Daily Devotions
January 28th, 2024 by Pastor Solley012824AM Holy Garments #3
Sub. Born again believers.
Theme: Holy garments for the Christian.
Text: Col 3:12-17
“Holy Garments” #3 Col 3:12-17
Introduction
We continue this morning looking at holy garments that the believer in Christ is commanded to put on. – Col 3:12-17 – There is a list of things in these verses we are to put on. The command is clear. – Col 3:12 – Things we, if we are saved, are commanded to put on and when these things are put on make us different than the world, different than the lost. When these things are put on 2 Cor 5:17 becomes real in our lives. 2 Cor 5:17 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. You will be different, old things will pass away, all things will become new when you put on these things. Our illustration has been the High Priest of the Old Testament who had holy garments provided for him that made him different.
I. The Holy Spirit, through the Apostle Paul, is speaking specifically to the born again believer in Jesus Christ: If you are saved this morning this is for you. From the beginning of this chapter through the end it is for the child of God. – Col 3:1, 23 – If you are saved this morning this is for you. If you are not saved then you need to get saved.
A. There are some things we need to put off: Col 3:5-9 These are works of the flesh and before we can put on the new we must put off the old. Not all professing Christians will choose to put these things off.
1. But those who do not put these things off will be weak and shallow Christians: They will never be what God wants them to be.
2. And they can never put on the new unless and until they take off the old: Mortify your members. – Col 3:5
B. Then we are to put on the new, put on the new man, put on our holy garments: Col 3:10 , 12 Some things about them before we look at some more of these holy garments this morning.
1. We can’t pick and choose which garments we wish to put on: We are to put all of them on.
2. We can’t put them on and keep them on by our own power and might: Only through the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit will we put these things on and leave them on. We can’t do this on our own.
3. We have looked at the garments named in verse twelve: At mercy, at kindness, at humility, at meekness and at patience.
II. There are more holy garments that we are to put on: Col 3:13 Two things are named in this verse, just two, but they are two of the hardest things that God wants us to put on. The Bible says we are to be forbearing and forgiving. – Col 3:13 – I want to look this morning at forbearance and forgiveness as God wants us to put them on.
PROP: God would have every believe practice forbearance and forgiveness. TS. Even though they be two of the hardest to put on.
Body
I. There is Biblical evidence that these are two of the hardest if not the hardest garments we are commanded to put on: That is not just my opinion, that is Bible. There is Biblical evidence that these are two of the hardest things we are commanded to put on.
A. Consider the apostle of love: Luke 9:51-54 Don’t we know John as the apostle of love? The English word love is found 310 times in the Bible Genesis through Revelation. In the words that the Holy Spirit gave John to write down the word love is found 63 times. A little over twenty percent of the time the English word love is found in the Bible the Holy Spirit used John to write them down.
1. Yet here is the apostle of love asking Jesus to allow him to call fire down from heaven, destroy that city and those people and send them to hell: Luke 9:54 That was not the spirit Jesus wanted to see in those men. – Luke 9:55
2. They were not forbearing or forgiving: That was not their nature, even the apostle of love. Neither is it our nature.
3. It is hard to be forbearing and forgiving:
B. Consider a command the apostles knew they could not keep: Luke 17:3-5 The disciples, the apostles received many commands from Jesus, things they were to do, things they were not to do, things they were to keep. They received many, many, many commands.
1. This is the only one I can find that they asked for more faith to keep it: Luke 17:5 God wanted them to practice forbearance and forgiveness and when they received that command what did they ask for? – Luke 17:5 – They knew they couldn’t keep this command.
2. Peter knew he couldn’t keep this command: Matt 18:21-22
3. Ir is hard to be forbearing and forgiving:
C. There is Biblical evidence that these are two of the hardest if not the hardest garments we are commanded to put on:
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II. I am, you are to put on forbearance: Col 3:13 Forbearing one another. What does that mean? Our English word forbear means to restrain, to patiently practice restraint, to put up with someone. But that is not what the Greek word translated forbearing means. We are to be longsuffering, we are to practice patience. – Col 3:12 – We are to be longsuffering, we are to be patient. Forbearance goes beyond patience and that is not what forbearance is.
A. The Greek word translated forbearance is a Greek word meaning to bear with, to endure with, to suffer with, to carry: I am not putting up with someone, I am putting myself up with them. Perhaps even when patience is tried I just put up with someone. In forbearance I put my self up with them. I practice forbearance with others who are in need when I stand with and help them.
1. This word is used of Jesus when casting out a demon others could not: Matt 17:14-17 Jesus had already given His disciples power over unclean spirits in Matt 10:1 Matt 10:1 And when he had called unto him his twelve disciples, he gave them power against unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal all manner of sickness and all manner of disease. According to Mark 6:13 they had cast out demons and unclean spirits.
a. But now they could not cast out the demon that was destroying that young man. They had the power to do that.
b. Jesus does not lose all patience with them, does not turn away from them, Jesus helps them. – Matt 17:17 The word suffer is the same Greek word translated forbearance in Col 3:13.
c. Jesus did not just put up with them, He put Himself up with them and helped them.
2. The same Greek word is used in Eph 4 as Paul pleads with believers to help one another: Eph 4:1-3 This forbearance points to becoming one with those in need. – Eph 4:4 – Here within the body of Christ. – Eph 4:1-4 – Part of a family, the family of God we are to put ourselves out for others in need, put ourselves up with others in need. In other words bear ye one another’s burdens.
B. This type of forbearance was taught by Jesus and commanded to be found among born again believers: Many examples.
1. Luke 11:5-8 One man has a fried who has a friend and his friend comes in the night and asks for help. The man’s friend does not need help, the friend of the man’s friend needs help.
a. There are no ties that demand that man help the friend of a friend. – Luke 11:7
b. But in forbearance he does rise and help because one is in need. – Luke 11:8
c. He has the means and although not convenient rises and helps one in need.
2. Paul asked for others to help him in his needs: Rom 15:30
3. When we see a need and have the means to help we should practice forbearance: 1 John 3:16-18 Part of a family we ought to be moved to help others in need.
4. Not always in financial ways: There are other ways we can be a help to those in need, to walk in forbearance.
C. A problem today within many churches is that people live unto themselves: We are to practice forbearance. – Col 3:13 – Satan does not want that and Satan will work against brothers and sisters in Christ helping one another.
1. We need take care of our own, take care of number one: We do need to take care of our own household. 1 Tim 5:8 But if any provide not for his own, and specially for those of his own house, he hath denied the faith, and is worse than an infidel. But that does not mean we refuse to help others when we can.
2. God helps those who help themselves: I have often heard that but it is not in the Bible. Jesus helped me when I couldn’t help me.
3. Satan used COVED to isolate and divide people: I know COVED was and is real and I don’t believe it is a judgment from God but I do believe it is from Satan and he has and continues to use it to divide and separate people.
4. There is a limit to what one can do and you need to practice wisdom: (1) We are not to help people sin. (2) There are times when help can be abused. We must practice wisdom but God does want us to practice forbearance. – Col 3:13
D. This is a local church that has and does move in forbearance when there is a need that is known: Many times over.
1. I have went with many of you and put up buildings for others, put on a new roof, cleaned up after storm or flood damage, delivered monies to those in need and many more things: When a need is made known there has been and is forbearance.
2. Most of us look back at having done many things in forbearance and now we are older: Time for the younger ones to take over.
E. I am, you are to put on forbearance: Col 3:13 Put on forbearance.
II. We are to put on a forgiving nature: Col 3:13 This perhaps the hardest thing in the entire list that we have been and will continue to look at. – Col 3:13 – Not just that we are to forgiver but the way we are to forgive. – Col 3:13 – That word forgiving means to gratuitously and in kindness freely forgive. And how many things are we to forgive? Any and all. – Col 3:13
A. This becomes a problem because of the way we are to forgive: Col 3:13 As Christ forgave us. Many like myself can say we have no problem with forgiveness as long as I can forgive the way I want to forgive.
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1. As long as one who has offended me asks for forgiveness than I can forgive them: As long as they ask for forgiveness.
2. As long as that one apologies than I can forgive them: As long as they apologize and admit they were wrong I can forgive.
3. As long as they let others know they wronged me than I can forgive them: As long as they let others know I can forgive.
4. As long as they demonstrate how thankful they are I can forgive: As long as they are thankful I can forgive.
5. As long as they don’t repeat the offence I can forgive: As long as they don’t offend again I can forgive.
6. I can be forgiving as long as that one who has offended meets my requirements for forgiveness: Then I can forgive.
7. I can be a very forgiving person:
B. But forgiveness is not to be based on my terms: I am to forgive as Christ forgave me. – Col 3:13
1. Peter was willing to forgive on his own terms: Matt 18:22 Peter was so forgiving he was willing to forgive seven times.
2. Jesus then told Peter that forgiveness was to be on God’s terms and not Peters: Matt 18:22 No wonder Peter with the others asked Jesus to increase faith.
3. Forgiveness is not based on our terms:
C. So how has Christ forgiven us? That is how we are to put on forgiveness. Col 3:13 Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye. How has Christ forgiven?
1. Jesus said this: John 15:25 Jesus never gave any cause to hate Him but they did. What did Jesus do? Forgave them.
2. Jesus was despised without cause: Isa 53:3 He is despised and rejected of men;…What did Jesus do? Forgave them.
3. Jesus was lied about: Matt 26:60 What did Jesus do? Forgave them.
4. Jesus was spit upon, mocked, beaten, hung on a cross: What did Jesus do? Forgave them.
5. I rejected Jesus many times before I repented and asked Jesus to forgive me: What did Jesus do? Forgave me.
6. I have failed Jesus many times over the years, disappointed Jesus, sinned against Jesus: What did Jesus do? Forgave me.
D. Now what am I to do, what am I to practice and how am I to practiced it? Eph 4:32 Put on forgiveness. This is against our nature but not against the Divine nature that resides within us in the Holy Spirit.
1. I have apologized, said I was wrong, said I was sorry: That at times has not been accepted. What to do? Forgive as Christ.
2. I have extended a hand, said a greeting and it has been refused: Forgive as Christ.
3. Our part is to forgive: Put on forgiveness.
4. Our part is to forgive and pray: Matt 5:44-48
5. Our part is to continue to forgive and do good: Rom 12:20-21
III. Consider the list and the progression and one finds that not putting on the others is what makes forgiveness so hard:
Col 3:12-13 It always amazes me the order God puts things in.
A. If I through Christ and the power of the Holy Spirit put on the first six things in this list I will be able to forgive: Col 3:12-13
1. If I am filled with mercy I will be able to forgive: Col 3:12
2. If I am filled with kindness I will be able to forgive: Col 3:12
3. If I am filled with humility I will be able to forgive: Col 3:12
4. If I am filled with meekness I will be able to forgive: Col 3:12
5. If I am filled with patience I will be able to forgive: Col 3:12
6. If I am forbearing I will be able to forgive: Col 3:13
B. But take away any or all of those things I am to put on and I will not be able to forgive as Christ forgave me:
1. Jesus Christ was and is all of those things:
2. When I put them on I can forgive as Christ forgave me:
C. Consider the list and put those things on:
Conclusion
I. There is Biblical evidence that these are two of the hardest if not the hardest garments we are commanded to put on: That is not just my opinion, that is Bible. There is Biblical evidence that these are two of the hardest things we are commanded to put on.
II. Put on forbearance and be a help when we can be as Jesus helped and helps us:
III. Put on forgiveness and forgive as Jesus forgave and forgives us: