“Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers. And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption. Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice: And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you”. – Ephesians 4:29-32
LIGHT FOR NOW: The believer is short-sighted in his understanding of Christ’s redemptive sacrifice if he chooses to live in unforgiveness.
In Matthew 26:28, Jesus has this to say; “For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins”. Remission of sins implies the release or taking away of the penalty for sins. The believer is instructed to forgive others as God forgave us. Ephesians 4:32 “And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you”. Verse 32 of our key text repeated above shows us our basis for forgiving others is “For Christ’s sake”. In essence, the forgiveness of sins we have in redemption is not what we just enjoy but also a pattern we follow in our walk amongst men. We have been forgiven by God so that we forgive others. We don’t forgive others so that God will forgive us; we are forgiven by God first, then in our walk with men, we extend those bowels of love to others in us forgiving them; thereby reflecting our father.
The forgiveness the believer has received of Christ mirrors the believer’s pattern of life – the believer is to be tenderhearted, forgiving one another even as God, for Christ’s sake, forgave him. Colossians 3:13 “Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye”. Peter explained that when a believer refuses to forgive, he is short-sighted, forgetting he was once forgiven. 2 Peter 1:9 “But he that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot see afar off, and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins”. Glory!
INSTRUCTION: Do the word!!!
CONFESSION: I am a child of God, I know how to forgive; I was forgiven by God. Therefore, I forgive others also, in Jesus’ name, Amen.
QUOTE: In the redemptive work of Christ, the believers’ pattern of life is mirrored.
DAILY BIBLE READING: MORNING: COLOSSIANS CHAPTER 3, EVENING: EPHESIANS CHAPTER 4
LIGHT FROM THE WORD 