I Know it's a lot, but it's worth reading‼
Colossians 3:12-13. Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering:
This is what you have got to wear, even on the outside—to put it on; not to have a latent kindness in your heart and a degree of humbleness deep down in your soul if you could get at it; but you are to put it on. It is to be the very dress you wear. These are the sacred vestments of your daily priesthood. Put them on.
Be ready to feel for others; be very considerate of their needs. Look at others as if they were your kith and kin; if you and they are in Christ, they are indeed your kin, so put on kinned-ness, or "kindness,' —
(Humbleness) Do not try to be a big man. He who thinks himself big has not yet learnt the true spirit of Christianity. Especially towards those who are sorrowful and sad, be pitiful, be kind, be humble.
(Meekness) If others try to provoke you, do not be provoked by them; but be gentle and meek.
(Longsuffering) Continue to put up with others, remembering the Lord's longsuffering with you.
Just as readily, just as freely, just as heartily, just as completely.
Hear this, beloved, I pray you; especially those of you who have hot tempers, and have fallen out with one another. "Let not the sun go down upon your wrath." Remember how much Christ has forgiven you, and show a forbearing and forgiving spirit to others.
Colossians 3:14–15. And above all these things put on charity, which is the bond of perfectness. And let the peace of God rule in your hearts.
For that is the great foundation of every godly fruit. We are in such a hurry, in such dreadful haste, so selfish, so discontented, so impetuous, and the major part of our sins spring from that condition of mind. But if we were godly, restful, peaceful, how many sins we should avoid! "Let the peace of God rule in your hearts."
The perfect bond, the girdle that goes round, and keeps every other garment of virtue in its place.
Colossians 3:15. To the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful.
It looks like a very small virtue to be thankful. Yet, dear friends, the absence of it is one of the grossest of vices. To be ungrateful is a mean thing; to be ungrateful to God is a base thing. And yet how many may accuse themselves of it! Who among us is as grateful as he should be? Be thankful.
That is a nice little text, "Be ye thankful." When you are grumbling at your plain food, put this as a sandwich between your bread and butter, "Be ye thankful." When you are complaining of the East wind, just try if you cannot spell this little sentence, "Be ye thankful." When you are murmuring about those sharp pains and that long sickness, this is the kind of tune for the little bird to whistle at your window, "Be ye thankful." We have all much for which we ought to be thankful, however sad we may think our lot to be. Look on the bright side, rejoice in God: "Be ye thankful."
Do not fall out with one another. You are called to peace, for you are cared in one body. Does one hand in the body fight with the other hand? Does the foot contend with the eye? Of course not, for they are in one body. So are you in one body with all your fellow-Christians, therefore lay aside all strife. I deeply deplore when I see Christians — and especially eminent Christians — contending with one another about minor matters of small account. Surely, almost anything ought to be borne before there should be public strife among members of the one body. God grant that such a state of things may speedily come to an end wherever it has existed! We have enough to do to "earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints," without contending for our own dignity or honor.
Colossians 3:16. Let the word of Christ dwell in you.
Alexander had a casket of gold studded with gems to carry Homer's works. Let your own heart be a casket for the command of Christ. "Let the word of Christ dwell in you."
Colossians 3:16–18. 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. 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. Wives submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as it is fit in the Lord.
See how our being Christians does not relax the bonds of our Christian relationship, but it calls us to the higher exercise of the responsibilities and duties connected therewith.
Do not draw any line of demarcation, and say, "So far is secular, and so far is religious." Let your whole life be religious; and if there is anything proposed to you, in which you cannot glorify God, do not touch it,. "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."
If any of you go to the theater, can you go there in the name of the Lord Jesus? Why, you would not dare to cross the threshold with such blasphemy in your soul! And when you go to any place of doubtful amusement, can you go there giving thanks to God and the Father by Jesus Christ? Can you thank the Lord that you are permitted to go, and pray for divine blessing when you go, and when you come away? A lady once said to a Christian minister, "The pleasures of going to the play are very great; there is the pleasure of thinking of it beforehand, the enjoyment of it at the time, and then the pleasure of thinking of it afterwards." "Yes, madam," said the good man, "and there is one other pleasure which you seem to have forgotten, that is the pleasure of thinking of it on your dying bed; I would like you to remember that." Let me read this verse again: "Whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus." If you cannot do it in the name of the Lord Jesus, do not do it at all if you are a Christian; and even if you are not a Christian, you will be accountable to God, by-and-by, for all that you do.
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