Colossians 3:12-15 (NKJV)
12 Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering; 13 bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do. 14 But above all these things put on love, which is the bond of perfection.
We are calling this week fashion week because we are learning the things we ought to cloth ourselves with according to Colossians 3. We have talked about clothing ourselves with tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering; 13 bearing with one another, and forgiving one another. In verse 14 Paul tells us that there is one thing that is above all these things that we ought to put on, and that is love. This is because when you truly love, then all these other things we have talked about are encompassed in love.
In 1 Corinthians 13 Paul tells us that though we may do all these seemingly great things like move mountains or give up our bodies to be burned or prophesy, if we do them without love then they amount to nothing because love is the greatest. According to John 3:16, it was because of the great love that God had for us while we were still in sin that He sent Christ to die for us.
To put on love then according to 1 Corinthians 13 means;
To put on patience, kindness, not to envy, humility which is a lack of pride, not to behave rudely, not to be selfish seeking your own. Not to be provoked, not to think evil, not to rejoice in iniquity, rejoicing in the truth, bear all things, believe all things, hope all things and endure all things. As you can see, it includes all we have talked about and even more.
I like to look at it this way, looking at all the characteristics of love in 1 Corinthians 13, how much of each would you and I say we have put on or how much do we put on on a daily basis?
In our own strength we will not be able to do it because this is the kind of love that only God can give but going back to the beginning of our key scripture, we are not just some ordinary people. We are the elect of God, holy and beloved God has already equipped us but each still has to make the choice what to put on and what not to.
Before you step out, ask yourself; “What’s my dress code today?”
