Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you. (Ephesians 4:32)
And
if we follow the process commanded yesterday of going to a brother or sister
who has sinned alone, returning with one or two witnesses if refused, and
taking the matter before the church/assembly as a last resort before withdrawing
from the person, it follows that we must forgive that person. If we’re going to
accuse and demand repentance, we must forgive and (if possible) reconcile. Three aspects of this idea should be considered this morning.
The
first is that we are to be kind to one another. I like the description of
kindness as lending others our strength. We are being kind when we do something
for someone that they can’t do (as easily) themselves, or withholding deserved punishment
by us, also known as forgiveness or mercy. If we forgive the brother who has
sinned against us, that kindness on our
part may give them the strength or freedom to act. This isn’t a suggestion that
all the consequences of their sinful behavior must be ignored or enabled, but
that we don’t add more links to the chains that are binding the person. Forgiving
is part of kindness.
The
second is that we are to be compassionate. We’re to “feel with,” and show sympathy
or concern for one another. What they do matters, but more importantly, they
matter. This is why we confront someone with their sin – not just
because we’re mad and want revenge. What their sin is doing to them is the
central focus.
The
third is that we are to forgive “just as in Christ God forgave” us. He didn’t
wait for us to seek forgiveness. He didn’t wait until we didn’t need forgiveness
anymore. He didn’t even wait until we did something to deserve forgiveness or
prove that we either wanted or were worthy of it. In this, we are supposed to
become “like the Most High.”
One
of the things I like about some of the history books I’ve read in the past two
decades is that they show how things are interconnected. This is something I see in my meditation on Scripture. We fell into sin because we wanted to be
like God (a natural and positive desire) in the wrong ways and using the wrong
means. We put aside being like God to be like some other god that is
reduced from the true God in some ways. We want His power, but not His strength;
his control, but not His gentleness. This verse reminds us what being
like God means, and quite often, our response is (effectively), “Well, if that’s
what being like God, I don’t want it. I want to make the rules about being what
like God means.”
I
need to think about kindness and forgiveness as a way to open doors for
people that are not physical.
Comments
Post a Comment