Once Jesus Christ affects your jailbreak from the prison of the evil one and you are saved, it is time to begin living a new way. Confessing Jesus is the first step in living with and for Jesus. For the remainder of our lives we are learners… learning the ways and habits of living in Christ. Like someone who moves to a new country, we have new rules and new ways of living that we need to assimilate into our lives.
Paul begins explaining the new way of Jesus by writing, Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things (2). New things need to occupy the spaces of our mind… things of God (‘above’) rather than the things we have entertained before Christ came into our life. Life change begins in the mind as we reorient our thinking to align with the ways of God.
Next Paul says that we are to trade in our prison clothes for new clothes, clothes befitting our new life in Christ. Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity (12-14).
Clothes are a word-picture for the values and character-traits of our new life.
As I review Paul’s list, I thought those are traits I appreciate seeing in others with whom I have dealings. They are positive ‘world-would-be-a-better-place-if-everyone-lived-that-way’ traits. Then when I look at myself I see how much work I have to do to model these…
Oh, God, keep tutoring me, keep training me, keep showing me how to live Your way! Please Lord, teach and train me… through Jesus, my Lord, I pray. Amen
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