Key Verse: Colossians 3:14 “But above all these things put on love, which is the bond of perfection.” In Colossians 3:8-15, Paul is concerned about how we dress as Christians. However, he is not speaking about our physical dress as he is in 1 Timothy 2, here he is concerned with how we dress spiritually. Paul pictures our spiritual dress similar with putting on and taking off certain clothes. In verses 8-11 he commands us to take off the ‘clothes’ we wore as unbelievers such as: anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, and filthy language. In verses 12-15 he reminds us of new ‘clothes’ we are to put on each day. Some of these are compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, long suffering, forgiveness, peace, etc. However, there is one trait Paul says we have to put on above all the rest, love. He calls love the bond of perfection. By calling it the bond of perfection, he is reminding us that if we have love we can keep the law. If we love God and love others sin will have no place in our life! By calling it the bond, Paul has the idea of a belt. Love is that trait from which all the others mentioned in this passage flow from! It is love that holds the entire outfit together! Friends, as Christians we should be recognized by the outside world for our love of God and love of others. When we love God and others rightly, our lives will be characterized by peace, joy, self control, compassion and many other fruits. If we don’t have love we will also not have these other traits in our life on a consistent basis. Love is the belt that holds the others traits in place. Are you wearing the belt of love today?
