FORGIVE ONE ANOTHER

PASTOR RYAN LADEN – DEVOTIONALS

IF YOU LIKE THIS POST PLEASE FOLLOW US, SHARE WITH OTHERS AND PLEASE LEAVE YOUR COMMENTS AND GIVE US A LIKE.

Translate this site into your preferred language, look for our Google translator in our home page: diningwithjesus.net

Traduce este sitio en tu idioma preferido, busca nuestro traductor de Google en nuestra página de inicio ve a: diningwithjesus.net

Today we are beginning a series of devotionals that will be focused on helping the follower of Jesus Christ to understand forgiveness in its many forms. Today we are going to hear a message that was given to the people of the church, encouraging them to forgive one another in love. 

12 Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. 13 Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. 14 And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.

(Colossians 3:12-14 NIV11)

Difficult

In our journey of forgiveness, we begin by hearing this call for the people of Jesus Christ to do something that they may not want to do, that is, forgive the offenses that come from those who are a part of the church. 

Isolation

I have known far too many people who have made the decision to isolate themselves from the good associated with being an active part of a community of faith because they feel that they have been hurt in some way by the church and that their refusal to be a part of the church moving forward is not only justified, but righteous. 

They claim that the offense they suffered by someone in the church was so egregious that to forgive those who have harmed them and therefore return to fellowship in any church would be a sin. Thus, their isolation from the church is cemented as the right response to the pain they have suffered. 

Recoil

I understand this desire to run away from the church. I do. 

I too have been attacked, maligned, lied about, cheated, and otherwise treated like refuse by those who wear titles of spiritual authority and significance within the system of the organized church. My wounds are fresh and my memory is sharp. 

If you recoil at the idea of forgiving those who have harmed you from within a church from your past, I understand. It strikes me in the face to hear the words of this teaching given by the Holy Spirit through the Apostle Paul. 

But, if you are willing, join me as we walk back through this passage.

Identity

This teaching on forgiveness starts with a reminder of our true identity as followers of Jesus Christ. Because Jesus suffered and died on the cross, taking our sin and our acts of evil upon himself, we are now free in Christ to serve the Lord as part of his holy, chosen, dearly loved people. 

Forgiveness

Additionally, we are reminded that we have been forgiven by Christ for all our sin. Our acts of evil, our acts of selfishness, our self-worship, our idolatry, our hatred and violence has been taken away from us, nailed to the cross with Christ, and we are free from the penalty of our own acts of evil thanks to Christ. 

Begin

We must begin any discussion of forgiveness with this reminder of who we are in Christ. 

As his children, we are called by our Heavenly Father to clothe ourselves with, “compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.” Daily, we must put on, choose, accept, step into, the gifts of God that have been given to us in and through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. 

Clothe

Daily we must clothe ourselves with a recognition that we have been given God’s love and his never-ending grace. 

We are not capable of forgiving anyone of anything except that the Spirit of God given to each and every believer in Christ should work in us to enable us to mirror a tiny portion of what the Lord has given us in Christ. 

Called

And what is it that the Lord enables us to do as we are clothed with his gifts of grace?

We are called to bear with one another. We are called by God to show grace to one another as part of his church. We must allow the Lord to work in us and help us to say no to being offended by every errant word, misspoken phrase, ugly look, and bad attitude shown to us by the people of the church. 

•  Christians can have bad days. 
•  Christians can make mistakes and miscalculations. 
•  Christians can be rude and dismissive. 
•  In fact, Christians are tempted by every bad attitude and bad action found in this lost and dying world. 

Patience

What we are being called to do here in this passage is learn to allow the Lord to help us be patient with those who annoy us. We are being called by God to move past a possible offense and choose to show grace first before we turn to frustration and criticism. 

Prayer

As we go into our day today, why don’t we ask the Lord to help us put on his love:

Lord Jesus Christ, help me reconnect with my true identity. I belong to you because you purchased me at a high price on the cross. As such, I acknowledge that I too need forgiveness. Help me then, allow your love and grace to so fill me up that I overflow patience and love onto those around me that usually tempt me to anger and annoyance. Help me live under the banner of your love today. 

In Christ, 

Ryan Laden

PASTOR RYAN LADEN

Works at MTN. CHURCH

Former Senior pastor at Warnbro Community Church

Studies at New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary

Studied at New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary

Studied at Baylor University

Studied at Texas Tech University

Went to Castle Hills First Baptist

Copyright © 2024 Ryan Laden – All Rights Reserved.