And above all these things put on charity, which is the bond of perfectness.
Above all mercy, kindness, humility, meekness, patience, forbearance and forgiveness toward one another, believers are to put on love as the binding power that holds all those graces and holds believers together in completeness. The command is given to those made new in Christ, dead to the old life of anger, impurity, covetousness and lying and raised to newness of life where Christ is all, and it belongs with letting God's peace rule in the heart, letting Christ's word dwell richly, and doing all in the name of the Lord Jesus. This love is tender, compassionate, unselfish and self-sacrificing like Christ's, patient and kind, free from envy, pride, selfish ambition and harshness, and shown in practical sympathy and help to every person. It binds believers in one body in perfect union and harmony, forbidding evil thinking, faultfinding, criticism and harsh words, and making peacemakers who cover faults, yield in minor matters and cooperate unselfishly. In the home it brings peace, joy and rest, holding husband and wife in lasting unity, and it proves discipleship by a genuine life of Christlike conduct, good works and healing service to others.
Context and Wording
"Above all these things" means above bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering, forbearing one another and forgiving one another even as Christ forgave, with love put on above all of them as the binding power that holds them together in completeness and perfectness. Charity put on in this place is the genuine fruit of righteousness by which disciples are known, the mark of the elect as holy and beloved, and the proof of a living connection manifesting the spirit of Christ, to be closely examined in the heart and cultivated individually through constant watchfulness and unceasing prayer since no one can obtain the experience for another. When believers with varied traits of character are brought together in church capacity, this putting on enables them to harmonize, to be of one mind and one judgment, to speak the same things and to allow no division, each taking a practical part in that work, bringing gentleness into words and manner so they are pleasant instead of harsh, abrupt and repelling, and opening the heart for the peace of God to rule.
The command is given to the elect of God, holy and beloved, who are risen with Christ and must set affection on things above where Christ sits at the right hand of God, being dead with life hid with Christ in God to appear with Him in glory. It belongs to those baptized in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, pledged to a dead old sinful life and a new life hid with Christ in God, representing the life and resurrection of Christ, buried with Him in baptism into His death and raised in likeness of His resurrection to live in newness of life, come out from the world no longer following worldly methods and practices while seeking things above until He appears in glory. They have put off the old man with anger, wrath, malice, fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, covetousness which is idolatry, blasphemy, filthy communication and speech, and lying, mortifying those members, and have put on the new man renewed in knowledge after the image of the Creator where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision, Barbarian, Scythian, bond nor free, but Christ is all and in all.
Putting on charity belongs with letting the peace of God rule in the heart in one body and being thankful, as the practice of the virtues of the Saviour's character. It belongs with letting the word of Christ dwell richly in all wisdom in teaching and admonishing one another and singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs with grace, and with doing all in word and deed in the name of the Lord Jesus with thanks to God the Father, in hope of the reward of the inheritance. This perfect character leaves no one in doubt about what must be developed to make calling and election sure, honors God by keeping His commandments, marks a clear separation in this life from those who disobey God, and respects the future reward. The instruction is straight, plain and unvarnished to keep the unwary from Satan's trap, and those who desire to be like Christ meet it by praying in faith, watching unto prayer, believing, and singing songs of praise and thanksgiving, guarding weak points of character, keeping self-control and purity, and defeating seducing and evil spirits.
Charity is love, to be put on above all the other Christian virtues and qualities because it binds them together in completeness, perfect unity and perfectness. Its being the bond of perfectness means it is the binding power and binding tie that holds all the other graces together and holds believers together, making character complete. This love is shown in tender compassion, unselfish care, patience and forgiveness toward others, following Christ's forgiveness and love toward those He redeemed, ruling out selfish ambition and desire for supremacy.
Love Perfecting Character
Love is to be put on above all the other Christian virtues and qualities because it binds them together in completeness, perfect unity, maturity, harmony and perfection. This binding love is shown in tender compassion, unselfish care, patience and forgiveness toward others, following Christ's forgiveness and love for His people, and it is tender, compassionate, unselfish and forgiving like Christ's love toward those He redeemed, ruling out selfish ambition and the desire for supremacy. Above mercy, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering, forbearance and forgiveness, it brings the other graces into complete unity and completeness.
Love is the crowning, chief and heavenly grace, the crown of Christian virtues and the fruit of the Spirit. It is the foundation of acceptable service to God, without which talents, learning, eloquence, religious activity and sacrifice are meaningless, but where it rules in the heart God's peace can abide. It crowns bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering, forbearing one another and forgiving even as Christ forgave, binding every other grace into perfectness while letting the peace of God rule in the heart in one body with thankfulness. Its character is that it suffers long and is kind, envies not, vaunts not itself, is not puffed up, does not behave unseemly, seeks not its own, is not easily provoked, thinks no evil, rejoices not in iniquity but rejoices in the truth, bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things and endures all things. Putting it on is working to restore and lift up rather than destroy and cast down, to heal the brokenhearted and set the oppressed free.
The verse calls believers to stand complete in Christ Jesus and sets the Bible standard for God's people. It shows that God requires perfection, nothing less than perfection. That perfection is reached by putting no confidence in self and daily knowing self is not to be trusted, by grasping God's promises with firm faith and exercising living faith in them, by asking for the Holy Spirit in full realization of helplessness, by giving self no glory when the Holy Spirit works, by letting the Holy Spirit take the heart into His keeping and bring to it all the bright beams of the Sun of Righteousness, and by being kept by the power of God through faith. Within its wider context it gives encouragement about faith to ministers. Love is essential to perfection, and progressive sanctification does not leave love behind but continually brings it into the life as the very essence of Christlikeness.
The mercy, kindness, humility, meekness, patience, forbearance and forgiveness bound together by love serve as a remedy for troubles in families and the church. These qualities, following Christ's forgiveness, are to govern the passions and shape life with others.
Nature of Christlike Love
Above all the other Christian qualities love is to be put on because it binds them together in complete unity and perfection of character. This love is tender, compassionate, kind, patient, unselfish and self-sacrificing, forgiving toward the erring, tempted and tried even as Christ forgave and loved those He redeemed. It is pure and unselfish toward one another, shown in Christlike conduct with kindness, patience, forgiveness and encouraging words, and a Christian profession is genuine only when it appears in life and character. It is the heavenly grace, the fruit of the Spirit, without which talents, learning and eloquence are meaningless, and putting away sin to come into harmony with God brings harmony with one another in peace and love. Being under great obligation to Christ who died to redeem sinners lays sacred obligation to manifest toward others the same sympathy, tender compassion and unselfish love He manifested, and when He takes possession of the affections selfish ambition and desire for supremacy die, ruling out pride and idols while purifying the soul.
This love suffers long and is kind, envies not, vaunts not itself, is not puffed up, does not behave unseemly, seeks not its own, is not easily provoked, thinks no evil, rejoices not in iniquity but rejoices in the truth, bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things and endures all things. It belongs with bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, long-suffering, forbearance, forgiving quarrels, benevolence and tenderheartedness, to be cultivated in the soul by the elect, holy and beloved, while letting the peace of God rule in the heart in the calling of one body with thankfulness. It is to take the place of envy, jealousy, malice, hatred and unbelief, for harboring envy and jealousy brings trouble. Hardness, lack of sympathy and critical treatment are contrary to the spirit of Christ, and believers need Jesus to make their hearts kind, compassionate and courteous with meekness, gentleness, patience and kindness.
This love is tender care and solicitude for perishing souls, disinterested benevolence expressed in open love and sympathy toward brethren and sisters in their homes and in the right little things that make up life's happiness or misery, with practical help in everyday dealings. It goes hand in hand with faith that leads to action, and faith and love combined are the gold the True Witness counsels to buy. It is sweet and binds in completeness what belongs to Christian character. The church is almost entirely destitute of this love, having lost disinterested benevolence, and must earnestly labor to win back this grace.
Charity means love for God and for fellow workers, extending to every person regardless of position. It calls those in responsibility to show kindness, courtesy, gentleness and grace. It is the love of Christ revealed in daily life in words and actions alongside mercy, kindness, humility, meekness and forbearance. Christ's love in the believer's experience binds His followers and God's people together in perfect union and unity, leading them to love one another as He has loved them.
Unity Among Believers
Love put on above mercy, kindness, humbleness, meekness, longsuffering, forbearance and forgiveness is the bond that holds all those graces together in perfectness and holds believers together in one body in perfect union, harmony, completeness and lasting unity. These graces together are the genuine fruit of righteousness by which disciples are known, the mark of the elect of God as holy and beloved, and the proof of a living connection with Christ manifesting His Spirit and character. They must be closely examined in the heart and cultivated by each person individually through constant watchfulness and unceasing prayer, since no one can obtain the experience for another. When believers with varied traits of character are brought together in church capacity, putting on charity enables them to harmonize, to be of one mind and one judgment, to speak the same things, to allow no division, and to take a practical part in that work. There is no provision for Christians to draw apart from one another, but being called in one body they are to reveal the character of Christ by unity and love, loving each other as brethren, practicing God's Word, letting the peace of God rule in thankful hearts, and letting the word of God dwell richly in teaching, admonishing and singing.
Love that replaces contention joins believers in unity, including those who differ in how they see matters. It calls for serving in all lowliness of mind with a humble and contrite spirit, putting away self-sufficiency, self-love and separation from brethren who will not accept one's own ideas and plans. It is practiced in truth in words, in spirit and in action, by walking humbly with God, loving the brethren, making room for them to connect and supply deficiencies, and yoking up with them in cheerfulness, love and contentment. Love, peace, gratitude and the word of God dwelling richly guide believers as they teach and encourage one another and support Spirit-led work. Christian unity rests on the love of Christ and is cooperation, not confederacy or restrictive organization, and it is the bond that brings God's people together and binds them to God.
Among consecrated believers, love to God and to one another appears in affectionate, sympathetic and respectful words, keeps fellowship from becoming criticism, murmuring or complaint, and leads them to comfort and build one another up. Putting on charity means thinking no evil, closing the heart to suspicion, jealousy, unjust criticism, evil-speaking and evil-surmising, and instead being kind in thought and charitable in feeling. Keeping this command keeps the soul in subjection to the Spirit of God in an enemy's land, lets the grace of Christ come into the soul and appear in the character, lets the peace of Christ and the peace of God rule in the heart in one body, and leads to thankfulness and to the word of Christ dwelling richly in teaching, admonishing and singing with grace. It means forgiving one another if any have a quarrel, even as Christ forgave, because all live day to day dependent on God's mercy and must continually seek forgiveness.
No provocation can authorize hardness of heart, dislike, resentment or retaliation, since Christ does not deal heartlessly but bears with perversity and is ever ready to pardon transgression and sin when there is repentance and humbling. It means trusting nothing to one's own goodness but hoping only in the abounding mercy of Jesus, and by realizing the greatness of His mercy and the boundlessness of His love becoming partakers of the divine nature and manifesting the same tender spirit of compassionate forbearance, mercy and love, ready to forgive others, with the peace of God ruling in the heart in thankfulness. That love expels a cold, critical, sarcastic, harsh and dictatorial spirit, and those leading God's publishing work must practice it with continued prayer, watchfulness and gracious speech to become vessels unto honor and workmen who need not be ashamed. It melts the heart away from a harsh, dictatorial, sharp, critical and denunciatory spirit and produces tenderness of spirit, kindness, courtesy and refinement of feeling in every transaction between people.
It requires careful dealing with each person as one purchased by the blood of Christ and precious to God, treating others as one desires to be treated and forgiving even as Christ forgave, because sharp words that discourage a soul wound Christ Himself. A melted heart forbids a harsh, dictatorial spirit, sharp words, harsh criticisms and denunciations that discourage souls, and requires carefulness in dealing with others and not daring to exhibit objectionable traits of character, with doing all in word and deed in the name of the Lord Jesus. Love completes Christian character and makes a peacemaker in the family and in the church, whose life is hid with Christ, who looks to Jesus, prays for self-control and meekness, receives Christ's peace, lets the peace of God rule in the heart, lives in unity in one body, and is thankful. Obeying what the third chapter of Colossians states is required of those who claim to follow the Bible, as part of God's call for perfection of character by blending human life with Christ's life and striving lawfully for the crown of life, and doing it leaves a favorable impression of the truth on the minds of unbelievers.
Such love forbids faultfinding, marking faults, evil surmising, suspicion, jealousy, evil speaking, heart burnings, distrust and roots of bitterness, and forbids putting self on the judgment seat to dissect others. It covers what may seem another's faults, restrains differences in opinion and minor matters from growing into grievances, humbles the soul before God, leaves a brother's faults alone, lets self die, overlooks minor differences, yields personal opinions on unimportant matters, makes room for fellow workers, and cooperates unselfishly without tearing down another's work while speaking plainly when needed. Believers are to put away differences that conflict with God's Word and draw together in love and faith, and their unity gives convincing proof of what God's Word accomplishes in those who humble themselves and seek Him. Meekness, mutual forbearance and charity reconciled Whitefield and the Wesleys despite their differences in doctrine, because they shared the aim of winning souls to Christ, and the church's unity as cooperation is a witness that God sent His Son.
Love in Home Life
Above all the other qualities, love is to be put on in the household as the bond that holds mercy, kindness, humility, meekness, patience, forbearance and forgiveness together in perfect unity and completeness. Joined in this way, those graces bring peace, joy and rest into the home and belong with the peace of God ruling in the heart in one body. Where that peace rules, speech without virtue or goodness is restrained, and conduct in every word and deed is shaped for the home.
In marriage this love is a heavenly bond that withstands wear, testing and trial and holds husband and wife in lasting unity and closest union. It is formed by kindness, patience, forbearance, consideration and unselfish service, with continual patience, forbearance and self-discipline toward differing characters, and by Christ's grace husband and wife overcome selfishness to reach God's ideal, so it is far more than flattering words. Above all else husband and wife give their hearts wholly and unreservedly to God while united to one another, seeking to elevate one another and to show holy principles in everyday conversation and in the most private life. They are ever careful and tender of one another's feelings, allowing no wounding bantering, joking or censuring that sacrifices peace and endangers happiness, shunning any dictatorial, overbearing and arbitrary spirit, watching words before speaking, speaking kindly with modulated voice and with only love, gentleness and mildness in countenance and voice, shedding sunlight and leaving no cloud. They conform life to the Word of God to be true, noble and elevated and to smooth the pathway for each other, practicing daily self-control in words and acts, yielding to each other and yielding judgment even when appearing right, remaining yielding, forbearing, kind, tenderhearted, pitiful and courteous, and ever keeping fresh the little courtesies, tender acts and tender, cheerful, encouraging words by which they make or lose their happiness.
In home life this love must be openly expressed in a chaste, pure and dignified way without sentimentalism, dwelling in looks, in words and in acts. Every hasty word is to be checked and not even the appearance of lovelessness allowed, and hardness of heart in word and action is forbidden. Tender affection is to be cherished between husband and wife, parents and children, and brothers and sisters, with everyone pleasant and kind in speech, children respecting and reverencing parents, and parents showing patience, kindness and affection to children. Parents surround children with an atmosphere of cheerfulness, courtesy and love, beginning with the sunshine of love, cheerfulness and happy contentment entering their own hearts and pervading the home, manifesting a kindly, forbearing spirit and encouraging the same in their children and cultivating all the graces that brighten home life. Each one seeks in every possible way to please and make happy the members of the family circle, exemplifying the love and beneficence of the heavenly Father in character and home life. So kept, the home is full of sunshine and home love is kept alive in the hearts of the children, so they look back on their childhood home as a place of peace and happiness next to heaven, worth far more than lands or money, a place where angels delight to manifest their presence, with an atmosphere that to children is as air and sunshine to plants, promoting health and vigor of mind and body.
A husband who finds his wife erring and full of faults must not be bitter against her, for bitterness of spirit will not remedy the evil. He must instead clothe himself with compassionate love that forbears and forgives and lets peace rule in the home, binding mercy, kindness, humbleness, meekness, longsuffering, forbearance and forgiveness together in perfect completeness.
Daily Christian Practice
These graces together are the genuine fruit of righteousness by which disciples are known, the mark of God's elect as holy and beloved, and the proof of living connection with Christ manifesting His spirit. They must be closely examined in the heart and cultivated by each person individually through constant watchfulness and unceasing prayer, since no one can obtain the experience for another. When believers with varied traits are brought together in church life, putting on love enables them to harmonize, to be of one mind and one judgment, to speak the same things, and to allow no division. Love is to be cherished and cultivated as a guiding principle, consecrating the whole heart for God to mold after the divine likeness under the Holy Spirit's guidance. It is inward practical religion and not an outer garment, clothing with humility, hiding the life in Christ in active communion with Him, and bringing fullness of joy with singing praise from a full heart.
It belongs to fitness for work in Christian missions, which schools established in different localities must teach students to know thoroughly with intellectual and divine enlightenment under the sanctification pledged in baptism into Christ's death and resurrection to new life. God looks not at house or land possessed but at the condition of the heart, so love to the Lord with heart and mind and soul and strength must be asked for from God to impart to others by the energizing power of Christ's grace, overcoming pride and self-indulgence to be fit to enter the abodes of bliss. Those tossed about by temptation and doubt are held by it to confidence which has great recompense of reward, to patience, and to doing God's will that they might receive the promise. It binds God's workers together in kindness, tenderness and mutual respect, so no one tears down another's work, because Christ's yoke is a yoke of love and tenderness.
Hearing and obeying it converts the soul, curing an exacting spirit that magnifies little things and forces personal ideas on others. It melts the heart from coldness, brings the gentleness of Christ into words and manner so they are pleasant instead of harsh, abrupt and repelling, and opens the heart for God's peace to rule continually and not as a transient guest. With the peace of God ruling under the subduing influence of the Spirit it brings improvement to health. Putting it on guards weak points of character, keeps self-control and purity, defeats seducing and evil spirits, and keeps the unwary from Satan's trap.
Those who desire to be like Christ meet the straight, plain instruction by praying in faith, watching unto prayer, believing, and singing songs of praise and thanksgiving. The power and grace of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are pledged to make victors over every temptation to deny Christ, fulfilling the command to be perfect even as the Father in heaven is perfect. It belongs to the new life of those risen with Christ, dead with life hid in Him, putting off fornication, uncleanness, covetousness, anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy speech and lying with the old man, and putting on the new man renewed after God's image where Christ is all and in all.
The verse holds up the Bible standard and higher plane of action for those connected with God's work, calling them to be Christlike and to do Christ's words. Young men preparing for ministry are to read and study it, first giving themselves to the Lord for sanctification to His service, keeping a well-ordered life and godly example that tells more than eloquence alone, trimming the lamp of the soul and replenishing it with the oil of the Spirit, and going forth in humility and meekness to labor for souls where truth has not yet been proclaimed. Those leading God's publishing work must practice it with continued prayer, watchfulness and gracious speech to become vessels unto honor and workmen who need not be ashamed. Those engaged in the work who lack it and remain in a low spiritual state are no blessing to the work but a curse.
A Christian profession is genuine only when this unselfish and self-sacrificing love is shown in life and character in Christlike conduct toward others, including kindness, patience, forgiveness, and encouraging words. Unless Christ's precious love is brought into the life, a person is not abiding in Him. Keeping it requires tender sympathy and care, kindness, Christlike politeness, respect and deference, dealing with others as purchased by Christ's blood, with loyalty to Christ demanding this different kind of work. To claim His name while living without this love is to steal His name, pass counterfeit for genuine, and misrepresent Him.
Putting on love is working the works of Christ to restore and lift up, not destroy and cast down, to heal the broken-hearted and set the oppressed free. It proves godliness by good works and friendship to those for whom Christ died. Those who receive Christ become children of God and victors by putting on the new man where Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, Barbarian, Scythian, bond and free are one in Christ, shining as light-bearers amid sin and crime by His example of cross-bearing and self-denial. Whatever is done in word or deed is to be done heartily as to the Lord and not unto men, with thanks to God the Father, knowing that serving the Lord Christ brings the reward of the inheritance.
Above all mercy, kindness, humility, meekness, patience, forbearance and forgiveness toward one another, believers are to put on love as the binding power that holds all those graces and holds believers together in completeness. The command is given to those made new in Christ, dead to the old life of anger, impurity, covetousness and lying and raised to newness of life where Christ is all, and it belongs with letting God's peace rule in the heart, letting Christ's word dwell richly, and doing all in the name of the Lord Jesus. This love is tender, compassionate, unselfish and self-sacrificing like Christ's, patient and kind, free from envy, pride, selfish ambition and harshness, and shown in practical sympathy and help to every person. It binds believers in one body in perfect union and harmony, forbidding evil thinking, faultfinding, criticism and harsh words, and making peacemakers who cover faults, yield in minor matters and cooperate unselfishly. In the home it brings peace, joy and rest, holding husband and wife in lasting unity, and it proves discipleship by a genuine life of Christlike conduct, good works and healing service to others.
Context and Wording
"Above all these things" means above bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering, forbearing one another and forgiving one another even as Christ forgave, with love put on above all of them as the binding power that holds them together in completeness and perfectness. Charity put on in this place is the genuine fruit of righteousness by which disciples are known, the mark of the elect as holy and beloved, and the proof of a living connection manifesting the spirit of Christ, to be closely examined in the heart and cultivated individually through constant watchfulness and unceasing prayer since no one can obtain the experience for another. When believers with varied traits of character are brought together in church capacity, this putting on enables them to harmonize, to be of one mind and one judgment, to speak the same things and to allow no division, each taking a practical part in that work, bringing gentleness into words and manner so they are pleasant instead of harsh, abrupt and repelling, and opening the heart for the peace of God to rule.
The command is given to the elect of God, holy and beloved, who are risen with Christ and must set affection on things above where Christ sits at the right hand of God, being dead with life hid with Christ in God to appear with Him in glory. It belongs to those baptized in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, pledged to a dead old sinful life and a new life hid with Christ in God, representing the life and resurrection of Christ, buried with Him in baptism into His death and raised in likeness of His resurrection to live in newness of life, come out from the world no longer following worldly methods and practices while seeking things above until He appears in glory. They have put off the old man with anger, wrath, malice, fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, covetousness which is idolatry, blasphemy, filthy communication and speech, and lying, mortifying those members, and have put on the new man renewed in knowledge after the image of the Creator where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision, Barbarian, Scythian, bond nor free, but Christ is all and in all.
Putting on charity belongs with letting the peace of God rule in the heart in one body and being thankful, as the practice of the virtues of the Saviour's character. It belongs with letting the word of Christ dwell richly in all wisdom in teaching and admonishing one another and singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs with grace, and with doing all in word and deed in the name of the Lord Jesus with thanks to God the Father, in hope of the reward of the inheritance. This perfect character leaves no one in doubt about what must be developed to make calling and election sure, honors God by keeping His commandments, marks a clear separation in this life from those who disobey God, and respects the future reward. The instruction is straight, plain and unvarnished to keep the unwary from Satan's trap, and those who desire to be like Christ meet it by praying in faith, watching unto prayer, believing, and singing songs of praise and thanksgiving, guarding weak points of character, keeping self-control and purity, and defeating seducing and evil spirits.
Charity is love, to be put on above all the other Christian virtues and qualities because it binds them together in completeness, perfect unity and perfectness. Its being the bond of perfectness means it is the binding power and binding tie that holds all the other graces together and holds believers together, making character complete. This love is shown in tender compassion, unselfish care, patience and forgiveness toward others, following Christ's forgiveness and love toward those He redeemed, ruling out selfish ambition and desire for supremacy.
Love Perfecting Character
Love is to be put on above all the other Christian virtues and qualities because it binds them together in completeness, perfect unity, maturity, harmony and perfection. This binding love is shown in tender compassion, unselfish care, patience and forgiveness toward others, following Christ's forgiveness and love for His people, and it is tender, compassionate, unselfish and forgiving like Christ's love toward those He redeemed, ruling out selfish ambition and the desire for supremacy. Above mercy, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering, forbearance and forgiveness, it brings the other graces into complete unity and completeness.
Love is the crowning, chief and heavenly grace, the crown of Christian virtues and the fruit of the Spirit. It is the foundation of acceptable service to God, without which talents, learning, eloquence, religious activity and sacrifice are meaningless, but where it rules in the heart God's peace can abide. It crowns bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering, forbearing one another and forgiving even as Christ forgave, binding every other grace into perfectness while letting the peace of God rule in the heart in one body with thankfulness. Its character is that it suffers long and is kind, envies not, vaunts not itself, is not puffed up, does not behave unseemly, seeks not its own, is not easily provoked, thinks no evil, rejoices not in iniquity but rejoices in the truth, bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things and endures all things. Putting it on is working to restore and lift up rather than destroy and cast down, to heal the brokenhearted and set the oppressed free.
The verse calls believers to stand complete in Christ Jesus and sets the Bible standard for God's people. It shows that God requires perfection, nothing less than perfection. That perfection is reached by putting no confidence in self and daily knowing self is not to be trusted, by grasping God's promises with firm faith and exercising living faith in them, by asking for the Holy Spirit in full realization of helplessness, by giving self no glory when the Holy Spirit works, by letting the Holy Spirit take the heart into His keeping and bring to it all the bright beams of the Sun of Righteousness, and by being kept by the power of God through faith. Within its wider context it gives encouragement about faith to ministers. Love is essential to perfection, and progressive sanctification does not leave love behind but continually brings it into the life as the very essence of Christlikeness.
The mercy, kindness, humility, meekness, patience, forbearance and forgiveness bound together by love serve as a remedy for troubles in families and the church. These qualities, following Christ's forgiveness, are to govern the passions and shape life with others.
Nature of Christlike Love
Above all the other Christian qualities love is to be put on because it binds them together in complete unity and perfection of character. This love is tender, compassionate, kind, patient, unselfish and self-sacrificing, forgiving toward the erring, tempted and tried even as Christ forgave and loved those He redeemed. It is pure and unselfish toward one another, shown in Christlike conduct with kindness, patience, forgiveness and encouraging words, and a Christian profession is genuine only when it appears in life and character. It is the heavenly grace, the fruit of the Spirit, without which talents, learning and eloquence are meaningless, and putting away sin to come into harmony with God brings harmony with one another in peace and love. Being under great obligation to Christ who died to redeem sinners lays sacred obligation to manifest toward others the same sympathy, tender compassion and unselfish love He manifested, and when He takes possession of the affections selfish ambition and desire for supremacy die, ruling out pride and idols while purifying the soul.
This love suffers long and is kind, envies not, vaunts not itself, is not puffed up, does not behave unseemly, seeks not its own, is not easily provoked, thinks no evil, rejoices not in iniquity but rejoices in the truth, bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things and endures all things. It belongs with bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, long-suffering, forbearance, forgiving quarrels, benevolence and tenderheartedness, to be cultivated in the soul by the elect, holy and beloved, while letting the peace of God rule in the heart in the calling of one body with thankfulness. It is to take the place of envy, jealousy, malice, hatred and unbelief, for harboring envy and jealousy brings trouble. Hardness, lack of sympathy and critical treatment are contrary to the spirit of Christ, and believers need Jesus to make their hearts kind, compassionate and courteous with meekness, gentleness, patience and kindness.
This love is tender care and solicitude for perishing souls, disinterested benevolence expressed in open love and sympathy toward brethren and sisters in their homes and in the right little things that make up life's happiness or misery, with practical help in everyday dealings. It goes hand in hand with faith that leads to action, and faith and love combined are the gold the True Witness counsels to buy. It is sweet and binds in completeness what belongs to Christian character. The church is almost entirely destitute of this love, having lost disinterested benevolence, and must earnestly labor to win back this grace.
Charity means love for God and for fellow workers, extending to every person regardless of position. It calls those in responsibility to show kindness, courtesy, gentleness and grace. It is the love of Christ revealed in daily life in words and actions alongside mercy, kindness, humility, meekness and forbearance. Christ's love in the believer's experience binds His followers and God's people together in perfect union and unity, leading them to love one another as He has loved them.
Unity Among Believers
Love put on above mercy, kindness, humbleness, meekness, longsuffering, forbearance and forgiveness is the bond that holds all those graces together in perfectness and holds believers together in one body in perfect union, harmony, completeness and lasting unity. These graces together are the genuine fruit of righteousness by which disciples are known, the mark of the elect of God as holy and beloved, and the proof of a living connection with Christ manifesting His Spirit and character. They must be closely examined in the heart and cultivated by each person individually through constant watchfulness and unceasing prayer, since no one can obtain the experience for another. When believers with varied traits of character are brought together in church capacity, putting on charity enables them to harmonize, to be of one mind and one judgment, to speak the same things, to allow no division, and to take a practical part in that work. There is no provision for Christians to draw apart from one another, but being called in one body they are to reveal the character of Christ by unity and love, loving each other as brethren, practicing God's Word, letting the peace of God rule in thankful hearts, and letting the word of God dwell richly in teaching, admonishing and singing.
Love that replaces contention joins believers in unity, including those who differ in how they see matters. It calls for serving in all lowliness of mind with a humble and contrite spirit, putting away self-sufficiency, self-love and separation from brethren who will not accept one's own ideas and plans. It is practiced in truth in words, in spirit and in action, by walking humbly with God, loving the brethren, making room for them to connect and supply deficiencies, and yoking up with them in cheerfulness, love and contentment. Love, peace, gratitude and the word of God dwelling richly guide believers as they teach and encourage one another and support Spirit-led work. Christian unity rests on the love of Christ and is cooperation, not confederacy or restrictive organization, and it is the bond that brings God's people together and binds them to God.
Among consecrated believers, love to God and to one another appears in affectionate, sympathetic and respectful words, keeps fellowship from becoming criticism, murmuring or complaint, and leads them to comfort and build one another up. Putting on charity means thinking no evil, closing the heart to suspicion, jealousy, unjust criticism, evil-speaking and evil-surmising, and instead being kind in thought and charitable in feeling. Keeping this command keeps the soul in subjection to the Spirit of God in an enemy's land, lets the grace of Christ come into the soul and appear in the character, lets the peace of Christ and the peace of God rule in the heart in one body, and leads to thankfulness and to the word of Christ dwelling richly in teaching, admonishing and singing with grace. It means forgiving one another if any have a quarrel, even as Christ forgave, because all live day to day dependent on God's mercy and must continually seek forgiveness.
No provocation can authorize hardness of heart, dislike, resentment or retaliation, since Christ does not deal heartlessly but bears with perversity and is ever ready to pardon transgression and sin when there is repentance and humbling. It means trusting nothing to one's own goodness but hoping only in the abounding mercy of Jesus, and by realizing the greatness of His mercy and the boundlessness of His love becoming partakers of the divine nature and manifesting the same tender spirit of compassionate forbearance, mercy and love, ready to forgive others, with the peace of God ruling in the heart in thankfulness. That love expels a cold, critical, sarcastic, harsh and dictatorial spirit, and those leading God's publishing work must practice it with continued prayer, watchfulness and gracious speech to become vessels unto honor and workmen who need not be ashamed. It melts the heart away from a harsh, dictatorial, sharp, critical and denunciatory spirit and produces tenderness of spirit, kindness, courtesy and refinement of feeling in every transaction between people.
It requires careful dealing with each person as one purchased by the blood of Christ and precious to God, treating others as one desires to be treated and forgiving even as Christ forgave, because sharp words that discourage a soul wound Christ Himself. A melted heart forbids a harsh, dictatorial spirit, sharp words, harsh criticisms and denunciations that discourage souls, and requires carefulness in dealing with others and not daring to exhibit objectionable traits of character, with doing all in word and deed in the name of the Lord Jesus. Love completes Christian character and makes a peacemaker in the family and in the church, whose life is hid with Christ, who looks to Jesus, prays for self-control and meekness, receives Christ's peace, lets the peace of God rule in the heart, lives in unity in one body, and is thankful. Obeying what the third chapter of Colossians states is required of those who claim to follow the Bible, as part of God's call for perfection of character by blending human life with Christ's life and striving lawfully for the crown of life, and doing it leaves a favorable impression of the truth on the minds of unbelievers.
Such love forbids faultfinding, marking faults, evil surmising, suspicion, jealousy, evil speaking, heart burnings, distrust and roots of bitterness, and forbids putting self on the judgment seat to dissect others. It covers what may seem another's faults, restrains differences in opinion and minor matters from growing into grievances, humbles the soul before God, leaves a brother's faults alone, lets self die, overlooks minor differences, yields personal opinions on unimportant matters, makes room for fellow workers, and cooperates unselfishly without tearing down another's work while speaking plainly when needed. Believers are to put away differences that conflict with God's Word and draw together in love and faith, and their unity gives convincing proof of what God's Word accomplishes in those who humble themselves and seek Him. Meekness, mutual forbearance and charity reconciled Whitefield and the Wesleys despite their differences in doctrine, because they shared the aim of winning souls to Christ, and the church's unity as cooperation is a witness that God sent His Son.
Love in Home Life
Above all the other qualities, love is to be put on in the household as the bond that holds mercy, kindness, humility, meekness, patience, forbearance and forgiveness together in perfect unity and completeness. Joined in this way, those graces bring peace, joy and rest into the home and belong with the peace of God ruling in the heart in one body. Where that peace rules, speech without virtue or goodness is restrained, and conduct in every word and deed is shaped for the home.
In marriage this love is a heavenly bond that withstands wear, testing and trial and holds husband and wife in lasting unity and closest union. It is formed by kindness, patience, forbearance, consideration and unselfish service, with continual patience, forbearance and self-discipline toward differing characters, and by Christ's grace husband and wife overcome selfishness to reach God's ideal, so it is far more than flattering words. Above all else husband and wife give their hearts wholly and unreservedly to God while united to one another, seeking to elevate one another and to show holy principles in everyday conversation and in the most private life. They are ever careful and tender of one another's feelings, allowing no wounding bantering, joking or censuring that sacrifices peace and endangers happiness, shunning any dictatorial, overbearing and arbitrary spirit, watching words before speaking, speaking kindly with modulated voice and with only love, gentleness and mildness in countenance and voice, shedding sunlight and leaving no cloud. They conform life to the Word of God to be true, noble and elevated and to smooth the pathway for each other, practicing daily self-control in words and acts, yielding to each other and yielding judgment even when appearing right, remaining yielding, forbearing, kind, tenderhearted, pitiful and courteous, and ever keeping fresh the little courtesies, tender acts and tender, cheerful, encouraging words by which they make or lose their happiness.
In home life this love must be openly expressed in a chaste, pure and dignified way without sentimentalism, dwelling in looks, in words and in acts. Every hasty word is to be checked and not even the appearance of lovelessness allowed, and hardness of heart in word and action is forbidden. Tender affection is to be cherished between husband and wife, parents and children, and brothers and sisters, with everyone pleasant and kind in speech, children respecting and reverencing parents, and parents showing patience, kindness and affection to children. Parents surround children with an atmosphere of cheerfulness, courtesy and love, beginning with the sunshine of love, cheerfulness and happy contentment entering their own hearts and pervading the home, manifesting a kindly, forbearing spirit and encouraging the same in their children and cultivating all the graces that brighten home life. Each one seeks in every possible way to please and make happy the members of the family circle, exemplifying the love and beneficence of the heavenly Father in character and home life. So kept, the home is full of sunshine and home love is kept alive in the hearts of the children, so they look back on their childhood home as a place of peace and happiness next to heaven, worth far more than lands or money, a place where angels delight to manifest their presence, with an atmosphere that to children is as air and sunshine to plants, promoting health and vigor of mind and body.
A husband who finds his wife erring and full of faults must not be bitter against her, for bitterness of spirit will not remedy the evil. He must instead clothe himself with compassionate love that forbears and forgives and lets peace rule in the home, binding mercy, kindness, humbleness, meekness, longsuffering, forbearance and forgiveness together in perfect completeness.
Daily Christian Practice
These graces together are the genuine fruit of righteousness by which disciples are known, the mark of God's elect as holy and beloved, and the proof of living connection with Christ manifesting His spirit. They must be closely examined in the heart and cultivated by each person individually through constant watchfulness and unceasing prayer, since no one can obtain the experience for another. When believers with varied traits are brought together in church life, putting on love enables them to harmonize, to be of one mind and one judgment, to speak the same things, and to allow no division. Love is to be cherished and cultivated as a guiding principle, consecrating the whole heart for God to mold after the divine likeness under the Holy Spirit's guidance. It is inward practical religion and not an outer garment, clothing with humility, hiding the life in Christ in active communion with Him, and bringing fullness of joy with singing praise from a full heart.
It belongs to fitness for work in Christian missions, which schools established in different localities must teach students to know thoroughly with intellectual and divine enlightenment under the sanctification pledged in baptism into Christ's death and resurrection to new life. God looks not at house or land possessed but at the condition of the heart, so love to the Lord with heart and mind and soul and strength must be asked for from God to impart to others by the energizing power of Christ's grace, overcoming pride and self-indulgence to be fit to enter the abodes of bliss. Those tossed about by temptation and doubt are held by it to confidence which has great recompense of reward, to patience, and to doing God's will that they might receive the promise. It binds God's workers together in kindness, tenderness and mutual respect, so no one tears down another's work, because Christ's yoke is a yoke of love and tenderness.
Hearing and obeying it converts the soul, curing an exacting spirit that magnifies little things and forces personal ideas on others. It melts the heart from coldness, brings the gentleness of Christ into words and manner so they are pleasant instead of harsh, abrupt and repelling, and opens the heart for God's peace to rule continually and not as a transient guest. With the peace of God ruling under the subduing influence of the Spirit it brings improvement to health. Putting it on guards weak points of character, keeps self-control and purity, defeats seducing and evil spirits, and keeps the unwary from Satan's trap.
Those who desire to be like Christ meet the straight, plain instruction by praying in faith, watching unto prayer, believing, and singing songs of praise and thanksgiving. The power and grace of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are pledged to make victors over every temptation to deny Christ, fulfilling the command to be perfect even as the Father in heaven is perfect. It belongs to the new life of those risen with Christ, dead with life hid in Him, putting off fornication, uncleanness, covetousness, anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy speech and lying with the old man, and putting on the new man renewed after God's image where Christ is all and in all.
The verse holds up the Bible standard and higher plane of action for those connected with God's work, calling them to be Christlike and to do Christ's words. Young men preparing for ministry are to read and study it, first giving themselves to the Lord for sanctification to His service, keeping a well-ordered life and godly example that tells more than eloquence alone, trimming the lamp of the soul and replenishing it with the oil of the Spirit, and going forth in humility and meekness to labor for souls where truth has not yet been proclaimed. Those leading God's publishing work must practice it with continued prayer, watchfulness and gracious speech to become vessels unto honor and workmen who need not be ashamed. Those engaged in the work who lack it and remain in a low spiritual state are no blessing to the work but a curse.
A Christian profession is genuine only when this unselfish and self-sacrificing love is shown in life and character in Christlike conduct toward others, including kindness, patience, forgiveness, and encouraging words. Unless Christ's precious love is brought into the life, a person is not abiding in Him. Keeping it requires tender sympathy and care, kindness, Christlike politeness, respect and deference, dealing with others as purchased by Christ's blood, with loyalty to Christ demanding this different kind of work. To claim His name while living without this love is to steal His name, pass counterfeit for genuine, and misrepresent Him.
Putting on love is working the works of Christ to restore and lift up, not destroy and cast down, to heal the broken-hearted and set the oppressed free. It proves godliness by good works and friendship to those for whom Christ died. Those who receive Christ become children of God and victors by putting on the new man where Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, Barbarian, Scythian, bond and free are one in Christ, shining as light-bearers amid sin and crime by His example of cross-bearing and self-denial. Whatever is done in word or deed is to be done heartily as to the Lord and not unto men, with thanks to God the Father, knowing that serving the Lord Christ brings the reward of the inheritance.