13 Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. 14 And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.
(Colossians 3:13-14)
In Colossians 3:13, the Apostle Paul exhorts us to "bear with" one another. To "bear with" means to show tolerance. This command was written into a context of believers who saw life differently due to their relational contexts. This is the case for all of us, we all view life from the context we have come from and the one which we are currently found. This is largely that which creates friction among us.
Of course, the Apostle is not encouraging believers to tolerate sin, like murder, rape and stealing. He is actually leaving room for reality. You see, even though we are "born again" and on our way to heaven, we are still broken. And due to this brokenness, we hurt one another. Sometimes, we do it intentionally.
Next the Apostle tells us to "forgive one another". Using the Greek word "χαριζόμενοι" translated "forgive" which appears twenty-three times in the New Testament, forgiveness is to give favor unconditionally. The ground of all forgiveness is cemented in the unmerited love of God.
There is a Chinese proverb which says, “He who seeks revenge should dig two graves.” Forgiveness is not something we do only for others. When we forgive, we are not allowing the pain to define us.
It was Nelson Mandela who said, “Resentment is like drinking poison and then hoping it will kill your enemies.” When we hold on to forgiveness, we allow our pain to define us.
When we hurt and we choose to forgive, we are allowing God's love to define us.
In the same way we have experienced and understand the Lord's forgiveness is the same way we are capable of forgiving others.
There are three parts to forgiveness: 1) the offense, 2) the debt incurred, and 3) the canceling of the debt. Forgiveness is not a feeling, it is a choice.
It is only natural that the apostle tells us to wrap all of these previous mentioned qualities in v.12-13 with the bond of love. And, just like forgiveness, this love, agape, is a choice not based on feelings.
This love is that quality of acceptance of others because we are recipients of God's favor. We are no longer the old persons we once were. We are to treat the past as though we were dead to it. And now, we are being defined by what
This love is that quality of acceptance of others because we are recipients of God's favor. We are no longer the old persons we once were. We are to treat the past as though we were dead to it. And now, we are being defined by what
God has made us to be.
