Man As God Wants Him

"And so, as those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved . . ." (Col. 3:12).

In this way, Paul begins a discussion of man as God would have him. He has just discussed a series of things which man was to remove from his life (sexual sins, abusive speech and lying), and he seeks now to build us up with qualities and characteristics which will make us more like Christ and will distinguish us from a world which engages in all manner of evil. Paul's focus is on the inner man, whose heart will be strengthened by these important building blocks.

A heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience (v.12). Few things are more suitable for the Christian than compassion, for in compassion we find it in our hearts to care about the souls of others. One of the most compassionate statements in all of scripture is Paul's response to Agrippa, "I would to God . . . not only you, but also all who hear me this day, might become such as I am, except for these chains" (Acts 26:29). Paul understood there was no hope for those who did not accept the gospel which he carried in his heart.

In addition, the Christian is kind, not giving in to the coldness of the world (Rom. 12:17), but continuing to draw others to God through goodness (Rom. 12:21). Humility is one of the most overlooked qualities of the Christian, because it is so often looked upon as weakness, but there has never been one more humble than our Lord, and yet His strength under pressure (the trial and crucifixion) was formidable.

The gentleness of our Lord is reflected in His dealings with children (Matt. 18:1-6; Mk. 10:13-16), and this gentleness should be reflected in our own lives as well. Peter includes patience as one of his essential characteristics of Christians (2 Pet. 1), and our example is the longsuffering of God. These qualities of the heart are each an essential part of our dealing with a lost world.

Bearing with one another, and forgiving each other (v. 13). Here, Paul is dealing with our relationships with brethren, and this unique relationship carries with it special difficulties. As with any familial tie, understanding and patience are necessary. Everyone will not think as I do, and I must accept that. Even more important, when a brother sins against me, my response does not need to be one of anger, irrationally desiring "payback." Instead, I need to have a spirit of forgiveness, even being willing to accept it without reprisal (1 Cor. 6:5-8).

To help us in understanding our need to forgive our brethren, Paul reminds us that we owe a great debt to God for our own forgiveness, echoing the prayer Jesus taught His disciples (Matt. 6:12). How can we justify denying our brother forgiveness for a small matter, when God has forgiven us so much? (See also Matt. 18:23-35).

Put on love, which is the perfect bond of unity (v. 14). How many divisions in the Lord's church could have been avoided if only Christians were willing to practice real, self-sacrificing, for the good of others love? Paul told the Romans, "Be devoted to one another in brotherly love; give preference to one another in honor" (Rom. 12:10). Our love for God and one another should cause us to seek the truth in His word which will cause us to be united. Robert Turner once wrote that a careless typist had written, 'The church was untied.' "Think about it," he said, "The 'I' was out of place." When my 'I' gets out of place, I fail to love and respect my brethren.

Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts . . . be thankful (v. 15). Christ has offered peace to His disciples, but we must take it to ourselves. Paul instructed the Philippians to pray, noting that in so doing, " . . . the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, shall guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus" (Phil. 4:6-7). The world seeks peace, but only in Christ can it truly be found, for only Christ can close the rift between man and God created by sin.

It is interesting that both in Philippians and Colossians, Paul links God's peace with being thankful. Thanksgiving is, in modern times, a forgotten art, but for the Christian, it is essential to his recognition of what God has given him. We cannot allow God's precious gift of His Son to be looked on with ingratitude. Salvation is such that we should all be willing to say, with Paul, "Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift" (2 Cor. 9:15).

The Christian life certainly involves the removal of evil from our lives, but perhaps even more, it involves the putting on of great characteristics such as the ones Paul describes here. If we seek heaven, we should start our search here.