16. Your Purity – Take Time to Be Holy (3)

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Hymns: RHC 371 Sweet Hour of Prayer 147 Away In a Manger 156 Good Christian Men, Rejoice 164 O Come, All Ye Faithful

Colossians 3:13-15

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. 14 And above all these things put on charity, which is the bond of perfectness. 15 And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful. 

16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. 17 And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him. (Col. 3:13-17 KJV)

Your Purity – Take Time to Be Holy (3) 

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  • Put Off the Old Man (v5-9)
  • Put On the New Man (v10-17) 

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  • Put On the New Man (v13-17)

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. 

Forgiveness is the hallmark of a saint. We forgive because we have been forgiven much. This was our Lord’s emphasis in the Lord’s Prayer.

Matthew 6:9-14 (KJV) After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. 10 Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. 11 Give us this day our daily bread. 12 And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. 13 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen. 14 For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you:

It is right at the centre of the Lord’ Prayer v12 with emphasis in v14. 

Pardon – The word “forgive” emphasizes the nullifying of our debts. It is an entreaty for God to write off our debts. “In the fifth petition, we pray that God, for Christ’s sake, would freely pardon all our sins, which we are the rather encouraged to ask, because by His grace we are enabled from the heart to forgive others.” (Shorter Catechism)

The ability to forgive others, the ability of exercising tolerance and self-restraint toward others who have done us wrong, the Apostle Paul tells us, must be the trait of a true Christian. God Himself has forgiven us of all our sins and we depend on Him daily for His ongoing forgiveness of our sins. Our need of forgiveness and the urgency to forgive others is the way to spiritual health and vitality. 

The reality in this sin-stricken world today is that people seek vengeance, retaliation, as an expression of the right to personal freedom, as a show of backbone and strength. Human wrath seemed to be the way to resolve conflicts, might is right. This seemed to be so in the international realm, in the national realm, in the home. Somehow, there is that uncontrollable rage that cannot be stopped that will break loose when provoked. The result, we see in the lives of many “walking wounded”, suffering from guilt, depression, anger, and many emotionally destructive behaviour like suicide and killing, murder. Lives ruined, men and women living wretched lives because they carry the spiritual and emotional burden of an unforgiving spirit.

The Christian life is different. It is a supernatural life, a life controlled by the Holy Spirit, a beautiful life that overcomes the ravages of sin. Such a life, the Apostle Paul recommends that we spend time to cultivate, in particular, cultivate a forgiving spirit. 

Forbear and Forgive – Who?

– 13 Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any…

Repeated twice is the object of Christian forbearance and forgiveness – we are to forgive one another. These are those people whom we are in contact with, your family members, your friends and classmates, your colleagues, the fellow members of God’s family who have offended us. We are to exercise this Christian virtue, if any has as a cause for grievance complaint, reproach, blame, exercise forbearance and forgiveness.

Life lived without forgiveness becomes a prison observes a Christian writer. This word “forgive” shows us that we are to continuously and repeatedly forgive our debtors. Those who do not exercise love toward us, we are to continuously and repeatedly forgive them. How often? Jesus says “seven times seventy times”, that means every time we are to forgive. Because Jesus has forgiven us even though we are so unworthy, we likewise are to forgive others who have offended us. God’s peace abides with the forgiver. This is the central theme of the Lord’s Prayer. An unforgiving heart often eats up our soul. Therefore this prayer is to seek God’s help to enable us to forgive others who have offended us. This is the secret of God’s blessing this pray can give! We sin much daily and hardly deserve any pardon but He nevertheless forgives us. Will we not forgive like Jesus did? 

DL Moody observes, “Forgiveness is not that stripe which says, “I will forgive, but not forget.” It is not to bury the hatchet with the handle sticking out of the ground, so you can grasp it the minute you want it.” 

There was an occasion when two of us visited a brother in Christ in his home. His wife is not a believer. Our Lord’s call in Matthew 11:28 was given to the wife, written in Chinese characters by my partner “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” She confided that this verse describes her heavy heart. She felt the weight of an unforgiving heart all these years of marriage. We spend some time listening how she cannot forgive her husband. This is the burden that she cannot lay down. It is so sad! Yet it is so true of so many. This is the reason why Jesus was sent by the Father. The “light yoke” is given to us by a humbling of the soul to come to Jesus at the cross.

Forgiveness is a wonderful thing – it warms the heart and cools the sting. May the Lord help us to heartily forgive and readily do good to those who sin against us.

The strength to overcome hatred, anger and wrath come from God, a fruit of the Holy Spirit. It begins with us, stopping looking at the wrong done to you, look at your own heart. To forbear is to exercise self-restraint and tolerance. It has the sense to endure patiently, put up with, to bear with. To forgive is to pardon of a wrong that someone has done to us.

Why Forbear and Forgive? (v13b)

– “…even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye.”

When we are at the receiving end of mercy, we would surely say forgiveness is the highest virtue. But if you are the aggrieved party, you are the one being hurt, then forgiveness seemed often to be a gross violation of justice. Yet, we realize both mercy and justice are great virtues.

We realize that when we sin, God does not simply ignore our sin. The Bible tells us so clearly that God is not mocked, we reap what we sow (Gal. 6:7). 

The relationship between God and the sinner is one of enmity (Rom. 5:10). God hates sin and will deal with us after our sins. And God is also holy, and righteous. His justice must be satisfied by the punishment of every violation of His law. And the penalty for our sin is eternal damnation. Mankind in his fallen state is in a sorry state.

But the Bible also tells us that God does justify the ungodly.

Romans 4:5 “But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness.”

How can God grant such forgiveness without compromising His own standard of justice? The answer is that God Himself made His Son, Jesus Christ, the atonement of our sins.[1]

God does justify or forgive sinners. For no merit of their own!

Romans 3:25-26 “Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God; To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus.”

Because we have been forgiven fully by Christ, He has given to us this ministry of reconciliation that we who have experienced forgiveness undeserving, may likewise do to others, what Christ has done for us. This is the sense of Col. 3:13b.

2 Corinthians 5:18-20 “And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation; To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation. Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ’s stead, be ye reconciled to God.”

God’s vengeance for sin is fully atoned for by His Son and satisfied His justice and sinners are reconciled to God, their sins are forgiven through the substitionary work of Christ on their behalf.

Forgiveness reflects the character of God. All Christians are forgiven of their unpayable debt, this gift of free forgiveness for no merits of ours to deserve it forms the basis on which we learn the pattern for how we are to forgive others. God had to sacrifice His only begotten Son to provide forgiveness for us. When we bear in mind all that God has done in order to provide us forgiveness, how much God forgave and how much it cost Him to forgive, we will realize that no transgression against us van ever justify an unforgiving spirit. We are therefore instruction to hold no grudges or to receive to forgive. God’s forgiveness through Christ is the pattern for us to forgive.

Forgiveness is a part of the new nature in Christ. As children of God we are to mirror Him. Our text tells us that even as Christ forgave us our sins, we are to forgive others.[2] Scripture everywhere teaches that those who have been forgiven much are obligated to forgive others (Matt. 18:23–35; Eph. 4:32; Col. 3:13). Christians are therefore to be characterized by a forgiving spirit.

Christ in his dying prayer demonstrated what it is to forgive even His persecutors.

Luke 23:33-34 “And when they were come to the place, which is called Calvary, there they crucified him, and the malefactors, one on the right hand, and the other on the left. Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do. And they parted his raiment, and cast lots.”

We are to learn from His example. Paul sets the tone for us in this third chapter of Colossians by pointing us to the eternal destination of believers, we are destined for an eternity of blessing and honour and happiness. And he prays that fruit may abound to your account for eternity. What we do now, has eternal repercussions, do you realize? He gives to us the ravages of sin and asked that we put them off.

8 But now ye also put off all these; anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication out of your mouth. 9 Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds; 10 And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him. Col 3:8-10 (KJV)

May Christ be formed in us! 

14 And above all these things put on charity, which is the bond of perfectness. 

Charity is the outworking of God’s love in the live of the believer. It is called a bond of perfectness because when we exercise Christian charity, there is no judgment against it from God.

Galatians 5:22-23 (KJV) But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.

1 Corinthians 13:4-8 (KJV) Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil; Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth; Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things. Charity never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away.

“Charity never fails” 1 Corinthians 13:8a

Charity never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away. 1 Cor. 13:8 (KJV)

The perfection of God’s love in the believer’s life is the fullness of Christ-likeness manifested in the believer’s life. There is permanence and an enduring nature to this love that is victorious in the sight of God which the Apostle Paul, inspired by the Holy Spirit describes as such – “charity never fails”. That is the sense of the adverb “never”, not at any time will charity fail. If we do manifest this blessed fruit of the Spirit in our lives, we will not lose our reward when we meet our Lord Jesus at the Bema (Judgement Seat) at His coming. It is considered gold, silver and precious stones. It is able to withstand the crucible of God’s judgment. There is no condemnation from God (Galatians 5:22-23) whatsoever when we show forth charity in our lives is the sense of this phrase. 

We have seen the 15 characteristics of charity from 1 Corinthians 12:4-7 which we would like to recall – 4 (1) Charity suffereth long meaning charity is patient, (2) charity is kind; (3) charity envies not; (4) charity vaunteth not itself, charity does not boast (5) charity is not puffed up, charity is not proud 5 (6) charity does not behave itself unseemly, charity is not rude (7) charity seeks not her own, charity is not self- seeking (8) charity is not easily provoked, charity is not easily angry (9) charity thinks no evil; charity keeps no record of wrongs 6 (10) charity rejoiceth not in iniquity, charity does not delight in evil (11) but charity rejoices in the truth; 7 (12) charity beareth all things, charity always protects others (13) believeth all things, always trusts (14) hopeth all things, always hopes (15) endureth all things, always persevere. Dear listeners, if there is any study that is critical for our spiritual progress, I encouraged you to study the character of God’s love. Jesus says in John 15:14-15, John 13:34-35 “A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.” The manifestation of the nature of God’s love is delineated for our learning. 

The Apostle Paul compares it with other gifts in the second part of the verse pertaining to prophecies, tongues and knowledge which shall fail or shall cease and concludes that charity is superior over the other gifts of the Holy Spirit in that it never fails. It is an encouragement for believers to learn the character of God’s love and to manifest it in our interaction with one with another, at home, in the work place, in church, every where the Lord may send us. Jesus says, “by this shall all men know that ye are my disciples.” The world is in chaos with much war and hatred between people, between nations, in the homes and God’s people are asked to make a sanctifying difference. May the Lord grant us His grace to be salt and light for Him in a sin-darkened world by showing forth the power of God’s love that melts away every hatred in our hearts! Amen.

15 And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful. 

The unity of the body of Christ finds its strength when the peace of God rule in the hearts of God’s people.

This world has failed to secure that most elusive commodity called “peace”. The dictionary meaning of “peace” describes the normal, non-warring condition of a nation, group of nations or the world, a state of mutual harmony between people or groups, especially in personal relations and the normal freedom from civil commotion and violence of a community. Peace is described a state of tranquillity and serenity, a state or condition conducive to, proceeding from, or characterized by tranquillity. This world has yet seen true peace. War characterizes all the history of mankind. 

When God created the earth, it was to be a peaceful paradise. But Adam forfeited the harmony when he sinned. One writer put it succinctly that Adam’s sin “was like a declaration of war against God’s right to rule His own creation. It broke the peace of Eden. Adam’s rebellion against God had disastrous long-range effects. It set the entire human race at enmity with God. All the evils that disrupt the peacefulness of our earthly existence stem from the curse of sin that began with Adam. Redemption history is the long saga of how God Himself intervenes to save the human race from its own sin, overthrow evil and restore peace to His creation.” It is sin that plunged all humanity in animosity and perpetual war. It is the result of the inherent sin nature, that fallen nature, descended from Adam. 

There can be no true peace for mankind plagued by this inalienable disease called sin or what Apostle Paul called “the works of the flesh”. The carnal man does not know true peace, Romans 3:17 “And the way of peace have they [unregenerate men] not known.” (Italics added) 

The word “peace” comes from the Greek verb eirō which means “to join” and the noun eirēnē refers to “the things joined together”. To make peace, therefore, means “to join together that which is separated”. 

Jesus Christ Himself is our peace (Eph. 2:14). By His atoning work on the cross, the shedding of His blood gives us reconciliation with God (Eph. 2:13). Jesus abolished our enmity with God in the flesh (Eph. 2:15) to make us a new man through faith in Christ’s finished work on the cross (Rom. 5:1). 

This is the peace of sins forgiven, reconciliation with God when we come in humble repentance confessing our sins.

This enables us to have the grace to live peaceable with others.

Being himself reconciled to God, the Christian is the channel through which the good news of salvation is brought to the lost, separated from God as a result of sin! [Wuest, Volume 1]

The starting point for true biblical peace is peace with God through Christ. It comes as positional holiness to one who has accepted Jesus Christ by faith for His atoning work on the cross for our sins (Rom. 5:1). This is what is called a state of reconciliation with God (Friberg Lexicon) for one who accepts the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit indwells such a person and he/she experiences a new birth. This salvation for sinners is solely by grace, the unmerited or undeserved favour of God. Grace expresses the cause, God’s gracious work, and peace, the effect of the work. The grace of God that brings salvation effects peace between them and God, and that same grace enables believers to live peaceably with one another (Gal. 1:3) [Adapted from Ephesians, Harold W. Hoehner, 150]. 

βραβεύω strictly be judge or umpire in public games; hence preside, direct, control (Colossians 3:15) [Friberg Lexicon]

The verb “rule” is a command for a lifelong habit in the believer, a continual quality or spiritual trait.

This permeates in the loving relationship in the family, between husband and wife, parents and children, and the individual families interacting in the bigger family of the church, and our larger witness in the workplace, in our schools and even to strangers.

We are commanded to be thankful always. For all that we have received in Christ, let us indeed not forget all that we have received and be most grateful all the days of our life. Amen.

[1] John Mac Arthur, The Freedom and Power of Forgiveness, ebook, Logos Bible, 13-14.

[2] John Mac Arthur, The Freedom and Power of Forgiveness, ebook, Logos Bible, 97.