Larry Reynolds, Denton, TX

Colossians 3:12-14 - "And, so, as those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience; bearing with one another, and forgiving each other, whoevere has a complaint against anyone; just as the Lord forgave you, so also should you.  And beyond all these things put on love, which is the perfect bond of unity."

These verses list eight virtues which should characterize those who follow Christ. These virtues do not naturally exist inside of us. They actually run contrary to our basic human nature. We cannot produce them by human effort. These virtues are produced in us by the presence of God’s Spirit in our lives. Each of them is demonstrated in the life of Jesus and as we allow God to make us more like Jesus, then these virtues become evident in our lives as well.

The word translated “forgiving” in verse 13 literally means to be gracious. Those who have been forgiven will not be characterized not by a harsh, judgmental, legalistic spirit toward those who need to be forgiven. We should be characterized by a spirit of gracious forgiveness. Two specific thoughts about forgiveness are set forth in verse 13:

• It is imperative that we forgive - The last phrase of the verse says “so also should you.”  The point is being forgiving toward others is not optional for Christians. The verse doesn’t say forgive if you want to or if you are in a forgiving mood or if the offending person has done proper penance. It simply says “so also should you” forgive. 
• The standard is “as the Lord forgave you” - How has He forgiven us? We have been forgiven unconditionally, completely, with no strings attached. And that is precisely how we should forgive those who offend us.

For more detailed notes on Colossians go to http://www.larryreynolds.org-a.googlepages.com/home)