Colossians 3:12-14 (New American Standard Bible)

My son and I began memorizing Colossians 3:12-17 today.  This passage has been heavy on my heart  for several weeks now as my church family struggles to find unity among its members.  It struck me today how foreign these Christian characteristics are to us --- compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, patience, forgiveness, and love.  They are so foreign that we must put them on as we put on our clothing. 

Clothing is put on to cover up nakedness, which became shameful at the fall of Adam.  Animals had to be killed in order to make the clothing that covered up Adam and Eve's shame.  Just so, Christ had to die and be raised in order for us to "put on His righteousness" and cover our shame, which is our wicked natural hearts.  Praise be to God for the obedience of Christ and for the sufficiency of His sacrifice on our behalf that we may be covered by Him and in Him.

So, the compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, patience, forgiveness and love spoken of in Colossians 3 must be put on.  The sinfulness of our natural man must be covered up with the white robe of Christ's righteousness.  Jesus must dress us, clothe us, cover us.  Unity only comes when natural man is covered up in Christ!  As long as selfishness, deceit, unforgiveness, anger, strife, dissensions, malice, envy, jealousy, and the like are showing - there will be continual disharmony and disunity.  

"So, as those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved", we still have plenty of undesirable natural traits that are shameful and need covering.  By the power, mercy, and grace of God and through the instruction of His Word, we must "put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience."  We must be forgiving toward one another as God has been toward us.  Then, above and beyond that, we must "put on love, which is the perfect bond of unity". 

We are unified in Christ's love for us as His people.  We are unified in the fact that we are shameful at our core and must put on love (or have it put on us) from outside of ourselves - from God Himself.  We are unified in God's Word and in obedience when our hearts, by his grace, are yielded to His commands.  And, we are unified in the Holy Spirit who dwells within us and gives us the desire to dwell in unity with one another.

May we as the family of God be steeped in His Word, be thankful for His sacrifice, be clothed in His righteousness, and be ever shining forth the love that brings forth blessed unity for His great Name's sake!