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. Colossians 3:12-14 (NIV)
Believers are to leave the aroma of Christ in every situation – not the stench of death. Prior to Christ, we could do nothing in and of ourselves to help strengthen others much less enrich our own souls. By nature we are all helpless and hopeless and objects of wrath – every.single.one.of.us. We remained powerless to do eternal works. Yet, with Jesus, we can do all things He bids us to through His power indwelling within us. And the One Who gives the power, gets the glory, Amen? He desires for us to grow up in Him. And amazingly, in Him, He has made us the righteousness of God. Paul tells us this amazing Truth in 2 Corinthians 5:21 (NIV): God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” Therefore, through the power of the Holy Spirit we are now able to rid ourselves of anger, rage, malice, slander filthy language and deceit. And we are to clothe ourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience towards others and ourselves. Bearing and forgiving one another through His power and for His glory.
Believers are to walk as Jesus walked – to be His voice, His hands, His feet. Learn to see the world through His eyes of love and forgiveness. He knows we are all but dust and those apart from Jesus have no power to walk as He walked. Yet, if Christ died for us in this condition to save us, should we not die to self to help others come to Him? Our actions and words will point to what we truly believe. And these actions are to bring Him glory, demonstrating we are His true disciples.
It does us well to remember that we are not our own, we have been bought with the highest price and therefore we are to honor God with our bodies. There is nothing so winsome and beautiful as His followers who leave the “aroma of Christ” in their every circumstance rather than the stench of death. The “attire” of selfish ambitions and vain conceits always leave the latter. And the life we live demonstrates to Whom or whom we belong.
If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose. Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others. Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus.** Philippians 2:1-5 (NIV)**