Pastor Barry's  "Chapter & Verse"  2024  Day 125

May 4;       Colossians 3:12;        181/260;        ‘Holy and Beloved’

Colossians 3:12 Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering;

When we become born again, the Holy Spirit, God’s love and the fruit of the Spirit come into our spirit.  They are to produce the character to Jesus in us.  We have all of the ‘tools’ that we need to conduct ourselves as the Lord Jesus did.  The Lord calls us to live a holy life.  We should want to do this because we are His beloved.  We are to ‘put on’ or clothe ourselves with the Christ like qualities, because as Christians the greatest desire of our heart should be to be more like Jesus all of the time.  John 13:35 tells us that people will know we are the disciples of Jesus by our love, the way we treat them.  Verse 13 teaches us that God’s love in us is ‘bearing’ or enduring kindly those who would try our patience.  We are also taught in this verse to forgive others because the Lord Jesus forgave us.  Those not born again, almost never endure others or forgive them of offenses.  If we do the same as Christians, how will the unsaved ever know that there is a difference in our lives?  Verse 14 goes on to teach that we are to clothe ourselves with the love of God, which equates to maturity in our walk with Jesus.  The character of Jesus becomes ours when we become a Christian.  Again, we have everything we need to treat others the way the Lord Jesus treats us.  The ‘challenge’ is that doing this is not automatic.  You have to purpose in your heart to love others and that you will no longer treat anyone the way the lost treats them.  This decision enables you to lead many to Jesus, they clearly see Him in the way you treat them.