Therefore as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering; bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do. Colossians 3:12-13
Interesting thing about forgiveness, there are no alternatives for the believer. There is no choice but to act toward our offender as Christ acted toward us. Why is that so difficult for us? Why do we insist on nursing our feelings of hurt and indignation? I’m sure you have your reasons and they are just as foolish as mine. The great thing about God’s word is that it does not leave us without resource. It never asks of us what we are not or cannot be equipped to do.
Should not the fact that I was chosen by God before time and without any merit I was given the righteousness of Christ and loved supremely by the God of the universe, be enough to overcome any wrong that any person could ever do to me? Say yes. But of course, seldom do we respond correctly when the hurt comes.
I believe my problem is that I revel in my standing before God and then shirk my responsibility. Verse 12 continues by saying “put on”; a command, a call to Christ likeness. (See verse 16 for how to get dressed) The list of things to put on includes all that I will need, to go to the person who has wronged me and to forgive them, or to go to the person I have wronged and either be forgiven or ripped on as I ask for forgiveness. My failure is putting on the robe of humility and imitating Christ in his crucifixion.
Without an alternative,
Your brother Jack
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