Colossians 3:12-17 - Cultivating Christ-like characters

In verse 12, Paul started with the connective “so.” This provides the basis for his exhortation here. On the ground that believers are God’s chosen people, set apart unto Himself and dearly loved by Him, to reflect His characteristics would not only be appropriate but also the needful thing to do. The eight characteristics that believers should reflect God are: heartfelt compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience; forbearance, and forgiveness and love. Believers must wear these eight characteristics because they reflect the God we worship and serve.

Notice that all these eight characteristics have to do with relationship within the fellowship. The apostle through God’s wisdom knew that friction would be common in any relationship. These characteristics make it possible for members within the fellowship to accept each other into one’s life. Pointing to God’s example in Christ, Paul called on the believers to be kind to one another; to be forgiving as God had demonstrated His forgiveness through Christ. When we find it hard to forgive another, we should look at how God had forgiven us in Christ. 

In verse 14, Paul specially emphasized the element of love. This is one characteristic believers are urged to put on above all the rest. Why? That’s because love is the center piece and it provides alignment and enables the development of all the other characteristics. Paul calls it the perfect bond of unity. In other words, love puts everything in its rightful and perfect place.    

Having discussed the eight characteristics, Paul then gave three imperatives from verses 15-17. The first is to let the peace of Christ rule in the heart. This is not referring to the feeling of being calm and restful but believers’ peaceful co-existence with others in the body. This peace will make harmonious existence possible. Let this peace be the umpire to bring about happy peaceful acceptance of each other.     

The second call is to let the Words of Christ dwell richly within you and be the source of instruction within the fellowship. Whether by songs or psalms or spiritual songs, we must let Christ’s Words instruct, counsel and exhort us and build in us grateful lives and hearts that are overflowing with thankfulness.    

Finally, we believers are instructed to do everything, be it speech or action, for the sake of Christ’s Lordship. It means we acknowledge His Lordship in all our activities in life. In making Him Lord over all that we do, we would be offering our thanksgiving to God through Him. 

We are in total union with Christ. How we conduct our lives will either magnify or mystify Him to others. In the face of misunderstanding, these characteristics that Paul exhorts us to put on will definitely help us to reveal Christ better.  Ultimately all victories in life is dependent on how much we put on the Lord Jesus Christ.