Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering; (13) bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you must also do. (14) But above all these things put on love, which is the bond of perfection. (15) And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which you were also called in one body; and be thankful. (16) Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. (17) And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.

The letter to the Colossians was written by the apostle Paul. Written primarily to refute heresy, our verses teach key areas of theology: deity of Christ; reconciliation and redemption in Christ – election, forgiveness and the nature of the church. The elect of God – those set apart by God, are new men and women in faith who owe everything to the will of God; His will, his choice. The faithful are to put on the qualities of Christ; to live and behave in love and let the peace of God rule in our hearts and be thankful for undeserved salvation. We are to forgive precisely as we are forgiven.

The emphasis in our verses is the understanding of our responsibilities as a Christian. We are not just to stop inappropriate behaviors but to adopt qualities of our new life in faith. The basic principle as opposed to a set of specific rules is this – we should live and think and act all deeds in harmony with the revelation of Jesus Christ – under His authority and as His followers – and to do all with thanksgiving to God. This approach is vastly different from a legal one that provides a specific command for every situation. This contrast shows the basic difference between the New Testament and the Old Covenant.

Christianity is not just theology nor simply a system of ethics but union with Christ – a decisive modification in duty. It is creed followed by conduct or more simply, we are to behave as we believe. c.S.Lewis write in ‘Mere Christianity’ that “The real problem of the Christian life comes where people do not usually look for it. It comes the very moment you wake up each morning. All your wishes and hopes for this day rise at you like wild animals. And the first job each morning consists simply in shoving them all back; in listening to that other voice, taking that other point of view, letting that other larger, stronger, quieter life come flowing in. And so on, all day. Standing back from all your natural fussing and fretting; coming in out of the wind.”