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Colossians 3:12, 13 - Christian Clothing; Character.

Colossians 3:12, 13 (KJV) Put on therefore, 
as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels 
of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, 
meekness, longsuffering; 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. 

Colossians 3:12, 13 (NIV) Therefore, as 
God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe 
yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, 
gentleness and patience. 13 Bear with each other and 
forgive whatever grievances you may have against one 
another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. 

Colossians 3:12, 13 (NLT) Since God chose 
you to be the holy people he loves, you must 
clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, 
kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. 13 Make 
allowance for each others faults, and forgive 
anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave 
you, so you must forgive others. 

Colossians 3:12, 13 (AMP)  Clothe yourselves 
therefore, as Gods own chosen ones (His own picked 
representatives), [who are] purified and holy and well-beloved 
[by God Himself, by putting on behavior marked 
by] tenderhearted pity and mercy, kind feeling, 
a lowly opinion yourselves, gentle ways, [and] 
patience [which is tireless and long-suffering, and 
has the power to endure whatever comes, with 
good temper]. 13 Be gentle and forbearing with 
one another and, if one has a difference (a 
grievance of complaint) against another, readily 
pardoning each other; even as the Lord has [freely] 
forgiven you, so must you also [forgive]. 

Colossians 3:12, 13 (MSG) So, chosen by God 
for this new life of love, dress in the wardrobe 
God picked out for you: compassion, kindness, 
humility, quiet strength, discipline. 13 Be 
even-tempered, content with second place, quick to forgive 
an offense. Forgive as quickly and completely 
as the Master forgave you. 

COMMENTARY PEARL

   Let the law of kindness be upon your lips 
and the oil of grace in your heart. This will 
produce wonderful results. You will be tender, 
sympathetic, courteous. You need all these graces. The 
Holy Spirit must be received and brought into 
your character; then it will be as holy fire, 
giving forth incense which will rise up to God, not 
from lips that condemn, but as a healer of the 
souls of men. Your countenance will express the 
image of the divine. By beholding the character 
of Christ you will become changed into His 
likeness. The grace of Christ alone can change your 
heart and then you will reflect the image of the 
Lord Jesus. God calls upon us to be like 
Him"pure, holy, and undefiled. We are to bear the 
divine image. 
   The Lord Jesus is our only helper. 
Through His grace we shall learn to cultivate love, 
to educate ourselves to speak kindly and 
tenderly. Through His grace our cold, harsh manners 
will be transformed. The law of kindness will be 
upon our lips, and those who are under the 
precious influences of the Holy Spirit, will not feel 
that it is an evidence of weakness to weep with 
those who weep, to rejoice with them that rejoice. 
We are to cultivate heavenly excellences of 
character. We are to learn what it means to have 
good-will toward all men, a sincere desire to be as 
sunshine and not as shadow in the lives of others. 
   Seize every opportunity to contribute to 
the happiness of those around you, sharing with 
them your affection. Words of kindness, looks of 
sympathy, expressions of appreciation, would to many a 
struggling, lonely one be as a cup of cold water to a 
thirsty soul. 
   Live in the sunshine of the Saviours 
love. Then your influence will bless the world. 
Let the Spirit of Christ control you. Let the 
law of kindness be ever on your lips. 
Forbearance and unselfishness mark the words and actions 
of those who are born again, to live the new 
life in Christ. AG299 

ILLUSTRATION PEARLS

Pet Peeves
   I know a woman who has a pet peeve about 
facial hair. For whatever reason she does not like 
beards. When I grew a beard, she expressed her 
displeasure. More than once. On several occasions she 
waited in the reception line after the worship 
service and expressed her opinion. Each time I 
wondered, Is my beard worth this frustration? 
   Joy is such a precious commodity. Why 
squander it on a quibble? 
   The phrases we use regarding our pet 
peeves reveal the person who actually suffers. He 
"gets under my skin" or "gets on my nerves," or 
she is such a "pain in my neck." Whose skin, 
nerves, and neck? Ours! Who suffers? We do! Every 
pet peeve writes a check on our joy account. 
   What pets your peeve? Might I encourage 
you to just roll with it? Shake it off. Let it 
go. In other words, be patient. As we bear with 
one another, we preserve our joy and discover 
new reasons to smile. 
   Easy to do? No.
   But essential? Absolutely. Life is too 
precious and brief to be spent in a huff. [You Can 
Count On God by Max Lucado] 

Stay Calm, Jenny
   It had been an extremely busy, hectic 
day, and I just wanted to get home to the peace 
and quiet of my small house. It would be good to 
fix a nice dinner, sit in my recliner to eat it, 
and watch a little television. Then I would take 
a long, hot bath and crawl into bed early for 
a good night's sleep. Tomorrow was Saturday, 
and I could sleep late. Ah.  
   On the way home I stopped at a small 
grocery store near my house to pick up a few things 
for dinner and the weekend. I liked the store 
because it had very fresh produce and was rarely 
crowded. But not today.  
   As I pushed my grocery cart around the 
corner and into the dairy aisle, a young mother was 
trying to comfort her baby, who was screaming at 
the top of her lungs. The mother said, "Stay 
calm, Jenny. Just stay calm. This won't take too 
much longer."  
   As I continued gathering the few items I 
needed, the baby continued her caterwauling, like a 
cat on a back fence at midnight. And the patient 
mother quietly said again, "Stay calm, Jenny. Just 
stay calm."  
   This went on for a full fifteen minutes. 
Everyone in the store was becoming irritated at the 
noise level created by the baby. And I was amazed 
as the mother retained her cool and continued 
to soothe the baby with, "Stay calm, Jenny. 
This will be over soon. Just stay calm."  
   Finally, I had to say something. So I 
walked up to the young mom and said, "I really 
admire how patient you're being with little Jenny 
there."  
   She looked at me with a wrinkled brow and 
said, "Lady, I'm Jenny."  
   Father, thank you for being so patient 
with us as your children. We know we frustrate 
you sometimes with our immaturity and failures. 
We love you, Abba, Father. Amen. [The One Year 
Devotional of Joy and Laughter by Mary Hollingsworth] 

LINKS FOR FURTHER STUDY 

Colossians 3:12, 13 - Christian Clothing; 
Character. 

http://www.abible.com/devotions/2022/20220527-1053.html 

Ephesians 4:22-24 - Gods Goal: Your 
Character, Not Your Comfort. 

http://www.abible.com/devotions/2021/20210511-0946.html 

LINKS WORTH CHECKING OUT

https://abible.com/links/