EPHESIANS 4:32-5:2 - FORGIVE AS CHRIST FORGAVE

Forgive as Christ Forgave

To forgive as I’ve been forgiven

Is not an easy task,

For I was forgiven freely

Before I ever asked.

Lord, you can give me power

To obey what you command.

Lord, fill me with your Spirit,

And hold me in your hand.

“Be kind and compassionate to one another, 

forgiving each other,

just as in Christ God forgave you.

Be imitators of God, therefore, 

as dearly loved children and live a life of love,

just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us 

as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.”

Ephesians 4:32-5:2

Charizŏmai⁵⁴⁸³ – to grant as a favor, i.e. gratuitously, in kindness, pardon or rescue: - deliver, (frankly) forgive, (freely) give, grant.

mimētēs – an imitator: - follower

            When I was a small child I would try to imitate my father. In fact, I would stand on top of his feet; and we would walk together. When I wasn’t doing that, I was taking extra long steps to keep up with him. My grandmother even told me once that I walked and ran bases just like my daddy. I loved my father, and I was confident that he loved me. That love made me want to be like him.

            How much more has our heavenly Father loved us? He desires that we follow in Christ’s footsteps like a child imitating a beloved parent. He tells us to love sacrificially and be kind and compassionate to our brothers and sisters in Christ. He specifically tells us to forgive each other just as Christ forgave us. Christ forgave us freely with no strings attached. He forgave us gratuitously. I looked that word up in The New Webster’s Thesaurus:

gratuitous – free, groundless, spontaneous, unfounded, unprovoked, voluntary, wanton.

In other words, the Lord forgave us because he chose to, not because we earned or deserved his forgiveness.

            I want to know that the other person is repentant before I forgive. In fact, I’d like to hear an apology and a promise to offend no more. But that would not be imitating Christ. Romans 5:8 describes the type of forgiveness Christ extends, “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Forgiveness is something I can voluntarily choose to grant (with the power of the Holy Spirit) whether the offender repents or not. In so doing, I will be obedient to my Father and an imitator of Jesus.

            Lord, help me to follow you as your dearly loved daughter. Empower me to love and forgive others as you have loved and forgiven me. Just as people see the resemblances between my earthly father and me, let them see Jesus in my daily behavior.