“Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.”
— Colossians 3:13
The command from Paul to “bear with” means to endure by living out the faith God works in you and do it with calmness and composure. It’s not the “grin and bear it” determination just to get through a meal with someone who irks you. This “bearing with” is more of being a loving presence of God to the person by your example of patience, faith, and forgiveness. God bore with sinful humanity out of love. He planned the perfect method of salvation for humanity before time began, before day and night existed. One who loves so much that He plans our salvation before our sin shows great love and that love shows itself in many ways, two of which are patience and forgiveness. This kind of bearing is the example from God and Jesus that Paul commanded the Colossian church and all Christians to show each other. Without this example of bearing, we Christians would have a hard time relating to people who grate on our nerves. So, be patient— endure with love—the person who irks you or is difficult.
Paul then commanded them to “forgive” any complaint. Forgiveness originally comes from God. It’s a grace—a favor—He gives to us. Forgiveness is one of His characteristics and its source is God. Believers can forgive because they have received the example of forgiveness from God for their sins. They can forgive because, with that gift of forgiveness received from Him, they forgive and live in harmony with other people. Forgiveness is part of growing closer to God and growing to be more like Jesus. It’s a gift the Spirit bestows to us. God extended down to us forgiveness freely. Nobody who has ever lived or will live can ever do enough good things to earn forgiveness from God. In the same manner, believers in Jesus are to extend forgiveness freely to other people. That person who irks you shouldn’t have to do anything to earn it.
The second part of this command says to forgive without complaining. Paul used a Greek word here in this verse that means forgive without casting blame or fault. Freely forgive, whether or not they know they’ve offended or hurt you. Freely extend forgiveness by living out your faith in Jesus like He modeled to and for humanity. Never did Jesus tell His Father people were unworthy. Never did He complain when people distrusted, betrayed, hurt, or spewed lies about Him. Jesus knew His task to live as God with us in daily life and God for us at His crucifixion. He did this because of His love for humanity. Jesus forgave people with His life.
Live out your faith in Jesus with the patience and forgiveness He has shown to you and gives to you. Live this way among people who are easy to love and those who are difficult. Do it without casting fault or blame on them in your heart, mind, words, or actions. To emphasize these commands to Christians, Paul reminded them to forgive as the Lord has done for you. You forgive others as Jesus forgave and forgives you—seventy times seven—ceaselessly and perfectly.
Take time to ask God who you have not loved and forgiven as He loves and has forgiven you. Seek God’s mind and heart about this person. Live out your faith with that person first by asking God to correct your thoughts and heart about him/her. Then, in the quiet of your spirit, forgive that person without seeking that person’s fault or confession. Now, go and be with him/her as you worship, live, and minister, living as Jesus did by loving and forgiving people. Forgive as often as necessary, for bitterness in your heart can cause your relationship with God to become distant. Forgive seventy times seven.
Live out in your life what God has given and keeps giving you.
