Brother Gary Wheeler
For the next few months, the weekly “Encouragement Email” from the United Christian Ashram will focus on Colossians 3:12-14. In the NIV, it reads, “Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.” In the coming weeks, writers will focus on the verses’ wardrobe imagery as we are “Empowered for Transformation.” As E. Stanley Jones wrote, “being a Christian in the making,” we are daily dressing in the wardrobe God picked out for us.
However, for this first devotional in the series, we must consider Paul’s incredibly assumptive description of his audience. After declaring them to be “God’s chosen people,” he proclaims two things about them: one we might pause in our affirmation, and the other, we wholeheartedly believe.
“Holy” and “dearly loved.”
I would guess most of us would acknowledge that God loves us. John 3:16 is one of our favorites, after all. Charles Spurgeon put it this way: “You were called by grace and led to a Savior and made a child of God and an heir of heaven. All this proves, does it not, a very great and super-abounding love?” (Charles H. Spurgeon, “Morning and Evening,” October 2 Evening).
But would you also acknowledge the great apostle’s label of holiness? Most wouldn’t. We are quick to point out our own sin as if we were the devil himself.
But what was Paul’s favorite name to call his readers? “Saints” (see Eph. 1:1; Phil. 1:1; Col. 1:1). The Greek word is hagios, which means “holy, set apart, consecrated, dedicated, saints.”
Of course, our holiness is not based on our performance, which is why most people deny it. It is based on what God clothes us with through Christ. A.W. Tozer wrote, “Holiness, as taught in the Scriptures, is not based upon knowledge on our part. Rather, it is based upon the resurrected Christ in-dwelling us and changing us into His likeness.”
In our family, everyone roots for a different NFL team and will sport the jersey of a favorite player. We “represent” our allegiance by what we wear.
Are you becoming more like Christ? Does your spiritual clothing from God tell others Who you “root” for? Is it reflective of the holiness of God?
