SERIES: Colossians: Christ is the Answer
The Well-Dressed Christian, Part 2: Choosing an Appropriate Outfit
SCRIPTURE: Colossians 3:12-17
SPEAKER: Michael P. Andrus
Introduction: Last Wednesday I took three bags of clothes down to the World Impact Thrift Store—a start at spring cleaning. It was hard to part with some of those things, but I felt good as I drove away because those clothes weren’t doing us any good—just taking up space. I also gave some attention this week to getting rid of some garments that were cluttering up my spiritual closet. That was a lot harder.
One particular incident recently hit me broadside. I learned about something an individual had done that made me very angry, so I picked up my phone and dialed his office, eager to give him a piece of my mind. The line was busy and since I don’t like talking to machines, I hung up. I turned back to my computer and there on the screen were the words of the text I preached last Sunday—”But now you must rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger.” I argued. But, Lord, he deserves it; his actions were totally uncalled for. “But now you must rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger.” But, Lord, if I don’t put this guy in his place, who knows what he’ll do the next person? “But now you must rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger.” I didn’t make the phone call, but can I be sure that the garment of anger has been dispensed with?
This experience brought to my mind a pin oak tree in our yard back in Wichita. After all the other leaves had fallen off, that pin oak still had its leaves. Through the hard cold winter, through rain and wind and frost, those brown and ugly leaves stayed on the tree. But when the new sap rose in the spring the dead leaves were forced off. I’m convinced that only as the new life of the Spirit takes greater control of our lives will we be successful in getting rid of the clothes of our pre-Christian days.
For those who weren’t here last Sunday our message was “The Well-Dressed Christian, Part 1: Cleaning out the Closet.” We learned about five moral habits and six social attitudes that have no business in our wardrobe; they should be taken, not to World Impact, but to the landfill. This morning we have a more pleasant task—it’s our privilege to go shopping. “Shop ’til you drop” seems to be the philosophy of our day, but many are going to the wrong outlets. Nieman’s Mark Up has nothing to offer compared to Col. 3:12-14:
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.
How are those for “grace clothes” to replace the “graveclothes” of our pre-Christian lifestyles? I want to begin with just a word about the proper
The motivation for seeking a new wardrobe (12)
It’s certainly possible to go shopping for the wrong reasons. Several come to mind, like: “I’ve got the money, why not spend it?” Worse yet, “I’ve got the plastic, why not use it?” Or, “everybody’s wearing such-and-such and I don’t have one.” Just this week I read that “one reason it’s so hard to save money these days is that our neighbors are always buying something we can’t afford.” Perhaps it’s because our motives can be mixed that Paul begins by giving three good motivations to get a new spiritual wardrobe.
We are God’s chosen people. He’s talking here about us—you and me—not the Jews. Sure, the Jewish people were God’s chosen people in the OT, and He hasn’t given up on them yet—He still has a special future for them, if I understand my Bible correctly. But right now, in the fullest sense of the term, we believers are God’s chosen people, and therefore we ought to dress like it. Suppose you were chosen to receive an invitation to have dinner at the White House. Would you show up in sneakers, shorts and a sweatshirt? I doubt it. Well, you have been chosen by God to join Him, not only for a meal, such as we just enjoyed together, but for life. What kind of spiritual attire is appropriate for such a walk? His second motivating point is found in the term “holy,” which here means that ….
We have been set apart from the world. The word “holy” is one of those words which has two distinct meanings depending upon the context. It sometimes describes one’s position or relationship, and at other times describes one’s character or lifestyle. In that sense it’s a lot like the word “father.” That term is used to describe someone who does no more than contribute biologically to the birth of a child. On the other hand, the same word has a deep ethical and emotional content that describes the nurturing of a child, sometimes when the man and the child are not even biologically related.
Well, the word “holy” here in verse 12 describes our position or our relationship to the world and to God; we have been set apart from the world and set apart unto God. That’s a fact whether we act like it or not. Just as our courts judge a man to be a father even if he refuses to behave like one, so we who belong to God’s family are “holy,” whether or not we consistently live up to the moral obligations of that relationship. But the whole point of our passage is that since we are holy in a relationship sense, we should start living in a holy manner. The third motivation for a new wardrobe is that …
We are dearly loved. Love is the strongest motivating power in the world—stronger than money, stronger than status, stronger than threats. When an unbeliever sins, he is a creature breaking the laws of the holy Creator and Judge, but when a Christian sins, he is a child breaking the loving heart of his Father. The fact that we are dearly loved should motivate us to dress in a way that pleases the One who loves us.
So much for motivation; what do grace clothes look like?
The look of a new wardrobe (12-14)
Paul begins by describing some basic garments that are always in style for a well-dressed Christian.
1. Compassion. Compassion, or tenderness of heart, begins with pity, but it is more—it is the deep response that moves someone to do something about the feelings of pity. I’ve seen quite a few people at First Free wearing this garment lately. I’ve observed compassion toward the unemployed, compassion toward Linda Rich, even compassion toward Lonna Akin, a woman almost none of you have even met. And talk about style! This item of clothing is in style summer and winter, spring and fall. It never goes out of date and it can be used for formal and casual occasions alike. It clearly ought to be in every believer’s wardrobe.
2. Kindness. Kindness is the second garment Paul displays. According to Eph. 2:7 we have been saved because of God’s kindness toward us through Jesus Christ, and we, in turn, ought to show kindness toward others. Unfortunately, there often seems to be more meanness of spirit around us than kindness.
George Bernard Shaw once wrote a letter to Winston Churchill: “Enclosed are two tickets to the opening night of my first play . . . bring a friend (if you have one).” Churchill replied: “Dear Mr. Shaw, unfortunately I’ll be unable to attend the opening night of your play due to a prior engagement. Please send me tickets for a second night (if you have one).”[i] One-ups-man-ship does not promote kindness. On the other hand, earlier in our communion service we noticed the great kindness of King David to Mephibosheth. That ought to characterize us.
3. Humility is a third garment that ought to be worn by the believer, and if you don’t mind me carrying our analogy to an extreme, humility may best represent the underwear of a well-dressed Christian. Underclothes are important, but you don’t show them off. Likewise, humility worn on the outside loses its value; in fact, it immediately turns into the opposite—pride. It’s a curious thing that the pagan world of Paul’s day did not admire humility; instead, qualities like pride and intimidation were respected. We haven’t come very far in 2,000 years, have we? By the way, humility is not thinking poorly of oneself; it is not a cringing, groveling attitude of self-depreciation. Rather it is having the proper estimate of one’s character and ability but steadfastly refusing to promote and exalt oneself.
4. Gentleness is next, a trait translated “meekness” in some of the older versions. Humorist J. Upton Dickson founded a group for submissive people called DOORMATS, which stands for “Dependent Organization of Really Meek and Timid Souls—if there are no objections.” Their motto is, “The meek shall inherit the earth—if that’s okay with everybody.”[ii] Dickson has a clever sense of humor, but he greatly misunderstands meekness or gentleness. The biblical term describes not weakness but power under control. The great biblical example, other than Christ Himself, was Moses, who was called “the meekest man or gentlest man in all the earth.”
I’ll tell you who I think of today when I see this word gentleness—Billy Graham. Probably no man of God has been the subject of more attacks from fellow-Christians since the Apostle Paul, yet he has consistently refused to respond in kind to his detractors. Is he weak? Far from it. Anyone who doubts his resolve or the authority of his character doesn’t know Billy Graham.
This garment of gentleness is important for every Christian, but especially for those of us who are in positions of leadership and authority. Paul wrote in another NT epistle, 2 Tim. 2:24, “And the Lord’s servant must not quarrel; instead, he must be kind to everyone, able to teach, not resentful. Those who oppose him he must gently instruct, in the hope that God will grant them repentance leading them to a knowledge of the truth, and that they will come to their senses and escape from the trap of the devil, who has taken them captive to do his will.” I confess that I have often dressed up for ministry and left the suit of gentleness hanging in my closet.
5. Patience is the fifth garment Paul models. There are two words for patience in the Scriptures—one for patience with circumstances and the other for patience with people. This is the latter. It means to be longsuffering in the face of those who are dull to our feelings, callous to our needs, demanding but never giving.
Now just as we noted last week that Paul highlighted one particular garment in the moral habit category for special attention, and one particular garment in the social attitude category for special attention, so today he highlights one particular article of clothing as absolutely essential for the well-dressed Christian—forgiveness.
When I was in seminary, I sold my blood for books. Seriously, in those days you didn’t have to worry about AIDS, and blood banks would pay $20 a pint every two months. Some of the winos in the area would sell a pint in order to buy a pint, but for six years I hit the blood bank at Baylor Hospital six times a year and headed straight for the book room, where $20 would buy a half dozen good theology books.
Well, when I see this garment of forgiveness hanging in Paul’s clothing store, I think I hear him saying, “Sell your blood if you have to, hock your stereo, do whatever is necessary, but get this item—you can’t be a well-dressed Christian without it.”
The ultimate saintly garment: forgiveness. Here’s how he puts it in verse 13: “Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.” The old garment we often wear instead of forgiveness is that of resentment and bitterness. We expect the worst in the person who has disappointed us, and we keep track of the wrongs done to us. But Paul urges us to try another way—give one another the benefit of the doubt, and “forgive whatever grievances you may have.” You see, he’s assuming we have some real, legitimate complaints, but we are to forgive anyway. Why? Because that’s how God has treated us.
John Perkins, a Black evangelical pastor and leader, tells how he was beaten in a Mississippi jail, being repeatedly kicked and stomped on as he lay in a fetal position for protection. The beating went on and on as he writhed in a pool of his own blood while inebriated officers took turns abusing him until he was unconscious. It was a reason to hate, but this is what happened in his own words:
“The Spirit of God worked on me as I lay in that bed. An image formed in my mind. The image of the cross—Christ on the cross. It blotted out everything else in my mind. This Jesus knew what I had suffered. He understood. And He cared. Because He had experienced it all Himself. This Jesus, this One who had brought good news directly from God in heaven, had lived what He preached. Yet He was arrested and falsely accused. Like me, He went through an unjust trial. He also faced a lynch mob and got beaten. But even more than that, He was nailed to rough wooden planks and killed. Killed like a common criminal. At the crucial moment, it seemed to Jesus that even God Himself had deserted Him. The suffering was so great, He cried out in agony. He was dying. But when He looked at that mob who had lynched Him, He didn’t hate them. He loved them. He forgave them. And He prayed God to forgive them. “Father, forgive these people, for they don’t know what they are doing.” His enemies hated. But Jesus forgave. I couldn’t get away from that …. It’s a profound, mysterious truth—Jesus’ concept of love overpowering hate …. On that bed, full of bruises and stitches—God made it true in me. He washed my hatred away and replaced it with a love of the white man in rural Mississippi. I felt strong again. Stronger than ever. What doesn’t destroy me makes me stronger. I know it’s true. Because it happened to me.” [iii]
Finally, the Apostle describes …
An exquisite topcoat for the serious believer: love. Furs aren’t universally appreciated these days, so I should probably refrain from referring to love as the mink coat of the well-dressed believer, but that’s the general idea. Jan and I were attending the Praise Gathering in Indianapolis about five years ago when a bitter and unexpected cold spell hit. Our hotel was several blocks from the convention center and my wife was not dressed for the weather, but Bonnie Irwin graciously offered Jan her mink coat. Fortunately, we didn’t run into any animal rights crazies on the way, and Jan commented about how that coat made her feel like a queen. Frankly, I don’t know why just being with me didn’t make her feel like a queen, but that coat seemed to cut it where I didn’t.
Now if a beautiful fur coat can do that for a woman, how much more can the topcoat of love do for the believer. What is love? The best definition ever written is found in I Cor. 13. “Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails.”
No wonder Paul says that love “binds all these other clothes together in perfect unity.” Just as a colorful scarf or fashionable tie can give that last coordinating touch that makes a nice outfit stunning, so love adds an exquisite touch to the well-dressed Christian.
Paul has one more point to make about the well-dressed Christian, and that is …
The effect of a new wardrobe on the believer and the Church (15-17)
Listen to verses 15-17:
15 Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. 16 Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts. 17 And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.
I see three phrases here that naturally outline the paragraph: the peace of Christ, the Word of Christ, and the name of the Lord Jesus. When we get rid of the graveclothes of sin and replace them with the grace clothes that befit a chosen, holy, and dearly loved family, we will find it possible to let the peace of Christ control our emotions, the Word of Christ control our worship, and the name of Christ control all our thoughts and actions.
The peace of Christ controls our emotions. “Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts.” The word translated “rule” is an athletic term meaning “to preside at the games and distribute the prizes.” The closest synonym for us might be “umpire.” Let the peace of Christ be the umpire of our emotions. We need this because our hearts are arenas of conflict and competition.
All sorts of feelings clash within which need to be arbitrated—like passion and love, fear and hope, jealousy and trust, cynicism and goodwill, indifference and concern. It is only the peace of Christ which can help us through such mine fields. Furthermore, if we have peace in our hearts we will be at peace with others in the church. Paul goes on, “as members of one body you were called to peace.” Still further, where there is peace in the heart, there will be praise on the lips, for he adds, “and be thankful.”
The Word of Christ will control our worship. The Word of Christ for us today is the Scriptures, and that Word must dwell in us richly, i.e., it must find a welcome home in our lives as we read it, study it, memorize it, and live it. But the focus here is not so much on what the Word can do for us, as what we should do with the Word. On the one hand we are to employ it in teaching and admonishing one another with all wisdom, and on the other hand we are to use it in singing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. Here we are clearly taught a dual ministry of the Word: verbal and musical.
The verbal ministry should take the form of both teaching, which refers to communicating truth, and admonishing, which speaks of warning, correcting, and encouraging people to apply the truth. This is a task that belongs not only to the pastor but to the congregation.
On the musical side our singing should involve psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. As I understand this, some of our music should be simply Scripture set to music (psalms). Some of it should be doctrine set to music (hymns), and some should be simple praises of the heart inspired by God’s Spirit (spiritual songs). For several generations the evangelical church generally limited its singing repertoire to hymnology. But with the advent of the Jesus movement in the early 70’s a whole new genre of church music came into existence, including both Scripture songs and songs of the spirit.
While there is some difference of opinion as to the exact difference between these terms, one thing is obvious—a variety of music is appropriate for the church. Furthermore, there must be a definite relationship between the Word of Christ and our worship in song. A singer has no more right to sing heresy than a preacher has to preach it. All of our songs should pass the scrutiny of Scripture. And in addition, our singing should be with gratitude in our hearts to God, as urged at the end of verse 16. In other words, music in the church must not be a display of fleshly talent; it is not be “performed.” After all, the audience is not other people—the audience is God.
Finally, if we are well-dressed Christians not only will the peace of Christ control our emotions and the Word of Christ control our worship, but also …
The name of Christ will control our thoughts and actions. “And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus.” Speaking and acting in the name of Christ means living in such a way that our speech and actions bring honor rather than disrepute to Him. After all, we bear his name when we call ourselves “Christians.” It’s amazing what tragedies have been perpetrated in that name in our own day and time. Christians in Lebanon terrorize the Muslim enclave in Beirut and vice versa. Last week Armenian Christians massacred nearly a thousand Azerbaijanis in one of the southern provinces of what was the Soviet Union. Protestant Christians and Catholic Christians have been murdering one another for decades in Ireland. Even in our own country much evil is committed in the name of Christ on religious TV, in politics, and in the social and moral arenas.
But frankly, I don’t think all of that put together holds a candle to the damage done when we as individual Christians speak the truth in the name of Christ and then live a lie. In just a few seconds of sin we can disgrace the greatest of all names. If there is no difference between how we act and talk in comparison to how the world acts and talks, why should any unbeliever turn to the Savior? Many do not.
Here too, for the third time in three verses, thankfulness is mentioned: “And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.”
Conclusion: You’ve heard the old saying, “All dressed up and no place to go.” Well, let me put a slight twist on that. If we take Paul’s exhortations here in Colossians 3 to heart—if we clean out the closet and choose appropriate outfits to replace the ones we get rid of, we will be “all dressed up and some place to go.” We will be dressed for church, dressed for worship, dressed for home, dressed for work, dressed for anywhere and anything!
One thing strikes me about Heaven’s wardrobe as it comes from the hand of the Ultimate Tailor. It was perfectly modeled by the Lord Jesus. Every single one of these characteristics is defined by His life. He is not only the Savior of all those who put their faith and trust in Him; He is also the One who can help us become His followers in attitude and action.
DATE: March 8, 1992
Tags:
Compassion
Kindness
Humility
Gentleness
Patience
Forgiveness
Love
Worship
[i] Quoted in R. Kent Hughes, Colossians and Philemon: The Supremacy of Christ, 102.
[ii] Hughes, 102.
[iii] John Perkins, Let Justice Roll Down, 205-206.