Put On Love: The Relational Aspect Of Our Sanctification
There is a strong emphasis on personal sanctification in the Bible. But there is an equally loud call for Christ-likeness in our relationships with others as well. Jesus called us in matters of first importance to love God with all our hearts, and right behind it, to love our neighbor as ourselves. Christ’s redemption is holistic, both vertical, between God and man, and horizontal, between man and man.
In light of this truth, Paul exhorts us to put on the love of Christ towards one another. This is especially important during the holiday season because we are around the people that we love the most but often have the most difficulty with. And it’s important as we live in a culture that is increasingly divided on many lines.
So hear Paul’s call from Colossians 3:12-15:
English Standard Version Chapter 3
12 Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, 13 bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. 14 And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. 15 And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body.
Like your favorite jacket or shirt, we ought to put on these characteristics towards others. Really, it’s a call to put on Christ in your demeanor towards others.
It’s important to remember that the kind of demeanor Paul is calling us towards is simply the demeanor of Christ towards us. Consider Christ’s heart towards you. It’s full of love and forgiveness, compassion and kindness, humility and meekness. If anyone has been patient with someone, it’s our God with you and me. Bearing with our weaknesses and sins could define our entire relationship with God, our entire sanctification process.
If Christ’s love has comforted you, consider how you ought to put on the same behavior, to wear the same attitude and demeanor towards even those who bother you, who have become your enemy or at least a pain point in your life.
Even when there has been sin, there must be a pursued peace between one another. Paul says, as Christ has forgiven, you “must” forgive. Christian, the call to forgive is a command. It starts in your hearts and before God, and when possible, it should move towards a transaction in relationship where you offer forgiveness to someone.
He also adds in verse 14, “above all these [that is the list of qualities which are in Christ and should be in us] put on love.
Why above all these? Because love binds everything together in perfect harmony. Love is powerful. It is binding like glue. It is harmonizing when there is discord. It is able to take the greatest discord and bring into perfect harmony, like when we sing together in this room, or mend the greatest fracture in relationship.
But love requires a choice. You must “put on love”. How do you put on love?
Believe that God has transformed our hearts through Christ and given us capacity to love.
Behold Christ and his love for us.
Be formed into his image. That is, from our hearts, we are now able to choose to put on an attitude of love like Christ rather than to carry on the old patterns of bitterness and discord.
One last thing to reflect on for this journey of relational sanctification. Consider that Christ’s death sealed our union to one another in him. Verse 15 says you were called in “one body”. Since we are one because of Christ’s work, put on love towards one another. Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts towards one another.