PUT ON THEREFORE, AS THE ELECT OF GOD

Col 3:12-15 Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness,
humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering; Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man
have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye. And above all these things put on charity,
which is the bond of perfectness. And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in
one body; and be ye thankful.

“Therefore” points back to: Col 3:1-11

1 If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of
God.
2 Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.
3 For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God.
4 When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory.
5 Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil
concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry:
6 For which things' sake the wrath of God cometh on the children of disobedience:
7 In the which ye also walked some time, when ye lived in them.
8 But now ye also put off all these; anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication out of your mouth.
9 Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds;
10 And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him:
11 Where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision, Barbarian, Scythian, bond nor free:
but Christ is all, and in all.

I. ELECT OF GOD, HOLY AND BELOVED. THAT’S US! BECAUSE OF A DECISION WE MADE.
A. Elect of God.
1. 1 Thess 1:2-4 We give thanks to God always for you all, making mention of you in our prayers;
Remembering without ceasing your work of faith, and labour of love, and patience of hope in our Lord
Jesus Christ, in the sight of God and our Father; Knowing, brethren beloved, your election of God.

2. 1 Peter 1:1-2 Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, to the strangers scattered throughout Pontus,
Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father,
through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ:
Grace unto you, and peace, be multiplied.

B. Holy.
1. Rom 12:1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a
living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.

2. Eph 1:3-4 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all
spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ: According as he hath chosen us in him before the
foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love:

3. 2 Peter 3:11-14 Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought
ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness, Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of
God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat?
Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth
righteousness. Wherefore, beloved, seeing that ye look for such things, be diligent that ye may be
found of him in peace, without spot, and blameless.
 C. Beloved.
1. 2 Cor 6:17-7:1 Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and
touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my
sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty. Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us
cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.

2. 1 Peter 2:11-12 Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly
lusts, which war against the soul; Having your conversation honest among the Gentiles: that, whereas
they speak against you as evildoers, they may by your good works, which they shall behold, glorify God
in the day of visitation.

3. 1 John 4:7-11 Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is
born of God, and knoweth God. He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love. In this was
manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that
we might live through him. Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his
Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one
another.

II. PUT ON.

“Put on …”: A command from God through the Holy Spirit.
A voluntary action – or actions – on our part.
An action – or multiple actions – that we undertake because of what we have been given.
Actions that make us more like Christ, more like God [partakers of the divine nature].
Actions that bring us the peace of God, unify us, and make us thankful.

A. Bowels of mercies.
1. In figurative language these words denote deep emotions of various kinds. … "affection,"
"sympathy" and "mercy," feelings of distress and sorrow… (from International Standard Bible
Encyclopaedia, Electronic Database Copyright © 1996, 2003 by Biblesoft, Inc. All rights reserved.)

2. Phil 2:1-5 If there be therefore any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship
of the Spirit, if any bowels and mercies, Fulfil ye my joy, that ye be likeminded, having the same love,
being of one accord, of one mind. Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of
mind let each esteem other better than themselves. Look not every man on his own things, but every
man also on the things of others. Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:

B. Kindness.
1. chrestotes NT:5544, used of "goodness of heart, kindness," is translated "kindness" in 2 Cor 6:6; Gal
5:22, RV (KJV, "gentleness"); Eph 2:7; Col 3:12; Titus 3:4. (from Vine's Expository Dictionary of
Biblical Words, Copyright © 1985, Thomas Nelson Publishers.)

2. Eph 2:5-7 Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye
are saved;) And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:
That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us
through Christ Jesus.
 C. Humbleness of mind.
1. Isa 57:15 For thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy; I
dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit
of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones.

D. Meekness.
1. Titus 3:2 To speak evil of no man, to be no brawlers, but gentle, shewing all meekness unto all
men.

2. Gal 6:1 Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the
spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted.

E. Longsuffering.
1. Gal 5:22-24 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering , gentleness, goodness,
faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. And they that are Christ's have crucified the
flesh with the affections and lusts.

F. Forbearing one another.

1. (anoche): "Forbearance" (anoche, "a holding back") is ascribed to God (Rom 2:4, "the riches of his
goodness and forbearance and longsuffering"; it is a Christian grace in likeness to God. (from
International Standard Bible Encyclopaedia, Electronic Database Copyright © 1996, 2003 by Biblesoft,
Inc. All rights reserved.)

G. Forgiving one another.

1. Col 3:13b … if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye.

H. Charity, the bond of perfectness.

1. 1 Cor 13:13 And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity .

CONCLUSION
2 Peter 1:10-11 Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for
if ye do [are doing] these things, ye shall never fall: For so an entrance shall be ministered unto you
abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.