Colossians 3:13 - Forgive Because Youre Forgiven.
Colossians 3:13 (NLT) Make allowance for
each others faults, and forgive anyone who
offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you
must forgive others.
Colossians 3:13 (AMP) Be gentle and
forbearing with one another and, if one has a
difference (a grievance of complaint) against another,
readily pardoning each other; even as the Lord has
[freely] forgiven you, so must you also [forgive].
CONTEXT
3:12-17 Paul offers a strategy to help us
live for God day by day: (1) imitate Christ's
compassionate, forgiving attitude (3:12, 13); (2) let love
guide your life (3:14); (3) let the peace of
Christ rule in your heart (3:15); (4) always be
thankful (3:15); (5) keep God's Word in you at all
times (3:16); (6) live as Jesus Christ's
representative (3:17). [Life Application SB]
INTRODUCTION
The key to forgiving others is remembering
how much God has forgiven you. Is it difficult
for you to forgive someone who has wronged you a
little when God has forgiven you so much? Realizing
God's infinite love and forgiveness can help you
love and forgive others. [Life Application SB]
COMMENTARY PEARLS
As He Forgave Us
Alexander Pope wrote in the 18th century,
To err is human; to forgive, divine.
If you want to be like Jesus, then
forgive.
The Bible tells us that we should make
allowance for each others faults, and forgive
anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave
you, so you must forgive others (Colossians
3:13 NLT).
Jesus modeled this so beautifully for us
when He hung on the cross of Calvary. They had
ripped open His back with a Roman whip, pressed a
crown of thorns around His head, and pounded
spikes through His hands and feet.
But the first words He spoke from the
cross were these: Father, forgive them, for
they dont know what they are doing (Luke
23:34 NLT). Those words were so powerful in their
effect that one of the criminals that was crucified
next to Him believed on the very spot.
Matthews gospel tells us that
initially both criminals joined in the chorus of
mockery. Some of those at the foot of the cross that
day were saying, Well then, if you are the
Son of God, save yourself and come down from the
cross! (Matthew 27:40 NLT)
But when Jesus asked the Father to
forgive them, one of those thieves came to his
senses and said, Jesus, remember me when you
come into your Kingdom (Luke 23:42 NLT).
Jesus told him, I assure you, today
you will be with me in paradise (verse 43
NLT).
Young Stephen, the first martyr of the
early church, emulated his Lords example. As
the furious Jewish leaders put him to death for
his bold proclamation of the gospel, Stephen
cried out, Lord, dont charge them with this
sin! (Acts 7:60 NLT).
And that incredible testimony ultimately
helped bring about the conversion of the notorious
Saul of Tarsus, later known as the apostle Paul.
You are never more like God than when you
forgive. [Greg Laurie from Harvest Ministries;
https://www.harvestdaily.com]
Forgive Because Youre Forgiven
Showing grace to others is what God wants
us to do, but its not always easy because
were so often focused on ourselves.
Its easier sometimes to be selfish
instead of gracious. Maybe you see the slow clerk at
the grocery store as an interruption to your day
rather than somebody who might be struggling to
keep his job - or who just got the worst news of
his life.
You may see a family member whos
struggling right now as a drain on you rather than
someone who feels hopeless over a desperate
situation. Or you see the person who cut you off on the
freeway as your worst enemy rather than someone in
need of Gods love.
We all need Gods love. Thats why
Jesus Christ came into this world. He came to show
people grace. The ultimate way God does this is
through forgiveness. And the ultimate way he asks
you to show grace to other people is by
forgiving them.
Colossians 3:13 says, Make allowance
for each others faults, and forgive anyone
who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you,
so you must forgive others (NLT).
People often ask me, How can I find
the strength to forgive? I dont have it in
me. I dont have it in me either! The only
place Ive ever found the strength to forgive is
in remembering how much Jesus has forgiven me.
When I remember that, then he gives me the
strength and grace to forgive others.
Clara Barton, who founded the Red Cross,
was reminded by a friend of an especially cruel
thing that someone had done to her years before.
Barton seemed not to recall it, and the friend
asked, Dont you remember? Her famous reply
was, No, I distinctly remember forgetting
it.
What do you need to forget?
If you dont forgive, youre not
going to enjoy Gods vision for the rest of your
life, because unforgiveness will keep you stuck in
the past.
Forgive - and then get on with your life.
This doesnt mean there shouldnt be
consequences for what somebody did to you. It just means
that you let go of your anger and hurt and give
it to God so that you can move on with Gods
purpose for your life.
When that seems impossible - when you
feel like you cant be gracious toward someone
- remember this: Jesus forgave you.
Remembering the grace God has shown you will give you
the strength to be gracious to and forgive
others. [Daily Devotional by Rick Warren:
https://pastorrick.com/devotional/]
COMMENTARY
Forgiven People Forgive Others
A lot of people think God carries
grudges. They picture God up in heaven, waiting to
zap them for anything they do wrong.
Heres what God is really like: I am
the God who forgives your sins, and I do this
because of who I am. I will not hold your sins
against you (Isaiah 43:25 GNT). God wants to
forgive, and he has done everything necessary to
forgive our sins in Christ.
Even before the world was made, God was
already planning in Christ to forgive your sins. He
knows every wrong thing youre going to do. None
of it surprises him! All the guilt thats in
your life, God made a plan to offer you
forgiveness for it even before you were born.
Thats why God can say this:
Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who
are in Christ Jesus (Romans 8:1 NIV).
Condemnation is gone because of what Jesus Christ did for
us"that means unconditional, complete, consistent,
eternal, by-grace forgiveness in all of our lives.
What a relief! You dont have to suffer or pay
for your sins now or in eternity. Its paid
for by Jesus Christ. You are forgiven if you
accept that gift of salvation from Jesus.
Once you recognize that youre
forgiven, you are then enabled and strengthened to
forgive other people.
How do you do that? Make allowance for
each others faults, and forgive anyone who
offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you
must forgive others (Colossians 3:13 NLT).
Take a good look at yourself, and you may
see ugliness, selfishness, and sin. But the
important thing is how God sees you. You are his
creation, a masterpiece designed to live for him and
bless others.
When you take a good look through Gods
eyes, you see the forgiveness that only he can
give. By accepting his forgiveness in your life,
youll be able to offer it to others. [Daily
Devotional by Rick Warren:
https://pastorrick.com/devotional/]
Three Reasons to Forgive
The Bible says there are three reasons
you have to let go of your past and forgive the
people whove hurt you. And those reasons have
nothing to do with whether those people deserve it
or not.
1. You have to forgive those whove
hurt you because God has forgiven you. Colossians
3:13 says, Remember, the Lord forgave you, so
you must forgive others (NLT). If you want to
be a forgiving person, you first need to accept
the forgiveness of God through Jesus Christ. The
Bible says God came to Earth in human form in
Jesus in order to forgive everything thats ever
been done wrong. He paid for those wrongs so we
dont have to. Thats Good News.
2. You have to forgive those whove
hurt you because, otherwise, resentment will
control you. The Bible says in Ecclesiastes 7:9,
Only fools get angry quickly and hold a grudge
(CEV). Resentment makes you miserable. It keeps you
stuck in the past. And when youre stuck in the
past, you are controlled by the past. Every time
you resent something, you let that thing control
you. Some of you are allowing people who hurt you
five, 10, or even 20 years ago to still hurt you
today because of resentment. Dont let that
continue to happen. Your past is past. Youve got
to let it go.
3. You have to forgive those whove
hurt you because youre going to need more
forgiveness in the future. Jesus said, For if you
forgive other people when they sin against you, your
heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do
not forgive others their sins, your Father will
not forgive your sins (Matthew 6:14-15 NIV).
Forgiveness is a two-way street. You cant receive
what you are unwilling to give.
Someone once told John Wesley, the
18th-century British theologian, I could never forgive
that person. Wesley replied, Then I hope
you never sin.
You dont want to burn the bridge you
need to walk across to get into heaven. [Daily
Devotional by Rick Warren:
https://pastorrick.com/devotional/]
Let Go of Your Hurt
Has someone ever done a crazy, hurtful
thing to you or to someone you love? And maybe
youve thought, I know the Christian thing to do
is to forgive, so I will. I will forgive him as
soon as he gives me an apology.
But that mindset has a problem: Youre
still holding on to the hurt. Truth is, that
person may never ask you for forgiveness. He may
never say hes sorry. He may not care, or he may
not even realize what hes done. So you end up
stewing over something that the other person has
long ago forgotten. And its eating you up
inside!
Never hold on to a hurt. It only leads to
resentment, and resentment tears you up. Resentment is
like drinking poison and then hoping it will harm
someone else. It doesnt work.
But resentment does have an antidote:
forgiveness.
Jesus served as a clear example of
forgiveness - even in the most extreme circumstances. As
he hung on the cross, he said of his
executioners: Father, forgive them, for they do not
know what they are doing (Luke 23:34 NIV).
When you struggle to forgive someone,
remember the great gift of Gods forgiveness - the
forgiveness that Jesus offered on the cross and offers
to you, too.
Colossians 3:13 sums it up well: Make
allowance for each others faults, and forgive
anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave
you, so you must forgive others (NLT). (You
might even write this verse down, carry it with
you throughout the day, and memorize it.
Youll have plenty of chances to use it!)
The Greek word that is translated as
make allowance carried the meaning to bear
with, to endure, to be tolerant. In other
words, cut people some slack.
Jesus said, Blessed are the merciful,
for they will be shown mercy (Matthew 5:7
NIV). I want Gods blessing in your life. One
way you receive that is by being merciful.
When faced with a hurt, you have a
choice: You can hold on to it and be destroyed by
resentment, or you can live in the freedom of
forgiveness. Choose to forgive today. [Daily Devotional
by Rick Warren:
https://pastorrick.com/devotional/]
ILLUSTRATION
This morning I woke up with an unpleasant
memory stuck in my brain. Over and over my mind
replayed the scene: I walked into a room just as
someone was telling a lie about me, obviously trying
to cast me in a negative light with several
people. The liar was someone who pretended to care
about me. Someone I trusted. Since the incident
was never acknowledged by any of the parties
involved, the feelings of hurt and betrayal still cut
sharply, even though almost four decades had passed.
Later, I took a break from work and
turned on the news. The anchor introduced a man who
had finally gained his freedom after spending
twenty years in prison for a crime he didn't
commit. The man smiled as he explained why he felt
no bitterness: 'With all that the Lord has
forgiven me for, who am I to refuse to forgive
someone else?" This man had been set free in more
ways than one. He had chosen to leave behind
resentment and embrace the new life granted to him.
Nursing a grudge for a past wrong is like
allowing the perpetrator to hold us hostage. We only
continue to hurt ourselves. Jesus wants us to live in
freedom from anger, bitterness, and resentment. Even
if the person who hurts us never apologizes or
admits the offense, we can learn to forgive and
free our souls by seeking help from the One Who
has forgiven us. Once we let go of old
grievances, then we can fully embrace the new life that
Christ wants us to have. by Dianne Neal Matthews
Faith Step: Examine your heart for any
traces of bitterness from past wounds. Tell Jesus
that with His help you forgive the person who
hurt you. Whenever the memory resurfaces, list
the sins and shortcomings that Jesus has
forgiven you for. [Mornings With Jesus 2018
Devotional by Guideposts and Zondervan]
CLOSING THOUGHT
A Lovely Idea
C. S. Lewis said, Everyone says
forgiveness is a lovely idea, until they have something
to forgive.
A study on forgiveness found that 75
percent of those polled believed that God forgave
them for past sins. But only 52 percent said they
had forgiven others.
However, in what we call the Lords
Prayer, Jesus taught us, Pray like this: Our
Father in heaven, may your name be kept holy. . .
Forgive us our sins, as we have forgiven those who
sin against us (Matthew 6:9, 12 NLT).
If youre a believer in Jesus Christ,
then youre a forgiven person. And forgiven
people should be forgiving people.
Of course, life is filled with hurt and
disappointments. Weve all been hurt in life. And sometimes
we dont mean to do it, but we hurt others in
life as well. That is why we must forgive.
You may regard someone who has hurt you
as an enemy. You even bristle when you think
about them. And maybe youre saying, You
don't understand what this person has done to me.
I can never, ever forgive them.
Yet Scripture doesnt simply suggest
forgiveness; it commands it. Ephesians 4:32 says, Be
kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one
another, just as God through Christ has forgiven
you (NLT). And Colossians 3:13 tells us, Make
allowance for each others faults, and forgive
anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave
you, so you must forgive others (NLT).
I like this advice from my friend Max
Lucado: Before you get caught in the crazy cycle
of hurt and forgiveness, try shifting your
glance away from the one who hurt you and setting
your eyes on the One who has saved you.
If you want to live a happy, healthy, and
blessed life, then learn how to forgive. [Greg
Laurie from Harvest Ministries;
https://www.harvestdaily.com]
PRACTICAL APPLICATION
Do not expect to be treated fairly in
this life. People will say and do hurtful things
to you, things that you don't deserve. When
someone mistreats you, try to view it as an
opportunity to grow in grace. See how quickly you can
forgive the one who has wounded you. Don't be
concerned about setting the record straight. Instead
of obsessing about other people's opinions of
you, keep your focus on Me. Ultimately, it is My
view of you that counts.
As you concentrate on relating to Me,
remember that I have clothed you in My righteousness
and holiness. I see you attired in these radiant
garments, which I bought for you with My blood. This
also is not fair; it is pure gift. When others
treat you unfairly, remember that My ways with you
are much better than fair. My ways are Peace and
Love, which I have poured out into your heart by
My Spirit. (Col. 3:13; Isa. 61:10; Eph. 1:7, 8;
Rom. 5:5) [Jesus Calling by Sarah Young]
LINKS FOR FURTHER STUDY ON THIS TOPIC
Matthew 6:14, 15 - Forgiveness Is Essential.
http://www.abible.com/devotions/2021/20210808-1044.html
Matthew 6:14, 15 - More Thoughts on
Forgiveness.
http://www.abible.com/devotions/2021/20210809-0930.html
YOUR COMMENTS
If anyone has a paraphrase, commentary or
testimony on this passage of Scripture, either
personal or otherwise, I would be interested in
hearing from you. Thanks in advance and let's keep
uplifting Jesus that all might be drawn to Him. Fred
Gibbs
LINKS WORTH CHECKING OUT
Most Important Decision in Life:
http://www.youtube.com/embed/WGnEuGwvXqU?rel=0
A Man without Equal by Bill Bright:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NiVa7UoruIo
Steps to Peace by Billy Graham:
https://stepstopeace.org/
Seeking God Made Real:
http://vimeo.com/31489782
Prayer Made Real:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tc8VdMV26VE
LINKS FOR BIBLE STUDIES
Lifting Up Jesus Bible Studies:
http://www.liftingupjesus.net/
Amazing Facts Bible Studies:
http://www.amazingfacts.org/bible-study/bible-study-guides.aspx
Voice of Prophecy Discover Bible Study
Guides:
https://www.voiceofprophecy.com/study/discover
Glow Tract Video Bible Studies:
http://www.bibleresearch.info/
LINKS FOR BIBLE PROPHECY SEMINARS
Unlocking Bible Prophecies by Cami Oetman of
Adventist World Radio: https://www.awr.org/bible
Panorama of Prophecy with Pastor Doug
Batchelor: https://www.panoramaofprophecy.com/
Hope Awakens by John Bradshaw of IIW:
https://itiswritten.tv/programs/hope-awakens
Prophecies Decoded by Pastor Ron Clouzet:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL1A435C5373550657
Islam and Christianity in Prophecy, The
Third and Final Conflict by Tim Roosenberg:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gHSJB-fuHLU&list=PLWhQIHGTHlkaGg5Cwe3NDzWtFX8vNSpsE
