Colossians 3:12-14 "Which binds them all together in perfect unit…

“Which binds them all together in perfect unity.”

2023-1015, Colossians 3:12-14,

Today's Bible passage mentions "putting on clothes." Putting on clothes is an everyday, important, and necessary task for humans. Being able to wear clothes helps us maintain our health and present ourselves in a more beautiful and stylish manner. In today's passage, putting on clothes symbolizes putting on good qualities of faith in the innermost depths of our hearts. While the Korean translation of verse 12 says, "Therefore... put on clothes," the Greek original text begins with "Endusaste" (Put on clothes). Just as we dress ourselves outwardly, we should also clothe our inner selves with the virtues of good faith.

The passage tells us that we, as Christians, have something to remember as we put on these virtues. In verse 12, it says, "Therefore... you are God's chosen ones, holy and loved..." Saints are those chosen by God, holy, and loved. This verse reminds us that we are the chosen ones of God, who are holy and loved. There is a similar message in the book of Isaiah (Isaiah 43:1b, 4a), which says, "...do not be afraid, for I have ransomed you. I have called you by name; you are mine... 4. Others were given in exchange for you. I traded their lives for yours because you are precious to me..."

  Recognizing that we are chosen and loved, saints fill their inner selves with virtues such as compassion, mercy, humility, gentleness, patience, bearing with one another, and forgiving each other (verse 13). Compassion means having a heart that shows pity and is not harsh. Jesus also said, "Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy." Mercy brings about peace. Humility and gentleness are the opposites of pride. Saints do not live with pride, but instead, they elevate others and live with warm, relaxed hearts. Patience is required for a person to grow in grace. Pastor Young Bong Yoon, who used to serve and retired at KUMC in Detroit, mentioned his story. In 1947, he was imprisoned in a Soviet camp for not cooperating with the Soviet government. One day, he found a fishbone in his meal that was the size of a finger. He considered whether to eat it or discard it and decided to eat it. Two hours later, the bone had completely dissolved, becoming calcium nutrients. From that point forward, he lived his life with patience and humility towards people. He shared his confession, and I could relate to it.

  If you can be patient, you can forgive others as well. However, forgiveness is considered one of the most challenging tasks. Still, the passage encourages us to forgive. In Christianity, C.S. Lewis said, "Forgiving is a thing that needs to be practiced, much like learning addition in elementary school." While it may seem like we can help others with our hearts and temperament, it can also be done due to our roles, occupations, and societal norms. However, executing all these acts of kindness over and above, with love as the foundation, is what the chosen ones of God should do.

  We are not simply asked to act out of love without a reason. Saints have a model of love based on the love that Jesus Christ demonstrated. On the cross, Jesus showed us the model of that love, and He said that people will know we are His disciples if we love one another (John 13:35). We have learned about Christ through Christ himself and have taken off our old selves, putting on new selves daily. That love that we can practice and learn to give is agape love. Agape love is the perfect unity that binds us together, just like a belt that ties everything together.

  It's easy to think that we are okay with our level of kindness and qualities, but there is more work to be done. The passage advises us to add love to everything. Love is the belt of unity that ties everything we do, over and above what we have already practiced, according to what God has chosen for us.

 Love is based on the love of Christ, and it should be the model and motivation for our love for others. By giving love, we grow into the perfect unity that binds us. This passage doesn't simply encourage us to add love without a reason. It tells us that the love we express should be built on the foundation of Christ's love. Jesus Christ set the model for us when He showed us His love on the cross. He said, "Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one's life for one's friends."

Carrying that belt of love in our hearts, let us head into the coming week with the intention of practicing it. Let us be diligent in practicing compassion, humility, gentleness, patience, bearing with one another, and forgiving one another. Remember that the love of Christ is in your hands. Wherever you go, practice tying with love. Love is the belt that ties us together perfectly.

12 Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. 13 Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. 14 And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.

  I've heard that, for many years now, wearing hanbok (traditional Korean clothing) when visiting Korean palaces such as Gyeongbokgung allows visitors to enter for free. I had the opportunity to take a walk on the pathway near Gyeongbokgung last fall, and I saw many students wearing hanbok. Most of them had rented the hanbok from nearby stores. The hanbok looked bright and lively, and it was a sight to behold. People also often take pictures while wearing hanbok, and they often look just as good as celebrities in their outfits. Hanbok has a rich and vibrant design, making it a lovely and charming attire. It was a great experience to witness so many people wearing hanbok. It made me think about the clothing we wear and how it represents us, and how we can use it to express our unique identities and cultures.