Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering; bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do. But above all these things put on love, which is the bond of perfection. And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him. Wives, submit to your own husbands, as is fitting in the Lord. Husbands, love your wives and do not be bitter toward them. Children obey your parents in all things, for this is well pleasing to the Lord. Fathers do not provoke your children, lest they become discouraged. Bondservants obey in all things your masters according to the flesh, not with eyeservice, as men-pleasers, but in sincerity of heart, fearing God. And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance; for you serve the Lord Christ. But he who does wrong will be repaid for what he has done, and there is no partiality. (Col 3:12–25)
As we reflect on Colossians 3:12-25, we cannot help but notice that the essence of the gospel message revolves around two fundamental themes: love and forgiveness. God's love for the world is so immense that He gave His only Son so that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life. Although our sins merit physical and spiritual death, God's love and willingness to forgive enable us to experience redemption and restoration through the person and work of Jesus Christ.
However, it is unfortunate that we often tend to focus on the aspect of receiving love and forgiveness rather than the imperative of responding to this divine grace by extending love and forgiveness to others. The preaching that excites us most is usually centred around receiving love and forgiveness rather than motivating us to live a life that reflects the love and forgiveness we have received.
It may surprise some that the benchmark of true Christianity and the Church is not based on one's biblical knowledge, preaching skills, or even spiritual gifts. The Bible makes it clear that our level of spirituality is measured by our ability to love and forgive others. The apostle John reinforces this in his epistle by stating that anyone who loves God but fails to love others does not honestly know God. It's that simple.
In addition to love, forgiveness is another essential factor in our faith. Unlike other religions, our God, through Jesus Christ, has asked us to do nothing that He has not already done. Jesus exemplified this by demonstrating His love for humanity, especially the people of His generation who mocked, ridiculed, spat on, cursed, and eventually cried out for His crucifixion. Despite this hostility, Jesus hung on the cross and shed His blood, motivated by love, so that forgiveness for sins could be extended even to those pounding nails into His hands.
As we examine our spiritual walk and measure it against the standard set by Jesus, let's get practical about what love truly means. In Hollywood's version of love, it is often portrayed as a passionate and overwhelming feeling that drives us to act impulsively, chase after someone relentlessly, or expect grand gestures of affection. However, this is not the love defined in 1 Corinthians 13. According to Paul, love is patient, kind, and humble. It does not envy, boast, or act rudely. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, and endures all things. True love is not simply a fleeting feeling or emotional high but rather a deliberate choice to embody and extend these qualities to others. As Christians, we are called to clothe ourselves with tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering, and forgiveness, all expressions of love. We demonstrate our love for God and others by displaying these qualities, just as Jesus commanded us to do.
When I was younger, I thought that being a perfect Christian meant checking off all the boxes of things to do and things not to do. However, as I continue reading the New Testament, I realize that true moral perfection is not about following rules but loving and forgiving others. Have you heard many sermons on forgiveness lately? And if so, have you truly forgiven those who have wronged you? Jesus commanded us to forgive, which is central to his message of redeeming and restoring humanity.
Jesus was not concerned with following laws for the sake of it. Instead, he taught us to respect and resonate with others. He urged us to turn the other cheek and bless those who curse us. Yet, we seldom hear messages about the importance of forgiveness, even though Jesus warned that we would not be forgiven if we did not forgive.
The purpose of the law was to limit the destructive nature of sin. In a sense, the law was a prophetic illustration of what genuine love should resemble. Maybe this is what Jesus meant when he summarized the entire law with two commandments: loving God and loving our neighbours. However, Christ came to liberate us from the law's burdens. He taught that the kingdom of God could not be achieved by strictly following rules but rather by surrendering our natural selves and welcoming the kingdom to dwell within us.
As we reflect on Colossians 3:12-25, we are reminded that our faith is rooted in God's immense love and willingness to forgive us. However, this love and forgiveness are not meant to be received passively but to be extended to others. As Christians, we are called to embody love in action by showing kindness, patience, humility, and forgiveness to those around us. We must remember that true moral perfection is not about following rules but loving and forgiving others. Jesus taught us to love our neighbours as ourselves and to forgive those who wrong us. As we strive to live a life that reflects Christ's love and forgiveness, may we continually clothe ourselves with tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering, and forgiveness. Let us not forget that our level of spirituality is measured by our ability to love and forgive others, which is the true benchmark of Christianity and the Church.
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