October 28, 2016 PUT ON (part two)
Colossians 3:13-15: “bearing with one another, and forgiving each other, whoever has a complaint against anyone; just as the Lord forgave you, so also should you. And beyond all these things put on love, which is the perfect bond of unity. And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body; and be thankful.”
In the last blog, we saw that if we are to live life according to God’s plans and purposes, it is crucial for us to take off the old self, and put on the new self that is made in the image of God. It is by the power of God that we take off the old and put on the new, but He has given us responsibility in the process of being transformed. In the verses above, we are given a wonderful picture of living according to the new self, and if we belong to Him, our spirit within confirms and agrees that this is the life we desire to live. What I find so wonderful and so refreshing about the word of God is that the scriptures are not just for theological discussion, but that they address real life issues. God is well aware of the fact that we do not live in a perfect world, but live in a world where we encounter trials from within and without, and He yet He has made provision for us to live an abundant life. There are times when we may be frustrated with others, there will be times when we need to extend forgiveness or receive forgiveness, and there are times when we have a complaint against someone. The old self is contrary to the new self; the old self tends to hold a grudge, resist forgiving others, and magnifies a complaint that he or she may have against someone else, whereas the evidence of having put on the new self is that we “bear with one another” and we “forgive one another.” Our forgiveness for others is not difficult when we realize how much the Lord has forgiven us. The glue that binds, or holds relationships together, and the necessary ingredient for unity in the body of Christ is the love of God being manifested among us. Because we so often hear about the “love of God,” we may become desensitized and loose the awe, and the impact of His great love for us. We can avoid becoming desensitized to His love by choosing to put on the new man having as a goal in life to be a reflection of our Father. His love is not to be kept a secret, but is to be expressed in tangible ways to all we come in contact with, and it is to be the very foundation of our lives. We are admonished to “let the peace of Christ rule in our hearts,” and this becomes a reality for us when we “put on love,” for He is love, and where He reigns, there is peace.
Ephesians 4:22-24: “You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.”
Blessings,
Buddy
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