Required Tools

Colossians 3:12-17

A friend of mine had worked for several years as an auto mechanic. The company he worked for made changes, and he left to take a job with an electrician. Though he had a huge assortment of tools, many of them were not applicable to his new trade. He had to buy new tools that applied to electrical work, and learn new skills, regulations, and procedures. He had to leave his huge toolboxes at home, and get a tool belt and portable tool boxes to carry with him. It was a new experience in every way.

When we become a Christian, we receive a whole new life. The requirements are completely different, and the old standards and barriers are removed. Colossians 3:9-11 instructs “Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds; And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him: Where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision, Barbarian, Scythian, bond nor free: but Christ is all, and in all.” Everything has changed, and Christ becomes the basis of everything.

Paul describes himself as having had to put away his accomplishments and traditions in order to win Christ. “But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ. Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ, And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith: That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death; If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead.” (Philippians 3:7-11)

My friend had to put away his huge mechanics toolbox and tools and put on a tool belt with the proper electrical tools. We have to put on the attitudes and actions that enable us to live that new life. Colossians 3:12-14 is almost like a list of required tools to live the life.

“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. And above all these things put on charity, which is the bond of perfectness.” (Colossians 3:12-14)

There is a book titled Don’t Just Act like A Christian, Be one. To be one will require developing these attitudes in daily life. Instead of trying to decide What Would Jesus Do?, we will have the same attitude, and begin to respond automatically in the same way. We will develop an attitude of compassion, empathizing with the hurts of others, and helping when possible. Kindness should be our natural way of relating to others. Pride should be lacking in our lives, as should a desire to get our own way. There should be no anger or bitterness over our circumstances, but a willingness to accept them. There should be a willingness to overlook annoying actions of others, and a willingness to forgive when they do wrong, or offend us, just as Christ forgave us, completely and with no grudges. Most importantly, we are to love each other. It is the evidence of our Christianity according to John 13:35. “By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.” The lack of love proves the opposite as we see in I John 4:8. “He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.”

Each of these things will be produced in our lives by the Holy Spirit if he is allowed to. Galatians 5:22-25 describes this. “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.” II Corinthians 3:18 describes how the Holy Spirit changes us to be like Christ as we get to know him. “But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.”

Peter gives the same instructions, promising that to do so guarantees success in our Christian life. Failure to put them into our lives implies that we do not care, or do not understand what Christ has done for us, and are like the seed which fell among thorns in the story of the sower in Luke 8:4-15. Luke 8:14 says, “And that which fell among thorns are they, which, when they have heard, go forth, and are choked with cares and riches and pleasures of this life, and bring no fruit to perfection.” Peter assures us that will not happen to those who allow the Holy Spirit to produce these things in our lives.

“And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge; And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness; And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity. For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. But he that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot see afar off, and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins. Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall:” (II Peter 1:5-10)

When the Holy Spirit is in control, we can allow him to produce other results as well, enabling us to rejoice ourselves, and to help each other. Our over all attitude will greatly improve.

“And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful. 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. And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him.” (Colossians 3:15-17)