy of your calling, for you have been called
by God. Always be humble and gentle. Be patient with each other, making
allowance for each other’s faults because of your love.”
Patience
The Dictionary of Bible Themes defines patience as: The
quality of forbearance and self-control which shows itself particularly in a
willingness to wait upon God and his will. Believers are called upon to be
patient in their expectations of God’s actions, and in their relationships with
one another.
Webster’s Dictionary defines patience as: able to remain
calm and not become annoyed when waiting for a long time or when dealing with
problems or difficult people.
Isaiah 40:31 “But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew
their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and
not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.”
Ephesians 4:1-2 “Therefore I, a prisoner for serving the
Lord, beg you to lead a life worthy of your calling, for you have been called
by God. Always be humble and gentle. Be patient with each other, making
allowance for each other’s faults because of your love.”
Colossians 3:13 “Make allowance for each other’s faults (be
patient with each other), and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the
Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others.”
1 Thessalonians 5:14 “Brothers and sisters, we urge you to
warn those who are lazy. Encourage those who are timid. Take tender care of
those who are weak. Be patient with everyone.”
Holiness means our being set apart from the world. In this world we don’t see mercy, kindness,
humility, gentleness, and patience often.
We live in a world that says look out for yourself and don’t worry about
anyone else. Abortion, child abuse, drug
and alcohol addiction, murders, human trafficking, theft, etc. are examples of
this mindset. When we value ourselves
more than others then we are devaluing everyone else.
We, who have known God’s mercy, kindness, humility,
gentleness, and patience, must wear these same garments in our dealings with
others. When we put on the garments of holiness we will not look like the
world. We will stand out as different and
that difference will speak of God’s grace and mercy. Only then will we be able to minister to
those who need Christ. If we don’t look
different than the world, why would anyone want to be a Christian?
Let us change our garments today in order live out holiness and
by our example win some to our Savior!
All Scripture is NLT unless otherwise stated.
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