AP

Ephesians 4:32   Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.

Ephesians 4 is packed with powerful, practical wisdom about how we are to relate to one another in the ‘family’ of God’s redeemed people (cf 3:14-15), in whatever form of Christian community we might find ourselves – our nuclear family, our Church, perhaps our workplace.

The chapter begins with a plea for us to ‘be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love.  [To make] every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace’ (2-3).  It goes on to talk about how our different gifts are distributed to us for our mutual benefit (11-12), in order that we might all encourage one another towards greater maturity in Christ, always ‘speak[ing] the truth in love’ (13-16).  It presses upon us the urgent need to dissociate ourselves from our old ways of ‘worldly’ attitude and behaviour and to ‘put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness’ (24).

Paul then finishes the chapter where he started: kindness, compassion and forgiveness are the outcome of humility, gentleness, patience and putting up with each other’s quirks and foibles.  The thing that challenges me most, and therefore helps me most in this area, is remembering that this is how God treats me in spite of my even more irritating quirks and foibles which the Bible calls sins: I continue to ‘fall short’ in so many aspects of the Holy Spirit’s gracious work of sanctifying me, and he keeps on patiently forgiving this ‘slow learner’.

I must remember this whenever I become impatient with my fellow slow learners, and whenever I am inclined to hold a grudge against others who might let me down, or in some way offend me.   May God’s Holy Spirit give all of us grace to examine every part of our lives in the light of Ephesians 4!

One of Satan’s most effective strategies in his efforts to dishonour Christ’s name and to render ineffective all our efforts to spread the Gospel and extend God’s Kingdom on Earth, is to create disunity among us.  Our most effective weapon against this stategy is to make a conscious effort to put away our natural tendencies and reactions, and to develop kindness, compassion and sincere, heartfelt forgiveness whenever we feel aggrieved.  Let us remember that the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, gpoodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control (Gslatians 5:22-23).

– Bruce Christian