The Christian's Wardrobe: Text: Colossians 3:12-17
Introduction: Getting Dressed for Reality
We live in an age of identity crisis. Men think they can be women, adults think they can be children, and sinners think they can be righteous by their own efforts. The world tells you to "find yourself" or "be true to yourself," which is another way of saying, "invent a new costume for your rebellion." The problem is that the self you are being true to is a fallen, broken, and rebellious self. This is not freedom; it is simply choosing your own chains. The result is a culture of perpetual adolescents, dressing up in whatever identity feels right for the moment, and then throwing a tantrum when the rest of the world refuses to play along with their make-believe.
The Apostle Paul, in this section of Colossians, addresses this foundational issue of identity. But he doesn't tell us to look inward to find ourselves. He tells us to look upward, to Christ, to find out who we are. Christian identity is not discovered; it is received. It is not something we invent; it is a gift we are given. And because we have been given a new identity in Christ, we must learn to dress the part. Paul has just spent the previous verses telling the Colossians to take off their old, filthy grave clothes, the rags of their former life: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness. You cannot put on a new set of clothes over the top of the old ones. You must strip off the old man before you can put on the new.
This passage, then, is intensely practical. It is the Christian's wardrobe. It is not a list of suggestions for self-improvement. This is not about trying harder to be a nicer person. This is about putting on the reality of who you now are in Jesus Christ. These virtues are not the cause of our salvation; they are the consequence of it. They are the uniform of the kingdom. When a man joins the army, he is given a uniform. He doesn't earn the uniform by being a good soldier; he is given the uniform because he is a soldier, and he is then expected to live up to it. In the same way, God has made us His chosen people, holy and beloved. Now, He says, dress like it.
The Text
So, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience;
bearing with one another, and graciously forgiving each other, whoever has a complaint against anyone, just as the Lord graciously forgave you, so also should you.
Above all these things put on love, which is the perfect bond of unity.
And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body, and be thankful.
Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, with all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with gratefulness in your hearts to God.
And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.
(Colossians 3:12-17 LSB)
The Foundation of Our New Identity (v. 12a)
Before Paul tells us what to do, he reminds us of who we are. The indicative always precedes the imperative. Grace precedes law. Identity precedes action.
"So, as the elect of God, holy and beloved..." (Colossians 3:12a)
This is the foundation. Everything that follows is built upon this threefold reality. First, we are the "elect of God." This means we were chosen. God's love for us did not begin when we cleaned ourselves up. It did not begin when we made a decision for Him. It began in eternity past, before the foundation of the world. God, in His sovereign grace, set His affection upon us. This demolishes all pride. We are not Christians because we were smarter, wiser, or more spiritually sensitive than our neighbors. We are Christians because God chose us. This truth is not meant to be a theological battleground but a wellspring of profound security and humility. You are not your own; you were bought with a price. You were chosen.
Second, we are "holy." This means we are set apart. God has taken us out of the common lump of fallen humanity and consecrated us for His own purposes. This is our position in Christ. We are saints. Now, of course, we don't always act like saints, which is why Paul has to write the rest of this letter. But our behavior does not determine our status; our status in Christ is what empowers our behavior. God is not telling us to become holy so that He will love us. He is telling us that because we are holy and beloved, we should start acting like it.
Third, we are "beloved." This is the affection that flows from the election. We are not just chosen for a task; we are loved as sons and daughters. The Father's love for us is as deep and as eternal as His love for His only begotten Son. This is the engine of the Christian life. We do not obey God in order to earn His love; we obey Him because we have already received it in overwhelming measure.
The Wardrobe of Christian Virtue (v. 12b-13)
Upon this foundation of our new identity, Paul instructs us to put on the appropriate clothing.
"...put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience; bearing with one another, and graciously forgiving each other, whoever has a complaint against anyone, just as the Lord graciously forgave you, so also should you." (Colossians 3:12b-13 LSB)
Notice the first item of clothing is a new heart: "a heart of compassion." The Christian life is not about external rule-keeping. It begins on the inside. All these virtues flow from a transformed heart. Compassion is not mere pity; it is a deep, gut-level empathy for others in their suffering. Kindness is compassion in action. Humility is a right estimation of ourselves before God and others, the opposite of the world's arrogant self-promotion. Gentleness is strength under control, the opposite of harshness and abrasiveness. And patience is long-suffering, the ability to endure provocation without retaliating.
These are not just abstract virtues; they are the essential lubricants for life in the church. Paul immediately applies them to our relationships: "bearing with one another, and graciously forgiving each other." The church is not a museum for saints; it is a hospital for sinners. This means we are going to sin against each other. We will have complaints against one another. The world's solution is to cancel, to de-friend, to litigate. God's solution is forbearance and forgiveness.
To bear with one another means to put up with each other's quirks, faults, and failures. It means giving grace where you would rather give judgment. But it goes deeper than that. We are to "graciously forgive." The model for our forgiveness is not our own sense of fairness. The model is the forgiveness we received from Christ. "Just as the Lord graciously forgave you." How did He forgive us? Completely. Unconditionally. At infinite cost to Himself. He absorbed the full penalty of our sin. Therefore, we have no right to withhold forgiveness from a brother or sister who has sinned against us. To refuse to forgive is to demonstrate that you have not truly understood the gospel of grace. It is to be the unmerciful servant in the parable, who, having been forgiven an unpayable debt, goes out and throttles his fellow servant over a few dollars.
The Unifying Principle and the Ruling Umpire (v. 14-15)
Paul now identifies the one garment that holds all the others together, and the internal governor of the Christian life.
"Above all these things put on love, which is the perfect bond of unity. And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body, and be thankful." (Colossians 3:14-15 LSB)
Love is the outer garment that binds all the other virtues together. Without love, compassion becomes condescension, kindness becomes a mere tactic, and humility becomes a false front. Love is the animating principle of the Christian life. It is not a sentimental feeling but a rugged, covenantal commitment to seek the good of the other, no matter the cost. This love is what creates true unity in the church. The world tries to create unity through political coercion, ideological conformity, or shared grievances. The church's unity is forged by a supernatural love that flows from the heart of God.
Next, Paul says to "let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts." The word for "rule" here is an athletic term. It means to act as an umpire. When disputes arise in your soul, when you are pulled between bitterness and forgiveness, between anxiety and trust, let the peace of Christ be the one who makes the final call. This peace is not the absence of conflict, but the deep, settled assurance that comes from being reconciled to God through the blood of the cross. We were called into this peace as "one body." This is not primarily about your private, individual tranquility. It is about the corporate peace of the church. When believers are at odds with one another, the peace of Christ is not ruling. And the proper response to this peace is thankfulness. An ungrateful Christian is a contradiction in terms.
The Rich Indwelling and Corporate Worship (v. 16)
How do we cultivate these virtues? How do we maintain this peace? Paul points to the central role of God's Word in the life of the community.
"Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, with all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with gratefulness in your hearts to God." (Colossians 3:16 LSB)
The "word of Christ" is the gospel, the entire counsel of God revealed in Scripture. It is not to be a weekend visitor in our lives; it is to "dwell" in us, to take up permanent residence. And it is to dwell "richly," meaning it should permeate every part of our being, shaping our thoughts, our words, and our actions. This is not a private, individualistic enterprise. The Word dwells in us corporately. We are to be "teaching and admonishing one another." The Christian life is lived in community. We need the wisdom, encouragement, and correction of our brothers and sisters.
And one of the primary ways this happens is through our singing. Paul mentions "psalms and hymns and spiritual songs." This is the songbook of the church. The psalms are the inspired hymnal of Israel, which Christ Himself sang. When we sing the psalms, we are singing the very words of Christ. We are teaching and admonishing one another with inspired theology. Our worship is not to be driven by sentimentality or entertainment value. It is to be rich in doctrinal content, fueled by the Word, and offered with grateful hearts to God. The overflow of a Word-saturated heart is a singing heart.
The All-Encompassing Lordship of Christ (v. 17)
Finally, Paul provides the ultimate, all-encompassing principle for Christian living.
"And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him." (Colossians 3:17 LSB)
This verse obliterates the sacred/secular distinction. There is no part of your life that is off-limits to the Lordship of Jesus Christ. "Whatever you do." This includes changing diapers, driving to work, balancing a spreadsheet, writing an email, or casting a vote. Every word, every deed, is to be done "in the name of the Lord Jesus." This means acting as His representative, under His authority, and for His glory. It means asking the question, "Can I do this, can I say this, as a faithful ambassador of King Jesus?"
This is the essence of a Christian worldview. Christ is not Lord of your "spiritual life" on Sunday morning. He is Lord of all of it, all the time. And again, the constant refrain is thanksgiving. A life lived under the comprehensive Lordship of Jesus is a life overflowing with gratitude to God the Father, who has made all of this possible through the Son. We do not come to the Father on our own merits, but always "through Him."
The Gospel in the Wardrobe
It is easy to read a passage like this and turn it into a new law, a checklist for moral improvement. We can read this list of virtues and feel crushed by our failure to live up to them. But that is to read the passage backwards. We must always remember verse 12. We are elect, holy, and beloved.
The good news is that Jesus Christ perfectly embodied every one of these virtues. He is the ultimate expression of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. He bore with us in our sin. He graciously forgave us on the cross. He is the embodiment of divine love. He is our peace. He is the Word of God incarnate. He did everything in the name of His Father.
When we put our faith in Him, we are clothed in His perfect righteousness. God looks at us and sees not our filthy rags, but the perfect obedience of His Son. Our efforts to "put on" these virtues are not a desperate attempt to make ourselves acceptable to God. They are the joyful, grateful response of a people who have already been accepted, forgiven, and loved. We are not trying to dress ourselves for the wedding feast. We have already been given the wedding garments. Now, we are simply learning to live in a way that is consistent with the glorious new clothes we are already wearing.