God provides six foundational traits of His own character—holiness, faithfulness, patience, sacrifice, goodness, and forethought—for believers to put on in their dealings with one another. Paul urges casting off the old man, with its fornication, anger, malice, and lying, and putting on the new man, renewed after the image of his Creator. The qualities cultivated include tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering, forbearance, forgiveness, and above all love, which binds everything in perfection. This putting on follows presenting one's body as a living sacrifice and renewing the mind. Through consistent daily practice, believers prove what is acceptable to the Lord, develop the mind of Christ, and demonstrate fitness for rulership, while those who fail forfeit their reward and exclusion from their Lord's joy. Also see sermons and articles about 'Godly Characteristics, Putting on'.

Playlist:

playlist Go to the Godly Characteristics, Putting on (topic) playlist
  • Colossians 3:8-14
    But now you yourselves are to put off all these: anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy language out of your mouth. Do not lie to one another, since you have put off the old man with his deeds, and have put on the new man who is renewed in knowledge according to the image of Him who created him, where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcised nor uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave nor free, but Christ is all and in all. 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. But above all these things put on love, which is the bond of perfection.
     
  • Romans 12:1-2
    I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.
     
  • Ephesians 4:20-24
    But you have not so learned Christ, if indeed you have heard Him and have been taught by Him, as the truth is in Jesus: that you put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts, and be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness.