The Book of Colossians Pt. 40 Let The Love Of God Flow Into Us.

Colossians 3:12,13  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 three is a beautiful chapter for us to study. Paul teaches us to seek heavenly things where Christ is seated at the Father's right hand. 

We must set the affection of our heart and the thoughts of our minds, upon things above, not on earthly things.

Then, Paul taught us to "put off" the old man with great detail. Sexual perversion must be put off. Corrupt communication must be put off. Lying must be put off.

The apostle began to teach us what we must "put on." He reminded us that God loves us greatly and that He has made us holy in Christ. 

He taught us about being made more like Christ as the Holy Spirit works His fruit into our lives. We learned about forbearance and longsuffering. We learned about forgiveness and meekness. 

The love of God in the heart of man is beautiful.

Colossians 3:14  And above all these things put on charity, which is the bond of perfectness.

Paul is going to teach us a powerful truth that we must put on, which guides and directs all the other character traits God is building into us. 

The words "and above all" means that this character trait is to be like an outer garment that surrounds all the other clothing we wear. 

In this manner we are to let charity or love  encompass all the rest of the Spirit's fruits. Even bowels of mercy are to be set in motion by love because they derive all their feeling, compassion from the love of God in our hearts.   

Let charity or love, be the outermost garment of Christ in us that people may observe. Let the love of God be the chief mark of our being.  

All the virtue God supplies must be bound by His love in us. 

2 Peter 1:5-7  And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge; 6)  And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness; 7)  And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity.

The apostle Peter also spoke of things that Christians must pursue. He reminded us to be diligent in pursuing these things. 

Faith, virtue, knowledge, temperance, patience, godliness, brotherly kindness are things that the Spirit of God wants to work into us. 

Yet, Peter tells us that charity or love must guide and shape all the other beautiful and desirable traits of godliness. 

May the Lord keep pouring His love into us. 

Romans 5:5  And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us. 

"Charity" is that divine love of God. God pours out this deep love into the heart of each born again Christian. 

It is an unconditional love that impelled Jesus Christ to go to Calvary in our place, to save us from our sins, and to bring eternal life to us. 

The words "shed abroad" means that the love of God is like a river that floods and overflows its banks, covering the surround land. 

This love gives us great hope and we are not ashamed to name Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord and King. 

What the love of God is not like. 

1 Corinthians 13:1-3  Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal. 2)  And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing. 3)  And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing. 

This is the great chapter that shows us what love is really like. It is a supernatural love of God that flows into our hearts so that it might direct us in serving God and man. 

First, Paul tells us what this kind of love is not. The greatest preacher speaking the most profound truths of scripture without this love, is like a clanging cymbal.

Though we may seem to have great knowledge and insight concerning the things of God, it is nothing without God's love in us. 

Religious activity without the love of God is of no value. We can give all we have to the poor and allow our bodies to be burned but it is meaningless without God's love. 

What the love of God is like. 

1 Corinthians 13:4-7  Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, 5)  Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil; 6)  Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth; 7)  Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things. 

Now we learn what this love of God in the heart of man is really like. You will see that it encompasses much of the same things that Paul and Peter have told us to put on. 

This love is longsuffering. Love is kind. Love is not envious of others. Love is not self promoting or self conceited. 

This great love of God fully conforms to all the "put off" and "put on" imperatives that Paul gave us. 

This great love of God in us, rejoices in truth.

This love is forbearing, is fixed on the hope of God's promises. This love takes God at His word and believes all the scriptures. 

This love endures all things for the sake of the gospel of Jesus Christ.  It is an enduring, abiding love.

Love to God and man is not only to cover all, but also to unite our whole being.  To love God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength, and to love our neighbor as one’s self is the perfection which the new covenant requires.

The abundant grace of God and Spirit of Christ works in every sincerely obedient, humble believer. That very love which is the fulfilling of the law and the perfection which the Gospel requires, is also the bond of that perfection. 

Thoughts to Ponder...

Romans 5:5  And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us. 

It is by love to God and man that love is to be preserved. Love begets love; and the more a man loves God and his neighbor, the more he is enabled to do so. 

This love, when properly exercised, is ever increasing and reproducing itself. 

Without this love of God guiding and shaping our lives and all that we do for Him, makes us mere hypocrites. 

Trying to love and serve God without His love in us, makes us like the pretentious Pharisees. It is just empty, religious activity without the love of God in us.  

Last, this love of God is supplied by God. He must initiate pouring it into us. We are powerless to obtain it, but God will liberally pour it out in our hearts when we turn to Jesus Christ in repentant faith. 

May our Father in heaven pour His vast love into our hearts day by day. May He cause His love to be an overflowing stream of divine grace in our hearts. May we seek this love daily, so that we might love and serve God with happy hearts.

Bob