You Are God’s Chosen People (Part 1) – Colossians 3.12-14

 12 Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. 13 Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. 14 And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity (Colossians 3.12-14).[1]

       Here is the word ‘therefore’ leading us to reflect back to the previous verses. Paul showed us what our old lives looked like and how God brought us out of those lifestyles into a new and better life in Him. Now we are His chosen people a people set apart for a holy work, called for a purpose. Paul wrote to the church at Ephesus, how before the foundations of the world were formed God had chosen us to be holy and blameless before Him.
3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, 4 even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love 5 he predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, 6 to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved (Ephesians 1.3-6, ESV).[2]
      Henceforth, God was already making provisions for us through His Son Jesus Christ to be His sons and daughters through adoption to do His will. Thus, we must put a few things on, so we will look and act more like Christ, the One who saved us.
      We are to ‘clothe ourselves’ put on or encase ourselves in these five attributes which will help define us as followers of Jesus Christ and show the world we are God’s chosen people.

1. Compassion – To show mercy and concern, with the implication of sensitivity and compassion toward someone’s needs. Seeing the people, He felt compassion for them, because they were distressed and dispirited like sheep without a shepherd (Matthew 9.36, NASB95).[3] We must look after each other, not turn away when someone is suffering, but be concerned with their needs and seek out ways we can help meet their needs.
2. Kindness – To provide something beneficial to someone as an act of kindness. Kindness is what we see in the parable of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10.25-37), and should be the way we treat each other. Paul writes, “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility consider others as more important than yourselves. 4 Everyone should look not to his own interests, but rather to the interests of others” (Philippians 2.3-4, CSB).[4] Kindness is exhibited when we see others above ourselves, care more for their issues than our own, and are willing to help even when we might not understand or even know the outcome may be messy.
3. Humility – Humble attitude, without arrogance; putting the needs of others before your own as well as thinking of others before yourself. Peter in his first epistle also encourages us to be clothed in humility; “Clothe yourselves, all of you, with humility toward one another, for “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble” (I Peter 5.5, ESV).[5] Humility is always looking for ways to advance others, seeking to keep oneself in the back ground and allowing God to elevate them at the right time. Even Jesus followed this example when He came to earth and God elevated Him. See what Paul had to say in Philippians:

               He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death—even to death on a cross. 9 For this reason                       God highly exalted Him and gave Him the name that is above every name, 10 so that at the name of Jesus every                   knee will bow—of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth—11 and every tongue should                           confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father (Philippians 2.8-11, HCSB).[6]
      4.  Gentleness – It is not weakness or spinelessness, but rather the willingness to suffer injury instead of inflicting it.[7]            A gentle person knows they are a sinner and are willing to take what others dish out to them. They are willing to              help other believers, not out of arrogance but out of compassion and humility to restore and uplift them to a better            standing.  
               1 Brothers and sisters, if someone is overtaken in any wrongdoing, you who are spiritual, restore such a person                    with a gentle spirit, watching out for yourselves so that you also won’t be tempted. 2 Carry one another’s                          burdens; in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ. 3 For if anyone considers himself to be something when                    he is nothing, he deceives himself (Galatians 6.1-3).[8]
           Be careful as we share and assist others that we do not become prideful of what we are doing, and fall into a trap                of the devil. Gentleness will allow us to steer clear of these pit falls if we are walking in the will of the Lord.
    5.  Patience – A state of emotional calm in the face of provocation or misfortune and without complaint or irritation.                Wow, would it be great if we all had patience. James writes, Count it all Joy when you fall into different types of                trials or temptations; because do you not know the trying of your faith works your patience. (James 1.2-3, my                      emphasis added). When things come into our lives, we must be ready to react, but we must react correctly and with          the right attitude, God’s attitude. Patience is part of that, if we explode every time something does not go our way,              what will people think about us, and who we serve?
 
Application

1. Understanding God has chosen you as His Child; how do you believe you should act? Please explain.
2. Of the five (5) attributes describe above which one you believe you exhibit and why? Why do you think you do not exhibit the other ones? Please explain?
3. Give an example of how God has allowed you to exhibit one or more of these attributes in the past weeks. Please explain

 Prayer
 
      My Dear Heavenly Father, I thank You for this awesome day You have created, thank You for choosing me to be part of Your family. Lord, thank You for the attributes I am currently exhibiting in my life. Lord I need help with the others. I know I need to have all these attributes in my life so all of Sedalia will know I am Your child. Lord please give me the wisdom and understanding to walk in Your ways so I will be able to powerfully show each and every one of these attributes for Your glory. In Jesus Christ’s Name I Pray, Amen.

[1] The New International Version. (2011). (Col 3:12–14). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan.
[2] The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. (2016). (Eph 1:3–6). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles.
[3] New American Standard Bible: 1995 update. (1995). (Mt 9:36). La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation.
[4] Christian Standard Bible. (2020). (Php 2:3–4). Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers.
[5] The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. (2016). (1 Pe 5:5). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles.
[6] The Holy Bible: Holman Christian standard version. (2009). (Php 2:8–11). Nashville: Holman Bible Publishers.
[7] MacArthur, J. F., Jr. (1992). Colossians (p. 156). Chicago: Moody Press.
[8] Christian Standard Bible. (2020). (Ga 6:1–4). Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers.