Colossians 3:12-14 Therefore as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them together in perfect unity.

God alone is holy. Absolutely true! But as believers we are also called to holiness. In Paul’s letter to the Colossians, chapter 3 in particular, he is very specific about our responsibility to actively construct a holy life. The relationship we have entered into with Christ has to impact our thinking and manifest itself in our conduct. He entreats us to set our hearts and our minds on things above where Christ is seated at the right hand of God, not on earthly things.  We have to begin to see things through new lenses and as we change our focus, we must start killing off the negative behaviors: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires, greed, anger, rage, malice, slander and filthy language. Wow! All these to be replaced by the qualities listed in verses 12-14.

The ultimate purpose is unity – in the family, in relationships and in the body of Christ and with the Lord. As Jesus was saying farewell to his disciples, he prayed for all who would believe on his name in the future: “My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me.” (John 17:20-21).