Too often we can sit in judgment on the fallen world. We forget how far down God had to go to save us. Instead of wearing the virtues of Christ we wear the morality of religion. We then blend more with a world that already has too much religion and not enough virtue. It becomes difficult to tell the chosen people of God from the rest of the world and it should not be so. It runs contrary to the explicit directions given by Jesus:
By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another." John 13:35
Thirdly, the instruction to put on these virtues (clothes) indicates an act of the will. When we wake up in the morning, our clothes do not select themselves we choose what we want to wear. The same thing goes for what spiritual clothing we wish to put on. It is a choice; an act of our will. The parable of the Good Samaritan finds a man who has been beaten and left for dead by bandits. He is lying on the side of the road like many people we see in the world each day; robbed and left for dead. Mugged by the world and the harshness it embraces. The parable tells us that religion walked by this person first and did not bother to stop. The priest in fact, walked to the other side of the street to avoid even having to come close to the wounded soul. Next a Levite also passed the wounded person by; not wanting to have anything to do with him. Finally, a Samaritan saw the man:
But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was. And when he saw him, he had compassion. Luke 10: 33
The Samaritan chose to clothe himself with compassion just as much as the priest chose to clothe himself with indifference. Our key verses show us that not only are there virtues God expects us to embody as the chosen people of God but that they run contrary to our nature and they must be willfully chosen.
Continuing in the key verses, John also implores us to bear with one another and forgive whatever grievances we might be tempted to hold. The New Living Translation actually says that we need to "make allowance for each other's faults." There is no question that we have faults and we will be at fault. The difference as Christians is we are to forgive each other. Why? Again, there is a world watching that is walking in darkness. The things of God are foolishness to them. They may not listen to a verse or sermon, but they will take notice when you forgive someone despite their faults. Not content with just that imperative, the key verse clarifies that mere forgiveness as humans practice it is not enough. We must forgive as the Lord has forgiven us. Too often we hear things like, "I'll forgive him, but I will never forget." That is not forgiveness at all! Imagine if God still chose to remember all you had done wrong? His forgiveness is whole it is complete:
"I, even I, am he who blots out your transgressions, for my own sake, and remembers your sins no more. Isaiah 43:25
We are to forgive as God has forgiven us. We are to blot out the transgression against us and remember it no more as if it never happened. It is as much an act of the will as clothing ourselves in the virtues of God is. That brings us to the final aspect of the key verses today; love. Love accomplishes two things according to these verses. It is above all of the virtues and it binds them all together in perfect unity. Love is the ruler and the glue.
