Col 3:12-17 And so, as those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience; bearing with one another, and forgiving each other, whoever has a complaint against anyone; just as the Lord forgave you, so also should you. And beyond all these things put on love, which is the perfect bond of unity. And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body; and be thankful. Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you, with all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God. And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father. 
	Last week, we spent much time in terms of the mystery of Christ in us, the hope of Glory. Colossians three contains many different aspects of the manner in which we, as the Church, are to live forth the mystery of Christ in us unto this world. At a future time, we will deal with more of the full measure of Christ’s Church, including some of the manifestations of what God has done in the Church through Jesus Christ. Today, let us consider the results that should be the natural outcome of the indwelling of the Holy Spirit as He reveals the mystery of Christ in us and melds us together into the Church that God will have on this earth. 
As disciples of the Lord, we are to give evidence, in a most living manner, as to the One Who indwells us. There are certain characteristics that the Apostle Paul highlights in these Colossian passages that should be our everyday service unto Him. These are not things that we are to strive to accomplish of ourselves. They are genuineness of being that should be naturally forthcoming because we love the Lord and desire to do only that which He is in us. This, in itself, gives rise to the truth that we do not really have to seek after God to make us this way or that way. The character of Christ’s love is already in place within us as His Holy Spirit is in us. The thing that hinders our continual outpouring of the following Christian graces is a lack of obedience to the One Whom we now serve on this earth. As we value His Word, as we obey His Holy Spirit, these graces become evermore livingly evident in Christ. As well, they are to become livingly evident in us as the normal walk of a Christian, a servant of Christ.
While these are not in a set order, let us see that they interact to show forth the Love of God in us unto this world. Our first characteristic of consideration is that of sympathy. Sympathy is a tremendous grace of God that is seen in His Body. There are several aspects to this sympathy, as we will see. One of these aspects is that of benevolence which sees a need and does its utmost to meet that need. It is sympathy in action. In Isa 58:7, we read, "Is it not to divide your bread with the hungry, And bring the homeless poor into the house; When you see the naked, to cover him; And not to hide yourself from your own flesh? There should be an earnest outcry from within us that wants to give what we can to meet the needs of others. This may be a physical need, it may be an emotional need, it may be a spiritual need, whatever the need, we should want to do all that we can to graciously provide any of our resources to deal with the needs of others.
Along these lines is a heart that truly desires to be helpful. It is a heart that is never infringed upon, but is always available to be of assistance to those in need. Acts 20:35 "In everything I showed you that by working hard in this manner you must help the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, that He Himself said, 'It is more blessed to give than to receive.'" It is a matter of opening ourselves with all compassion to that which will make a difference in the lives of those whom we see in bondage, in need, and in dire straits. It is truly our becoming part of their lives in every respect, as we are One with each other in Christ. Rom 12:15, Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep. We are joined together in a living oneness in Christ, and heart-felt sympathy one for another should be expressed livingly in our helpfulness to others.
Also as part of true sympathy, we should be willing to bear the burdens of others. As we are told in this third Chapter, verses 12 and 13, And so, as those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience; bearing with one another, and forgiving each other, whoever has a complaint against anyone; just as the Lord forgave you, so also should you. We are called to be that which is needed for the sake of others. As we encounter anyone with a heavy burden, we become part of their lives in holding them up before the Lord and allowing Him to place those burdens on us as an aid to the afflicted. This is one key aspect of being joined together in prayer as these burdens are corporately lifted before the Lord. We need to be in prayer together, united in the stand of God’s love and Holiness to cover every burden. Rom 15:1, Now we who are strong ought to bear the weaknesses of those without strength and not just please ourselves. And in Gal 6:2, we read, Bear one another's burdens, and thus fulfill the law of Christ. 
	We should have a fellow feeling for those in trials and tribulation and sickness that wells up within us and allows us to go out of our way in order to minister to the needs of these brothers and sisters. Heb 13:3 Remember the prisoners, as though in prison with them, and those who are ill-treated, since you yourselves also are in the body. We should not treat them with judgment and condemnation, but with the love that realizes their lack of fellowship and seeks to bring them into the Body of Christ. We, as His Church, should have hearts of sympathy to cover those captive to the powers of this age in love and in fellowship.
	Somewhat in the same vein, sympathy creates in us the desire to visit those in need in order to share with them the love and the gift of fellowship in Christ. James 1:27 This is pure and undefiled religion in the sight of our God and Father, to visit orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world. Sympathy is a vital, living characteristic of the Church, the Body of Christ.
	The next grace of Christ that should be evidenced livingly within us is that of kindness. This seems to be a simple thing, but we tend to forget that, as we deal with one another within the Body of Christ, it needs to be done in the manner of kindness, of treating one another, and all others, with graciousness of attitude and word and thought. Please remember that what we think of each other is completely open before the Omniscience of God. Our very thoughts need to express kindness to one another as unto the Lord. Again, in our passage of consideration, And so, as those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience; bearing with one another, and forgiving each other, whoever has a complaint against anyone; just as the Lord forgave you, so also should you. 
This is an area that is in need of constant encouragement as is apparent in the writings of the Apostles Paul and Peter. Rom 12:9-13, Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil; cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in brotherly love; give preference to one another in honor; not lagging behind in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord; rejoicing in hope, persevering in tribulation, devoted to prayer, contributing to the needs of the saints, practicing hospitality. 
	1 Cor 13:4, Love is patient, love is kind, and is not jealous; love does not brag and is not arrogant, 
And, in Eph 4:31+32, Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. And be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you. These passages leave little doubt as to the manner in which we are to be kind to one another, to esteem one another in Christ.
	And as Peter writes in 2 Peter 1:5-7, Now for this very reason also, applying all diligence, in your faith supply moral excellence, and in your moral excellence, knowledge; and in your knowledge, self-control, and in your self-control, perseverance, and in your perseverance, godliness; and in your godliness, brotherly kindness, and in your brotherly kindness, love. 
	Consider the hierarchy of this passage. It begins with faith and builds up to love. Accordingly, brotherly kindness leads to love, the perfect love of Christ.
	Another gracious characteristic of Christ and His Body is that of meekness, of humility, of not putting ourselves above others as superior. Rather we are to serve one another, and to do it in willing joy as unto the Lord. As with sympathy, there are a number of elements that are vitally part of meekness, the humility of joyous servitude as unto the Lord.
	First, it is something to be sought after, to be desired as a part of our heart’s love unto Christ. Zeph 2:3a, Seek the Lord, All you humble of the earth Who have carried out His ordinances; Seek righteousness, seek humility... 
	Humility, meekness is an attitude that puts others before us, to the point of not fighting against another, but letting the Lord deal with each situation. This is a heart of submission to the Lord and of dealing with those who persecute us in the love of the Lord. Christ states it rather succinctly in Luke 6:27-29 "But I say to you who hear, love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. "Whoever hits you on the cheek, offer him the other also; and whoever takes away your coat, do not withhold your shirt from him either. 
	This attitude of meekness is of such value to the Lord, that it is evident as a natural aspect of the fruit of the Spirit, as described in Gal 5:22+23 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. 
	The Apostle Paul sees it as a matter of tremendous necessity within the members of the church as he writes in Eph 4:1-3 I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, entreat you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, showing forbearance to one another in love, being diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. 
	One aspect of the necessity of meekness is because it is essential in teaching, in instruction, in counseling one with another, in bringing forth that which is to feed the Church, the Body of Christ. There is no place for self-exaltation when we are dealing with the eternal matters of God. There must be only that heart which seeks to faithfully give forth what God provides for His people. There can be no drawing of attention to ourselves, only to the Word of God. 2 Tim 2:24-26 And the Lord's bond-servant must not be quarrelsome, but be kind to all, able to teach, patient when wronged, with gentleness correcting those who are in opposition, if perhaps God may grant them repentance leading to the knowledge of the truth, and they may come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil, having been held captive by him to do his will. 
As Paul writes to Titus, in chapter 3, verses 1+2, Remind them to be subject to rulers, to authorities, to be obedient, to be ready for every good deed, to malign no one, to be uncontentious, gentle, showing every consideration for all men. 
	As meekness is essential in the ministry of the Word, whether to the congregation or to the little ones or to the individual, so also is it essential to hearing the Word and responding to it in more than a casual manner. As we are instructed in James 1:21, Therefore putting aside all filthiness and all that remains of wickedness, in humility receive the word implanted, which is able to save your souls. The every element of our spiritual life rests on the meekness of our hearts. Without meekness, we have a tendency to consider ourselves as already having received that which is being taught. We think that we need not listen as carefully and as thoughtfully and as prayerfully because we already know what is being shared. Rather, we need to receive the Word in all meekness, seeking after the Holy Spirit to implant it, to sink it deeply into the very core of our hearts! Meekness, humility has a precious place in God’s sight, as we read in 1 Peter 3:3+4, And let not your adornment be merely external — braiding the hair, and wearing gold jewelry, or putting on dresses; but let it be the hidden person of the heart, with the imperishable quality of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is precious in the sight of God. 
	Humility knows that only God, only His Word, only His Holy Spirit can meet every need. It is in absolute humility and meekness of spirit and heart that we come to God to be our every salvation in this life.
Another of the Christian graces that is to be a natural part of our behavior on this earth is longsuffering. While patience is a part of this longsuffering, there is so much more involved in our hearts. We place ourselves into the plight of others and we take upon ourselves those burdens, no matter how long the struggle. Human nature wants things done now, quickly. It doesn’t like the idea of waiting patiently in earnest prayer, year after year without losing faith that God is at work and that He does have all things well in hand. Longsuffering encompasses that absolute faith that no matter how things look from their outward appearances, no matter how long it takes, as measured in days, months, years, or decades, God is still doing His perfect work in His perfect time. That is why the Apostle Paul can write so definitely as in 1 Cor 13:4-7, Love is patient, love is kind, and is not jealous; love does not brag and is not arrogant, does not act unbecomingly; it does not seek its own, is not provoked, does not take into account a wrong suffered, does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. 
    	As members of the Body of Christ, we are to endure everything in that unshakeable confidence evident in longsuffering as proclaimed in 2 Cor 6:1-10, And working together with Him, we also urge you not to receive the grace of God in vain — for He says, "At the acceptable time I listened to you, And on the day of salvation I helped you"; behold, now is "the acceptable time," behold, now is "the day of salvation" — giving no cause for offense in anything, in order that the ministry be not discredited, but in everything commending ourselves as servants of God, in much endurance, in afflictions, in hardships, in distresses, in beatings, in imprisonments, in tumults, in labors, in sleeplessness, in hunger, in purity, in knowledge, in patience, in kindness, in the Holy Spirit, in genuine love, in the word of truth, in the power of God; by the weapons of righteousness for the right hand and the left, by glory and dishonor, by evil report and good report; regarded as deceivers and yet true; as unknown yet well-known, as dying yet behold, we live; as punished yet not put to death, as sorrowful yet always rejoicing, as poor yet making many rich, as having nothing yet possessing all things. 
	Consider what it means to take a person, a family, or a group of people into your hearts and to lift them up before the Lord on a daily basis, no matter what length of time is involved. The Apostle Paul did this, as evidenced in Col 1:9-12, For this reason also, since the day we heard of it, we have not ceased to pray for you and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so that you may walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, to please Him in all respects, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; strengthened with all power, according to His glorious might, for the attaining of all steadfastness and patience; joyously giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified us to share in the inheritance of the saints in light. 
	Please consider the heart of prayer that is evident and expressed as we ceaselessly lift up the members of the Church unto God. In longsuffering, we lift up every member of the Church with a heart that they would come into all the fullness of God. This is not a momentary prayer, this is an eternal prayer of intense love.
    	As shown in the following verse, the Apostle Paul places a great charge of longsuffering upon those who are called to minister. True ministry, one to another, can only be effective as longsuffering is established. We have to be willing to bear with the burdens, the complaints, the sorrows, and the strife of the Church, of each other, day after day, month after month, year after year, decade after decade. We do so with hearts that seek to encourage, and to uplift, and to commend each other, no matter how long it takes. That is one of the key aspects of ministry one to each other. 2 Tim 4:1+2, I solemnly charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by His appearing and His kingdom: preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with great patience and instruction. 
	Another of God’s Graces in the church, that is to be the natural outflow of our hearts, is that of impartiality. There are no favorites, no politicking, and no disassociation within the members of the Church. God does not show partiality, as shown in verses 23-25 of our Colossian text. Whatever you do, do your work heartily, as for the Lord rather than for men; knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance. It is the Lord Christ whom you serve. For he who does wrong will receive the consequences of the wrong which he has done, and that without partiality. 
As well, God sees no difference based on age, sex, nationality, culture, or creed. All that matters to God, and all that should matter to us and be visibly seen in the Church is a whole people whose hearts and minds are now made new by the life of Christ. There is no other distinction that should be practiced or preached or advocated. Rom 10:11-13 For the Scripture says, "Whoever believes in Him will not be disappointed." For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, abounding in riches for all who call upon Him; for "Whoever will call upon the name of the Lord will be saved." 
	As is evident, there is much of Christ that is being established as the natural outcome of His indwelling Spirit within His Church. There is an attitude, as that of a servant that is to find instant expression within the hearts and actions of each member of the Church, and is to be seen in the Church as a whole. As Christ lives and expresses these heavenly graces, so also are we to give living expression to Christ in us, our hope of glory. We are called to treat one another and all those who are in our sphere of influence with a perfect love, grounded and established in Christ as our very life.	
And so, as those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience; bearing with one another, and forgiving each other, whoever has a complaint against anyone; just as the Lord forgave you, so also should you. And beyond all these things put on love, which is the perfect bond of unity. And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body; and be thankful. Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you, with all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God. And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father. Amen
Today’s benediction is from Rom 12:1+2, I urge you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect. Amen