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Colossians 3:12-17 says: “Therefore, as God’s chosen people, a 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 all together in perfect unity.”

As we take this advice and follow the example of Jesus, we will start to see positive and amazing change in every area of our lives.

First, we need to clothe ourselves with God’s ultimate love, mercy and grace. And we do so by bowing our hearts before him, recognizing that we are sinners and lost without him, believe that Jesus is the Son of God, messiah of this world, confess that he is Lord and make him ruler of our lives.

Without him, without God, we are nothing. We all need Jesus, we all need his love and mercy. Not just for one moment, or for just one day, or for a season — we need him every minute, every moment, always and forever.

When you clothe yourself with this Jesus, he removes those old garments of sin and throws them into the deepest parts of the sea. They are forgiven and forgotten. Then he gives you a new garment of righteousness, pure and holy before him. He gives you a new heart and a fresh start.

Then in your new life, you can start taking steps in removing old garments of pride, rudeness, impatience, unforgiveness, hate, “malice, anger, filthy language, sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires, greed, which is idolatry.”

These are what the Bible calls the “old self.” Now we can put on the “new self,” the very things that will bring glory to God and healing into our relationships — peace of mind and true joy that this world cannot give.

It’s a daily exercise as we purposefully and strategically pursue God and do as Deuteronomy 6:5 says, “Love the Lord your God with all of your heart, with all our soul, and with all of your strength,” clothing ourselves entirely with all that God is: “humility, patience, kindness, compassion, forgiveness” and most of all, love.

You can try to put these things on and try to be a “good person” without God, but you will still experience dissatisfaction and a void in your heart. But when you have Jesus and do these things, you will experience life and purpose, true excitement and most of all hope and eternal salvation.

Shalom to you — peace, nothing broken, nothing missing.

• Pastor Gilbert Ybarra is minister of The River of Life Christian Fellowship. Sermon notes is a column by ministers of the Patterson Ministerial Association.