What is the bond of perfection (Colossians 3:14)?

And to all these add love, which is the bond of perfectness.

Divine love cannot be separated from its source and is only manifested in the lives of believers as communion with God is maintained. Here it is said to be the ‘bond of perfectness’ since it binds together in a two-fold way. Firstly it binds together these different qualities by maintaining their divine character. They belong to the moral nature of God of which every believer is made a partaker and are not to become or be mistaken for natural amiability. Secondly, as the life and character of Christ are manifested in these qualities the saints are bound together practically and the unity and testimony of the local assembly is maintained.

V. 14. Then we read, "To all these things add love" (N. Tn.). It is not, as in our translation, "Above all these things put on love", as if above all these qualities there is "love" as a quality apart. Love is to be added to the mercy, the kindness, and all the other qualities. All these blessed activities of the new man are to spring from love. If we show mercy, or kindness, or forbearance, or forgiveness, it should be because we love our brother. Love is "the bond of perfectness". The Apostle is speaking of the new order of man in which alone perfection can be found. In the old order, men are hateful and hating one another; in the new, all are bound together in the eternal bonds of love. One has said, "The links which are riveted in the love of Christ, and in labours for Christ, outlive the changes of time, and bind the family of God in the mansions of eternity".

Other differences have disappeared: there remains but the old man, which we only acknowledge as dead, and the new man. To the latter Christ is all; so that there is none but He whom they see and whom they acknowledge, and He is in all believers They put on therefore as such, as elect, holy, beloved (Christ being their life), the character of Christ, mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, patience, forbearing one another, and forgiving one another if offence has been given, even as Christ has done to us.* Finally they put on love, the bond of perfectness, that which gives a divine character to all the qualities that have been enumerated, and that were manifested in Christ, and a divine check on taking amiable nature for divine grace, for divine love is holy.

Several of these qualities may be resembled by things in nature; but the energy, the features, the bond of divine love, which acts in the sense of communion with God, are totally wanting in the latter; and this gives a character, a completeness, a righteousness of application, a perfection, a propriety, and an energy to the manifestation of these qualities, which love alone can give. For it is indeed God Himself who is there, acting in His nature which He has imparted to us. For He who dwells in love dwells in God, and God in him. With regard to the state of the soul, there is a crown to this walk, wherewith they who follow it constantly are adorned. The peace of Christ reigns in the heart, that sweet and ineffable peace which nothing could disturb, though His spirit passed through everything to try it, for He walked ever with God. God has also called us to this; He is the God of peace. And here the apostle introduces the oneness of the body, not as to its privileges in Christ, but as to the fact that Christians are called to be together in the unity of which peace is the seal and the bond. And then there will be thanksgiving; for the soul is conscious of the love and the activity of God, and everything flows to it from that love.

The joy of the Lord is our strength. For mortification, we want power; and our power is found in that which lifts us out of the whole scene to which evil attaches. Christ, therefore, is now to give character to every part of our behaviour. As the elect of God, those who owe everything to His will, His choice as those set apart to Him, and those upon whom He has set His love, we are to put on the things which properly accompany this: "bowels of compassion, kindness, lowliness, meekness, long-suffering, forbearing one another and forgiving one another." It is striking how, in all these, there is found some form of self-denial. Power is shown by competence for stooping; God turning also the very things that are against us into the means of educating us in this. Things evil in themselves may, nevertheless, furnish us with a wholesome discipline for the way and enable us, in answer, to bring forth fruit which is according to God. We are to forbear as God has forborne. We are to forgive as Christ has forgiven us; to all which is to be added love, as that which is the "bond of perfectness," which keeps everything in its place and perfects every detail of life. Think how the world, even, has to put on the appearance of love, the more if it has not the reality; but love itself has no need to put on an appearance. It will manifest itself in harmony in every tone and gesture. The manifestation of the divine nature has a unity in it which makes everything to be in harmony. If there is love in the heart, the words will not be hard or unseemly; their very tone will be affected.

Also the word, "quarrel," in verse 13 is really "complaint," as the margin of a reference Bible shows. Have we ever heard of any Christian having a complaint against another? Ever heard of a complaint! we should reply. Why the air is frequently thick with complaints! The difficulty would be to discover any Christian company without them! Well, see what is enjoined upon us in connection with such — forbearance and forgiveness; and that after the pattern of Christ Himself. For this we need the humbleness of mind, the meekness and long-suffering mentioned in verse 12, as well as the charity, or love, which verse 14 enjoins. Love is the bond of perfectness for it is the very nature of God.

474 But all this is not natural gentleness. He says, "Above all these things charity, which is the bond of perfectness" - the real love of God, that perfects a thing, and makes it divine; and not merely a gentle nature that we see constantly with no power to resist, no firmness of character, one who cannot say "no." There are plenty of people to whom it is torture to say "no," and where it would be grieving the Spirit not to say "no"; that is human kindness, not divine love. This bond of perfectness is a holy thing. Gentleness is very sweet to see, but it will not stand good in a world of temptation. If it is the grace of Christ, and I have divine love and power, I do go through it; for it is divine godly love and obedience.

But all this is not natural gentleness. He says, "Above all these things charity, which is the bond of perfectness" - the real love of God, that perfects a thing, and makes it divine, and not merely a gentle nature that we see constantly with no power to resist, no firmness of character, one who can't say "no." There are plenty of people to whom it is torture to say "no," and where it would be grieving the Spirit not to say "no;" that is human kindness, not divine love. This bond of perfectness is a holy thing. Gentleness is very sweet to see, but it won't stand good in a world of temptation. If it is the grace of Christ, and I have divine love and power, I do go through it; for it is divine godly love and obedience.

To the Philippians the apostle Paul writes, "And this I pray, that your love may abound yet more and more"; to the Colossians he says, "Above all these things put on love, which is the bond of perfectness." It completes all the rest, and without it there is a lack for which no combination of other qualities can atone. Writing to the Thessalonians, he speaks of their "work of faith, and labour of love, and patience of hope." Faith is always active; without works it is dead. It can accomplish much, for it knows a God with whom nothing is impossible - a God of ceaseless activity. "My Father worketh hitherto, and I work." And so faith works. But to be of much value it must be a labour of love. Love must be behind it all and in it all. It must be begun, continued, and ended in love. If we look for recognition or reward here we may be disappointed. The more it is a work of faith, the less, probably, will it be understood; but if at the same time it is a labour of love, we shall be sustained, for love is its own reward. Let us see to it that every work we undertake is a work of faith - that is, given to us by God, undertaken for God, and done to God - and, in addition, that it is carried out in love, for the service of love is perfect freedom. And the patience of hope crowns all. For, as we have said, the work of faith may not always get its due here, but we wait for the time when everything will be valued at its true estimate. Further on we get the desire expressed: "The Lord make you to increase and abound in love one toward another, and toward all, even as we do toward you." (Chap. 3:12.) How we see that again and again throughout the epistles the same thing is emphasized, showing us clearly enough that without love we are nothing. The apostle would have us increase and abound; and another apostle exhorts us to "love one another with a pure heart fervently." Must we not all say how little we know of this?

“And above all these things put on charity (love), which is the bond of perfectness” (Col. 3:14). Love is the feature that binds all together. The writer, having considered those beautiful features of Christ in verses 12 and 13 which we are to put on, concludes that love is over all. The verse previously alluded to in Deuteronomy 30:6 connected the circumcised heart with whole-hearted love to God. With ourselves today our love to one another will be according to our love to God. The flesh has no part in this. If love binds together, the activity of the flesh does the opposite: it will bring in difficulties but love removes them.