The Clothes of the Elect

Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering; 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 3:12-13)

The word elect comes from the Greek eklektos, and it means favorite or chosen.

What type of clothes would the elect of God wear? A suit? A long dress?

Paul tells us we are to put on mercy, kindness, humility, long-suffering, forbearing and forgiving. That’s an outfit that many Christians don’t seem to wear often. Let’s talk about a few of these items:

· Bowls of mercies - The word bowels simply means to have a deep inward affection. In other words, we should love people with the depth of Christ’s love.

· Kindness - This has to do with the attitude we have towards other people.

· Humbleness of mind - Humility isn’t thinking less of yourself; it’s thinking of yourself less. Think of others more and think of God the most.

· Long-suffering - This means patience. I’m thankful that God was patient with me.

· Forbearing one another - The word for forbearing in the Greek is anechomai, and it means to put up with. Have you ever had to put up with some people? It means accepting who they are.

· Forgiving one another - Forgiveness is vital for the believer. We must learn to forgive others because God forgave us. We must “pay it forward” so that our faith can work through our love.

Practical Application

Every morning when you wake up you should confess: “I have much patience. I am very patient.” Say it out loud. Don’t think it or read it; speak it out of your mouth like you believe it. Declare how you will act toward others.

Ephesians 4:2; Ephesians 4:32