May 27, 2016

Colossians 3:12  NKJV - "Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering." 

Commentary:

Yesterday we spoke about compassion for the lost.  Today I want to encourage showing mercy, kindness, humility, meekness, and longsuffering for the saved.  So often we are instructed how to reach out to the unsaved and do what we can to bring them to Christ.  But even the saved need "to be reached."  Every Christian goes through struggles and difficulties that seem overwhelming.  Sometimes their behavior falls into the snare of the "way of the world" and they seem to lose their own way.  How can we help them back on the right track?

Remember Who You Are - You're saved by God's elective grace and He showed all these qualities in your life to bring you to Him, and after you got saved, He continued to show these graces to help restore you to a godly walk with Him.  Don't forget how tender and compassionate He was with you.

Show Mercy - Mercy is sometimes described as holding back judgment!  In other words, don't judge a fallen Christian.  Show them mercy in your understanding (remembering how you stumbled too), and show them that you are there to help them renew their love for Christ.

Be Kind - Simple acts of kindness have won so many people to the Lord and have helped countless Christians know that they are not forgotten by God when they mess things up.  Kind deeds show God's love!

Be Humble - Show a fallen believer that they are still part of God's family and give them respect and honor as a fellow-Christian.  Approach them as you would want them to approach you.

Be Meek (Gentle) - A gentle approach opens up opportunities to communicate God's love and guidance.  Approaching someone in harshness can quickly close doors to further help.

Be Patient (Longsuffering) - This also means "endurance."  In other words, don't give up so easily if a fallen Christian doesn't immediately respond to your appeals.  God is constantly at work in us.  He knows that sooner or later we are going to yield to His will.  As you and I help those believers who are struggling we need to be patient with them.