So, as those who have been chosen of God, holy and be- loved, put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.
— Colossians 3:12 —
Jose Alcivar: Instituto de Expositores | USA
A well-known preacher once shared that it was impossible to be hit by a truck and leave the scene unchanged. He explained that it would be absurd to expect anything other than obvious physical trauma from such a great blow. In the same way, he expressed, it is not possible to have an encounter with Christ, to say that He has changed your life, and not have obvious, real marks to prove it. If God has done this work within you, what other motivation do you need to live up to your transformed life? In today’s passage, Paul is using a similar argument. In verse 10, the apostle explains that believers have “put on the new self,” which indicates a renovation that takes place in every believer. The author emphasizes that, since Christ has transformed them, there will be noticeable marks all over, which will differentiate them from the rest of the world. These obvious marks are lives characterized by compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience. If we have been justified and loved by our Father, then, transformed behavior is the only proper response to His work in us. Moreover, Paul takes it a step further and motivates us to live out these characteristics each day. We must constantly remember that we ourselves have experienced the forgiveness of Christ, and, thus, we should strive to bear our marks boldly before the world—a testimony of His work in us. Putting on the new self is not something that you do only once; rather, it is a constant discipline that can only be achieved when your heart has passed from death to life (Col. 2:13). If God has done this work within you, what other motivation do you need to live up to your transformed life?
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