Choose Forgiveness

Colossians 3:13 ESV

In the first Century the Apostle Paul wrote to the church in Colossae (Colossians 3:13) and he told them, “Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.”

Paul wrote these words from prison where he was under house arrest around 60 A.D. The information Paul received about the church was from Epaphrus.

As we read the letters to the churches, mostly written by the Apostle Paul, we tend to view his words through a modern lens. We think of our issues in church today and seek wisdom from the early church fathers.

We accept his words as if they are being spoken to us today. On the outset that is true and not fully problematic, but we need to see the full picture of what the early church faced and consider the context.

Modern man does have problems in church, but they pale in comparison to what the early church faced,

Think of it this way.

They were at ground zero. They had no history.

They did not have context.

The adults and older adults were not raised in church.

In my family we have generations upon generations of our people who went to church. It wasn’t an expectation but it was who we are.

They did not have that history.

What they had was false teaching, heresy, basic misunderstanding of the superiority of Christ. Some were legalistic, and some were guided by principles of asceticism which means they renounced worldly “ways” so they could attain a higher plane.

The problem with those practices is that the focus was on self and what they could attain. The focus was not on Christ.

They did not comprehend that “all things are possible through Jesus” (Matthew 19:36). They were trying to do Jesus without relying on Jesus.

For example in Colossians 3:13 some might have interpreted the act of forgiveness as being something they had to make themselves “do”. I learned early in life I cannot “do” forgiveness. What I can do is ask Jesus to give me the ability to forgive.

All in all Jesus gives us the ability to be more like Him. We cannot bear with each other (or even bear each other) without the love of Jesus.

We cannot forgive each other without the love of Jesus. We simply cannot consistently be that loving without the love of God/Jesus IN us.

Reminding ourselves by the hour or even by the day that once we ask Jesus to come abide with us the power of God/Jesus resides within. So…rely on it.

Deborah

acrazyjourney.com