# 2 2018. Dev. Col.3:12-14. Love Over All! Read verses 1-17. The purpose of these devotionals is to draw Gremar and I closer to God and grow spiritually by applying His Word to our daily living. All passages are taken from the NIV.
Colossians 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.”
Paul ends chapter two with the freedom we have from religious practices and rules made by man that do not contribute to our salvation. In Christ our sins do not condemn us and our good works do not save us. But because we are in Christ and made alive by Him we are told to: “Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. 3 For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God.” We wait for Christ’s return when the salvation of our souls and bodies is complete and we “appear with him in glory.” This does not mean that we are now no earthly good, we live on earth temporarily, but the demands of the Gospel; proclaiming the Good News and living it is now even more urgent.
Therefore, in vs. 5-10 Paul lists for us practices that are incompatible with being in Christ and with living for Him now. We “have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator.” Being alive in Christ means that there is no tribe, no country, no human condition or situation, and no man made rules that separate us from Christ, “Christ is all and is in all.”
We turn to the the three verses, 12-14 which is the heart of the message of Jesus. Surround yourself and your life with; “compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience” always forgive and overflow with love. These are the practices of the new self, the new creation we are in Christ Jesus, the fruit of the Spirit, (Gal.5:22,23) and has profound implication for how we live our lives on this earth.
We end with what could be a New Year resolution: “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.” Amen and Amen!
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Heavenhigh 