Christian Moral Fiber
Colossians 3:12-17

A fellow Pastor was recently installed in a Church. He told me about the history of the parish. For thirty years one minister stayed on. That was very good. However, this pastor was of the kind who believed that evangelism was the only purpose of the sermon. Week after week he summoned the unsaved to repent and turn to Christ for salvation. Each homily ended with an altar call. An invitation was extended to walk the aisle. Many did. Souls were saved. But what happened to the members who had already repented and believed? They were left stunted, immature, and untaught. Thirty years of revivalism had produced a train wreck. The membership list now bulges with pornography addicts, divorcees, prisoners, alcoholics, and notorious evil livers.

The apostles never practiced such lop-sided preaching. The Apostle Paul proclaimed the plain, straightforward Gospel of the Kingdom of Jesus Christ. He balanced evangelism with theology, ethics, and piety. For example, our epistle passage for today speaks of the virtues or qualities that should mark a believer's conduct. Why is morality important in the Christian scheme of things? Is it necessary for salvation? Yes, understood in the proper way. Repentance and faith in Christ along with Baptism make one a born again believer in the Body of Christ. By God's grace one is saved and bound for Heaven. But no true conversion leaves out sanctification, the life-long process of taking on the image of Jesus' perfect and glorified humanity. The apostle writes to the Christians in Collosae, "Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering; bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another, even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do" (Colossians 3:12-13).

Surrounded by immorality, the Christian should be morally strong and mature. Christian moral fiber is called for. Plants are supported by fiber; and cells of fiber make up the muscles in our bodies. Just as a physical organism debilitates without fiber, so it is in the spiritual realm. We need the essential elements of moral fiber. This is what we will now examine.

Notice that St. Paul addresses the Colossian believers: "as the elect of God, holy and beloved." The believers are reminded of their position as God's chosen ones. Their election has taken place in the past. Ephesians 1:4 states that it transpired "before the foundation of the world." They have already put on the new man. God has graciously dressed them in the robes of Christ's perfect righteousness. Why is election such an important teaching? God's omnipotent control over creation and salvation demands it. Without election you must inevitably shrink God's sovereignty.

The term "elect" belongs to St. Paul's favorite way of expressing the truth that we do not become Christians merely by our own choice and decision (Romans 8:33; 16:13). Underlying human response is the free grace of God who takes the initiative. The sovereign Lord so moves the human will that it finds its true freedom in willingly surrendering to the divine call. In other words God saved you, not because you asked Him to, not because you hoped He would, not because you deserved it, but because God set His electing love upon you. This is a truth that magnifies the Lord's power.

How should we respond when the New Testament writers proclaim God's electing mercy? Not as a conundrum to tease our minds but as a wonder to evoke our praise. The Thirty-Nine Articles put it nicely: "the godly consideration of Predestination, and our Election in Christ, is full of sweet, pleasant, and unspeakable comfort to godly persons" [Art. XVII Of Predestination and Election.] If you are in Christ, then you can say, "I am the elect of God, holy and beloved. The Lord chose me a sinner, and I belong to Him. God, I will praise you for your grace and mercy."

Is there another reason that St. Paul calls the Colossian believers the "elect of God, holy and beloved?" Yes. Those Old Testament expressions were used of Israel as God's own possession. St. Paul transfers those same description words to the Colossians as the new people of God. Everything that once applied to the Jews, after Christ, takes to the Church. Sound theology has always held that the Church is Israel now. The doctrine that the Church has replaced Israel is a major motif in the New Testament. It is the one, holy, catholic and apostolic Church that reaps the benefits of the covenantal promises made to the Hebrews in Judea. Romans chapter 11 promises us that Israel will one day reap those same blessings once they come into the Church.

There is one last reason that Paul reminded the Colossians that they were "the elect of God, holy and beloved." He wanted to remind them that their lives should measure up to their profession. They were to be in conduct and attitude what God had already called them and elected them to be. What are the traits that build Christian moral fiber? Those qualities are compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, and longsuffering. Let's examine them.

St. Paul exhorts the Colossian believers to put on tender mercies. The virtue we are to put on like a shirt is tender mercies; also called compassion, or sympathy. It is the strongest word for pity in the Greek language; it quite literally means "to be shaken to the depths of one's being," to be moved with a compassion that penetrates into the innermost recesses of one's very substance.

The Christian, then, is to be a person of pity. Don't think this kind of compassion comes naturally. No, we're not born with it. It must be cultivated. "How can I cultivate more compassion for others," you ask? Clay Trumbull has this to say: "In order to sympathize with another, you must be able to put yourself in his place, mentally and emotionally; to occupy, for the time being, his point of view, and to see that which he sees, and as he sees it, as he looks out there from." [ Hints on Child Training , p 151. A very wise and helpful book for parents.].

In effect, in order to cultivate compassion, you must get in the habit of learning how to think and feel what your friend or neighbor is thinking and feeling. Does grief pierce your heart when you see suffering or distress? Or are you calloused to their affliction? Sympathy can apply to gladness too. Do you rejoice with other people in their delights? Or are you calloused to the joy of others?

Parents, do you realize how much your children love sympathy? You certainly do. They yearn for you to share their hurts and joys. Putting a band-aid on a boo-boo and kissing it makes your toddler so content. Once your children get older they still need your sympathy. Adults need sympathy. We all do. Compassion benefits the giver and the receiver. If you can practice compassion with your children they will trust you, and you will be able to influence them in the right way.

Kindness is the next virtue. The original root of the word was used of wine. Good wine is "mellow," without any rough harshness in it. Thus, Christian kindness has mellowness in it. A person can be kind with what might be called a cold, impersonal, superior kindness. But Christian kindness is smooth, personal, and warm. It includes kind words, kind gestures, and polite manners. These small kindnesses accumulate and build Christian moral fiber. The Christian shows his kindness by thinking of the comfort and welfare of others. He is ready to do favors for others. He or she is able to show an unselfish interest in dialogue. When she enters a room and meets new people she is ready to find out what interests the other person and then make herself interested in that very subject. In a way, kindness is the opposite of self-centeredness.

The next virtue on our list is humility. The sins of pride and conceit are the most glaring and obvious of sins. Christian humility comes from our awareness that we can never be anything other than creatures in the presence of our Creator, sinners in the presence of the holiness of God. It is interesting that in most pagan cultures the notion of humility is entirely unknown. More than one ancient writer announced: "man is the measure of all things." With such a worldview it makes sense to proclaim, "Glory to man in the highest." But in Christianity the virtue of humility stands in the highest place, because man stands in the presence of God.

Meekness is another virtue. Meekness is similar to gentleness, but not the same as spinelessness. Plato used this word to describe a sheep dog. Out in the country this particular breed of dog is gentle to his friends and gentle to the sheep, but strong to resist enemies. What happens when a wolf approaches the defenseless lamb? The dog becomes aggressive. After the wolf flees the sheepdog resorts to his gentle ways. Moses was the meekest of all men says God's Word, yet we know that Moses was no milquetoast.

Christian meekness has to do with self-control. The meek man controls his reactions. He struggles daily for self-mastery, and intelligent control of himself. He gains control over his body, instead of allowing his body to gain the control of him. Like Jesus, the meek lets his anger flare only when it is absolutely appropriate. Sometimes anger is necessary and can be good. Uncontrolled anger is another animal. Bad character is marked by a hot temper that over and again ruins all personal relationships. The Christian's anger is always under control.

Meekness can be a trial for parents. What about scolding? When children misbehave it feels natural to give them a tongue-lashing. Is that a good idea? No. Meekness includes control over the tone and pitch of your voice. Of course, this does not rule out spanking. Christian meekness requires that you parents speak to your kids in a calm controlled voice when they disobey. It's difficult when you are furious. The temptation is to speak loudly, the worse the infraction the more shrill the voice. If you feel enraged, walk away, go into another room and cool down before you come out and speak. I'm preaching to myself here. When it comes to correcting my kids' bad behavior I'm not always meek. I'm beginning to work on it. At any rate, the surly, irritable, uncontrolled outbursts are forbidden. The mature Christian is meek. If anger is necessary, he controls it.

Another quality of Christian temperament is bearing with one another, or longsuffering. Within a parish quarrels will erupt. Due to sin and depravity this is to be expected. That does not excuse it. It does make the Church look bad. Yet, the fact is, our selfish natures make it impossible to avoid. We should be pleasantly surprised when peace prevails for a long time. What is at the root of discord? Touchiness. Some people allow themselves, and even encourage themselves, to feel slighted and injured. Instead of bearing with little snubs, digs and coolness and realizing that these things were probably done unintentionally, touchy people come to believe that there is a dark malice lurking in the hearts of others, and people are intentionally treating them meanly. If you want to bear with others and attain godly longsuffering try to put the best possible spin on the seeming rudeness others do to you. Maybe they intend to hurt you, but probably not. Forgive them. The Bible tells us to "forgive one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do." When the Christian remembers all that God has forgiven him, he cannot help but forgive others.

We have now covered five qualities that build Christian moral fiber. The picture is by no means complete. The epistle passage for this Fifth Sunday after Epiphany also speaks of love and peace, gratitude and music.

If you are in Christ today, you are "the elect of God, holy and beloved." This is a great privilege, but there is responsibility that goes with that privilege. It means you have the duty to put on Christian character: compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, and longsuffering. Come now to the table of the Lord. Come in faith. A purpose of receiving the Body and Blood of Christ is your sanctification. Your Savior gives you this meal to strengthen these qualities in you. As you partake of the fest today ask Jesus to cultivate in your daily walk compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, and longsuffering.

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