Colossians 3:12-21 Family life in the Lord If you would like these presentations in high resolution PowerPoints please go to: www.SaintPaulMinistries.net - Weekly Readings and Illustration tab, as always the materials are free. Copyrighted material that appears in this article is included under the provisions of the Fair Use Clause of the National Copyright Act, which allows limited reproduction of copyrighted materials for educational and religious use when no financial charge is made for viewing.

Brothers and sisters: Put on, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, heartfelt compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience, bearing with one another and forgiving one another, if one has a grievance against another; as the Lord has forgiven you, so must you also do. And over all these put on love, that is, the bond of perfection. And let the peace of Christ control your hearts, the peace into which you were also called in one body. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, as in all wisdom you teach and admonish one another, singing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, in word or in deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

Brothers and sisters: Put on, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, heartfelt compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience, bearing with one another and forgiving one another, if one has a grievance against another; as the Lord has forgiven you, so must you also do.

And over all these put on love, that is, the bond of perfection. And let the peace of Christ control your hearts, the peace into which you were also called in one body. And be thankful.

Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, as in all wisdom you teach and admonish one another, singing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God.

And whatever you do, in word or in deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

Wives, be subordinate to your husbands, as is proper in the Lord. Husbands, love your wives, and avoid any bitterness toward them. Children, obey your parents in everything, for this is pleasing to the Lord. Fathers, do not provoke your children, so they may not become discouraged.

Wives, be subordinate to your husbands, as is proper in the Lord.

Husbands, love your wives, and avoid any bitterness toward them.

Children, obey your parents in everything, for this is pleasing to the Lord.

Fathers, do not provoke your children, so they may not become discouraged.

Paul uses terms to describe how Christians should behave, showing compassion, kindness, acting in humility, gentleness and patience. In order to call ourselves Christians we need to model Christ’s behavior. Paul speaks of forgiving consider for a moment how much God has forgiven you in your life and then ask yourself why you find it so difficult to forgive others. Christ gives us another example, having been scourged, forced to carry his cross through streets full of people mocking him and as he hung on a cross he said, ““Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do.”(Lk. 23:34) yet we seem to find it difficult to forgive others. Paul continues, “And over all of these put on love,” some texts translate love as charity.

Paul uses terms to describe how Christians should behave, showing compassion, kindness, acting in humility, gentleness and patience.

In order to call ourselves Christians we need to model Christ’s behavior.

Paul speaks of forgiving consider for a moment how much God has forgiven you in your life and then ask yourself why you find it so difficult to forgive others.

Christ gives us another example, having been scourged, forced to carry his cross through streets full of people mocking him and as he hung on a cross he said, ““Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do.”(Lk. 23:34) yet we seem to find it difficult to forgive others.

Paul continues, “And over all of these put on love,” some texts translate love as charity.

Your spouse or child offend you in some way. You have the option to be angry or unforgiving for a brief or a long period of time. If you want to be an example of Paul’s writing to the Colossians you have to act out of love, which is charity and forgive your transgressor as quickly as you can. You can bear a grudge, but your grudge doesn’t hurt the person whom you hold it against, it hurts you, because you have to deal with the sad feelings it brings you. Love will give you the power to forgive, and be welcomed into other peoples lives, your circle of friends will increase and you will be imitating Christ.

Your spouse or child offend you in some way. You have the option to be angry or unforgiving for a brief or a long period of time.

If you want to be an example of Paul’s writing to the Colossians you have to act out of love, which is charity and forgive your transgressor as quickly as you can.

You can bear a grudge, but your grudge doesn’t hurt the person whom you hold it against, it hurts you,

because you have to deal with the sad feelings it brings you.

Love will give you the power to forgive, and be welcomed into other peoples lives, your circle of friends will increase and you will be imitating Christ.