All Dressed Up And Somewhere To Go.

All dressed up and somewhere to go.

Colossians 3:12-17. 10/16/05

Have you ever heard a person say I am all dressed up and nowhere to go? I have as well and in this study Paul is saying as believers, we are all dressed up and have somewhere to go. It has the illustration of putting off and putting on. As believers, Paul was encouraging them to put off the grave clothes of the old life and put on the grace clothes of the new life.

Now why should we put off the grave clothes of the old life and put on the grace clothes of the new life? You know I think it has everything to do with motivation. What motivates you to do what you do? You know what Paul does here in out text tonight? He gives us about four motivations that ought to encourage us to put on the grace clothes.

The first motivation I call your attention to is found in verses 12-14; THE GRACE OF CHRIST. You know what grace is? Grace is God’s favor to undeserving sinners. That speaks to me. Paul reminded the believers there and us today what the Lord has done for us.

Verse 12a, we see that God chose them. The word elect means chosen of God. The word election is a sacred word that believers cannot explain to an unsaved person. Some have said when we get to heaven; we might see on the gate whosoever will. Once on the inside as we look back at the gate we might read saved before the foundation of the world. We leave the eternal plan up to God and while we do that we just share the good news of the Gospel to the world.

Not only has God chosen them but we read that God set them apart. Those whom God chooses He sets apart. Look at verse 12. That is the meaning of the word holy. Because we have trusted the Lord as Savior, we have been set apart from the world not to be a part of the world.

We also see that in verse 12 God loves them. You know when an unbeliever sins, he is breaking the law of a Holy God. When a believer sins, he is breaking the heart of a Holy Father.

God has forgiven them. Look in verse 13. God has forgiven the believer of all his sins. God’s forgiveness is final and unconditional, not depending on our works and merits. So, when we add all of these up together, they spell GRACE.

Now since the grace of God has so been bestowed upon us there are some things that are becoming of the Christian. In verse 12-14, we are told all these things that we are to put on. I want to tell you with these on, it makes the Christian mighty dressed up and looking good.

Put on tender mercies. That has to do with our compassion we have for one another. We ought to love one another so that we bring out the best in each other.

Put on kindness. We have been saved by God’s grace and kindness to us so we ought to show kindness to others.

Put on humbleness. That is something that is not advised by the world. The worlds says put on pride and always seek your rights. But humbleness of mind always puts others before his self.

Put on meekness. Now meekness is not weakness. You know meekness is power under control. The meek person does not have to fly off the handle because he has everything under control.

He has several others that we ought to put on. You all can add your on definitions to all these. We ought to put on long-suffering, forbearance, forgiveness, and love.

We not only see the grace of Christ but also we see THE PEACE OF CHRIST. Look at verse 15.

How can a Christian know that he is doing the will of God? You know what it is; it is the peace with God in your heart. I want to tell you something else here; you cannot have peace of God in your heart if you are not at peace with your brother and sister. When a believer is out of the will of God, he will probably go out in several directions. He will surround himself with the things of the world trying to have peace with them but to find in the end they don’t bring the peace that they are seeking. I want to tell you something else and that is when you lose your peace with God you will not have praise to God.

We have talked of two motivations that ought to encourage us to walk in the new life. We have talked about the grace of God and the peace with God but Paul mentions another and that is THE WORD OF CHRIST. Look in verse 16.