Goodmorning and welcome in everyone. Today, we are going to take a look at a passage of scripture from the book of Colossians.
Colossians 3:12-14 Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering; Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye. And above all these things put on charity, which is the bond of perfectness.
The Christian church is supposed to be a place that is filled with bowels of mercy. Bowels means, the deep and inward or interior parts, such as coming from the depths of our heart. It is to have feelings of pity and compassion towards others. When we consider what Jesus did for this entire world when He died on the cross for our sins, it should compel you to grant that same mercy to other people. Instead of destroying the world, as He was very capable of doing, He did not impute sin, but extended to each of us a gift of forgiveness through the blood that He shed at the cross.
Scriptures teach us that if we confess our sins, God is faithful and just to forgive us of our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. When we come to God in our prayer life and admit our faults, confessing and apologizing for our sins, He offers complete remission and forgiveness. The reason why God offers this gift of Grace, is so that we can turn around and do His will from our hearts which are found in the teachings of the Holy scriptures. Someone may have been a thief in the past, but through God’s grace they can turn around and become a kind hearted giver. Before he became an Apostle, Paul was once destroying churches, but the gift of God’s grace caused him to turn around and begin to start churches. The Apostle Peter was a man chosen by Jesus to be one of his original disciples, but even though Peter regretfully denied Christ, Jesus forgave him, so that Peter could go on unto spiritual maturity and feed the sheep of God.
In order for any of us to be forgiven, we have to confess faults and apologize. If you truly are filled with bowels of mercies, you will be quick to forgive others just as He has forgiven you. You will show others the riches of God’s grace that he has shown you. God loves us and cares for us so much that He laid down His own life for our salvation. He wants all men to come to a place of repentance. Sadly, not everyone will, but He wants them to come forward, admitting their faults humbly in His presence. Forgiveness is His very nature. The thing that prevents us from obtaining that forgiveness from Him is refusing to humble ourselves before him and admit our sins.
James 4:6-10 But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble. Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded. Be afflicted, and mourn, and weep: let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness. Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.
Jesus had the ability to destroy the world when He was lifted up on the cross, but He showed this world mercy. Even though this world wronged Him, hurt Him, scourged Him, hated Him, disowned Him, spoke evil about Him, called Him a liar, railed on Him, persecuted Him, and pounded the nails into Him, He refrained from punishing and destroying this world. This is called Mercy. Mercy is compassion shown towards somebody, whom it is within one’s power to punish or harm. It is showing kindly forbearance towards an offender, or an enemy. Jesus was very upset and threw over tables in the temple and made a scourge, but do you realize what he could have done? He could have destroyed them all in the blink of an eye, but He didn’t. He could have done what He did to Sodom and Gomorrah, but He didn’t. He gives this world the opportunity to come to Him, so he can grant them forgiveness before the final judgment and punishment of wickedness.
Forbearance is the quality of being able to forgive somebody. God is filled with this quality. We are in the age of grace, and this is why people need to take advantage of the incredible gift of God’s forgiveness, granted to us when we come humbly to His son Jesus, confessing our faults, and throwing ourselves at His feet with a contrite and penitent heart.
When we confess our faults to God, and apologize for our misdeeds, He is forbearing with us, and grants us a holy pardon. Instead of punishing us when we confess faults, He forgives us, and washes our sins away in his precious blood through Holy Communion. In this world when people confess faults, the world punishes them, but with God when we admit them, He forgives us. This is how we need to treat one another in the church. The world lives the way the world does, but as a Christian, we are not of this world. We are called to come out from the world, and live the way Christ lived, being merciful with each other.
The church is a place where people occasionally make mistakes. This is why we need to confess our faults one to another. This is why we need to come boldly to the throne of grace in time of need, so that we can return to God, turn around, and do His will. But even as Christ forgives you, you must be forgiving with each other. People who are truly penitent will apologize quickly for their faults, because it weighs heavy on their conscience. Those who refuse to do this are storing up God’s wrath and punishment.
Romans 2:5 But after thy hardness and impenitent heart treasurest up unto thyself wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God;
If we truly love others, you will forgive and forget. This is the way that God is towards us. When you forget something it means to cease to remember it anymore. I’ve always thought that the world’s concept of forgiveness is just that, worldly. It’s a forgiveness that doesn’t possess love for an offender. It is cold and bitter and cruel, filled with impenitence and non-reconciliation. Those who cannot love and forgive others, are exempting themselves from forgiveness with God. When you receive His forgiveness, God expects us to forgive others who confess their faults, as we do towards Him. Those who refuse to do this, are closing themselves off from their own salvation. Expecting forgiveness from God and then not showing that forgiveness to others is an unforgivable sin. God is love, and God is forgiving, but when someone is unforgiving when someone has asked for mercy from them, God will show them no mercy. I guarantee you that this is a place that you never want to go to with God. One who abides in that state resides in a state of eternal damnation.
Be forgiving with one another, admit your faults and show mercy to each other. To possess these qualities shows that you are filled with divine love. It is a love that is eternal and never fails. It is a love that covers a multitude of sins, not just one or two, but as much as is required to become the person that God wants us to be.
True charity and forgiveness is the bond that holds the church together. Non-reconciliation with other people in the church is not forgiveness at all, it’s just living a lie. God is love, and true love is forgiving. Demonstrate these graces and the manifold forgiveness of our God to one another in the church when it’s needed.
Let’s think about these things for right now, and Lord willing, we will talk with you some more tomorrow. Till then, bye bye everybody. ❤️
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