As I was heading home from school, I picked up my iPod and started reading the Scripture through the ESV Bible App. I picked the book of Colossians a few days ago, and I'm slowly reading through it. Have you ever find that as you continue to read the Bible, the text of Scripture that you read sounds so familiar to you because you read through it many times? Not only that, does it sometimes seem like it's just God's Word, and I'm reading through it as if nothing big stands out anymore? Today, as I was reading on the bus, God spoke VOLUME to me as I read this part of the passage in Colossians:
Put on then, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive.
(Colossians 3:12-13 ESV)
As I'm reading through Colossians, Paul was arguing and exhorting the Colossians in chapter 1 verse 3 ti verse 14 and about the power of the resurrection of Jesus Christ in chapter 2 verse 9 to verse 15. And there were a lot of syncretism coming in to the church of Colossae. Paul was reassuring born-again Christians that the opponents (false teachers) of the cross cannot separate nor disqualify them from being alive with Christ simply because they didn't mix into their "self-made religion" and false teachings. I think this disqualification simply meant the false teachers were passing judgement on them. Because of the power of the Gospel, this passage (Colossians 2:13-15) applies to Christians. Therefore, because of the gospel, we who are raised in Christ Jesus would desire to seek the things that are eternal, things that are above.
This week and today has been a difficult moments when I have to wrestle hard with my emotions and my mind. Nonetheless, there are sins in my life that I need to repent of daily. When I read v.12, God the Holy Spirit convicted me as I look at the characteristics of God's chosen ones. Have I been showing compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience around me? I forgive those who have/had sinned against me, yet I cannot bear the pain that I have suffered from people. When I am reminded of the Gospel, how much more was Jesus willing to suffer the pain that I deserve and die on the cross to forgive me of my sin? "As the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive." For the non-Christians who read this, just because I sinned doesn't disqualify me from being God's chosen ones because nothing can separate me from the love of Christ. I know I am a screw up every week and I acknowledge that I am sinner who is in need of God's grace everyday. That's why, I'm grateful for Jesus for taking away my sin and shame, and that "there is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus" (Romans 8:1). Therefore, I don't have to try so hard to forgive because I have to. I forgive...simply because God has forgiven me. Holy Spirit will sanctify me and continue to transform me daily as I walk with Him.
