Colossians 3:12-13 (ESV)
[12] Put on then, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, [13] 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.
There is an old hymn whose chorus goes:
Why should he love me so?
Why should he love me so?
Why should my savior to Calvary go?
Why should he love me so?
The verses quoted above challenge believers to a life of compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another and forgiving one another. That challenge is sandwiched between two key phrases. Theses verses begin by reminding is that we are "God's chosen ones, holy and beloved." They end by reminding us that "the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive."
When God calls believers to forgive, be compassionate, be patient and be kind he is not asking us to pretend that we haven't been hurt. He is asking us to take our hurt to the cross. He is asking us to treat others the way he treated us. He is challenging the forgiven servant to be a forgiving servant. We are to love as we have been loved, forgive as we have been forgiven, and humble ourselves as Jesus humbled himself to die for us. Jesus, Lord of Lords, creator and sustainer of all that exists, said that he "came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many." (Mark 10:45) As ones who have been accepted and forgiven we are called to be accepting and forgiving.
Father, thank you for your accepting love and forgiveness. May my life reflect that same love to those around me.
By His grace,
Rick Weinert
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