So You Also Must Forgive

[Christsfreeservant]

“Put on then, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony.” (Colossians 3:12-14 ESV)​

Believing in Jesus Christ to be Lord and Savior of our lives is to make a difference in our lives. We are not supposed to be like we were before we believed in Jesus. That doesn’t mean that we will be instantaneously perfect in every way, but that we should have been crucified with Christ in death to sin, and raised with Christ to walk in newness of life in him, no longer to live as slaves to sin but as slaves to God and to his righteousness. So we are not to let sin reign any longer in our mortal bodies to make us obey its passions, for if we do, we will not inherit eternal life with God (see Romans 6:1-23).

And as we read the Scriptures, book by book, chapter by chapter, and verse by verse, in context, we realize that the New Testament is filled with instructions to us on what we are to put out of our lives – like sexual immorality, idolatry, adultery, lying, and slandering, and the like – and on what we are to put on in our lives – like compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, patience, truth telling, and moral purity, and the like. For Jesus Christ died on that cross to free us from our slavery to sin so that we will now serve him with our lives and honor him with our bodies.

But we need to understand here that compassion and kindness are to be according to the Word of God and the will of God, and as demonstrated to us by the life of Jesus and by the lives of his NT apostles. And they are not to be determined by human thinking, reasoning, philosophy, and psychology. For we humans don’t think like God thinks, for many humans think that lying to people is both kind and compassionate. Now this doesn’t mean that you are hateful or nasty to anyone in order to tell them the truth, but that telling people lies is not kind. Speaking the truth in love to them is kind.

Now when it says here to bear with one another, this is not about tolerating deliberate and habitual sin in the lives of those professing faith in Jesus Christ within the gatherings of the church. This has more to do with differences of opinion and personality, I believe. Instead we are to speak the truth in love to one another, and exhort one another so that none of us are hardened by sin’s deceitfulness, and so that none of us are led astray by those who in their cunning, craftiness, and deceitful scheming, are leading many people to follow after a false and distorted “gospel of Christ.”

[Romans 12:1-8; 1 Corinthians 12:1-31; Galatians 6:1; Ephesians 2:8-10; Ephesians 4:1-16; Ephesians 5:15-21; Philippians 2:1-8; Colossians 3:16; Titus 2:11-14; Hebrews 3:13; Hebrews 10:23-25; James 5:19-20]

And we need to be those who do not hold grudges, and who do not feel the necessity to “get even” with others who we believe have wronged us in some way. But we need to be those who make it our practice to forgive, but with the same message that Jesus gave, which was “go and sin no more.” For forgiveness is not to be with the intention of tolerating and accepting deliberate and habitual sin within the gatherings of the church (see 1 Corinthians 5:1-13). For it does not excuse away willful sin, but it confronts it, just like the Scriptures do. We just don’t retaliate. We love our enemies!

And the love that we are to put on is not human love, which is subject to fail, and which is based in our emotions and in the one being loved as being lovable. But we are to love one another with agape love which prefers to live through Christ, obeying his will, and choosing his choices. And it prefers what Christ prefers which is what is holy, righteous, godly, morally pure, upright, honest, faithful, and obedient to our Lord and to his commands. And so when we love with this love we will treat others as God treats us and we will do for them what is for their good and not do evil against them.

Jesus, Lead Me

An Original Work / July 22, 2011

Jesus, lead me all the way.
Be my hope and be my stay.
Gently lead me where I should go,
So Your Spirit, I want to know.
Open up my heart to You.
Fill me with Your love and truth.
Make my heart want to obey.
Be my Lord today. Gently lead always.

Jesus, lover of my soul,
Cleanse my heart, and make me whole;
Be transformed in my heart today,
As I turn from my sin and pray.
Make Your will known to my heart.
May I not from You depart.
How I long to hear You now,
As I humbly bow. Jesus, hear me now.

 

[AlexB23]

“Put on then, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony.” (Colossians 3:12-14 ESV)​

Believing in Jesus Christ to be Lord and Savior of our lives is to make a difference in our lives. We are not supposed to be like we were before we believed in Jesus. That doesn’t mean that we will be instantaneously perfect in every way, but that we should have been crucified with Christ in death to sin, and raised with Christ to walk in newness of life in him, no longer to live as slaves to sin but as slaves to God and to his righteousness. So we are not to let sin reign any longer in our mortal bodies to make us obey its passions, for if we do, we will not inherit eternal life with God (see Romans 6:1-23).

And as we read the Scriptures, book by book, chapter by chapter, and verse by verse, in context, we realize that the New Testament is filled with instructions to us on what we are to put out of our lives – like sexual immorality, idolatry, adultery, lying, and slandering, and the like – and on what we are to put on in our lives – like compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, patience, truth telling, and moral purity, and the like. For Jesus Christ died on that cross to free us from our slavery to sin so that we will now serve him with our lives and honor him with our bodies.

But we need to understand here that compassion and kindness are to be according to the Word of God and the will of God, and as demonstrated to us by the life of Jesus and by the lives of his NT apostles. And they are not to be determined by human thinking, reasoning, philosophy, and psychology. For we humans don’t think like God thinks, for many humans think that lying to people is both kind and compassionate. Now this doesn’t mean that you are hateful or nasty to anyone in order to tell them the truth, but that telling people lies is not kind. Speaking the truth in love to them is kind.

Now when it says here to bear with one another, this is not about tolerating deliberate and habitual sin in the lives of those professing faith in Jesus Christ within the gatherings of the church. This has more to do with differences of opinion and personality, I believe. Instead we are to speak the truth in love to one another, and exhort one another so that none of us are hardened by sin’s deceitfulness, and so that none of us are led astray by those who in their cunning, craftiness, and deceitful scheming, are leading many people to follow after a false and distorted “gospel of Christ.”

[Romans 12:1-8; 1 Corinthians 12:1-31; Galatians 6:1; Ephesians 2:8-10; Ephesians 4:1-16; Ephesians 5:15-21; Philippians 2:1-8; Colossians 3:16; Titus 2:11-14; Hebrews 3:13; Hebrews 10:23-25; James 5:19-20]

And we need to be those who do not hold grudges, and who do not feel the necessity to “get even” with others who we believe have wronged us in some way. But we need to be those who make it our practice to forgive, but with the same message that Jesus gave, which was “go and sin no more.” For forgiveness is not to be with the intention of tolerating and accepting deliberate and habitual sin within the gatherings of the church (see 1 Corinthians 5:1-13). For it does not excuse away willful sin, but it confronts it, just like the Scriptures do. We just don’t retaliate. We love our enemies!

And the love that we are to put on is not human love, which is subject to fail, and which is based in our emotions and in the one being loved as being lovable. But we are to love one another with agape love which prefers to live through Christ, obeying his will, and choosing his choices. And it prefers what Christ prefers which is what is holy, righteous, godly, morally pure, upright, honest, faithful, and obedient to our Lord and to his commands. And so when we love with this love we will treat others as God treats us and we will do for them what is for their good and not do evil against them.

Jesus, Lead Me

An Original Work / July 22, 2011

Jesus, lead me all the way.
Be my hope and be my stay.
Gently lead me where I should go,
So Your Spirit, I want to know.
Open up my heart to You.
Fill me with Your love and truth.
Make my heart want to obey.
Be my Lord today. Gently lead always.

Jesus, lover of my soul,
Cleanse my heart, and make me whole;
Be transformed in my heart today,
As I turn from my sin and pray.
Make Your will known to my heart.
May I not from You depart.
How I long to hear You now,
As I humbly bow. Jesus, hear me now.

We have a few similar verses about forgiveness in our posts. The verses below, I have yet to make into a Bible study, but eventually I will.


According to the teachings of Christianity as presented in the Bible, forgiveness is an essential aspect of living a Christ-like life. Here are some Biblical verses that speak to the topic of when we should forgive others. All verses are in NIV:

1. Matthew 6:14-15 "For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins." This verse emphasizes the importance of extending forgiveness to others as a prerequisite for receiving God's forgiveness.

2. Ephesians 4:31-32: "Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you." This passage calls for believers to forgive one another as they have been forgiven by God.

3. Colossians 3:12-13: "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 one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity." This verse encourages believers to clothe themselves with various virtues, including forgiveness.

4. Luke 17:3-4: "So watch yourselves.“If your brother or sister sins against you, rebuke them; and if they repent, forgive them. Even if they sin against you seven times in a day and seven times come back to you saying ‘I repent,’ you must forgive them.”" These verses teach that even if someone asks for forgiveness repeatedly, we are called to extend it to them.

 

[Christsfreeservant]

We have a few similar verses about forgiveness in our posts. The verses below, I have yet to make into a Bible study, but eventually I will.


According to the teachings of Christianity as presented in the Bible, forgiveness is an essential aspect of living a Christ-like life. Here are some Biblical verses that speak to the topic of when we should forgive others. All verses are in NIV:

1. Matthew 6:14-15 "For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins." This verse emphasizes the importance of extending forgiveness to others as a prerequisite for receiving God's forgiveness.

2. Ephesians 4:31-32: "Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you." This passage calls for believers to forgive one another as they have been forgiven by God.

3. Colossians 3:12-13: "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 one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity." This verse encourages believers to clothe themselves with various virtues, including forgiveness.

4. Luke 17:3-4: "So watch yourselves.“If your brother or sister sins against you, rebuke them; and if they repent, forgive them. Even if they sin against you seven times in a day and seven times come back to you saying ‘I repent,’ you must forgive them.”" These verses teach that even if someone asks for forgiveness repeatedly, we are called to extend it to them.

Thank you!

 

[AlexB23]

Thank you!

You are welcome. Just doing you guys a service, by finding relevant verses.