Ephesians 4:30-32 - “Just As God In Christ Forgave You”

Chapter 4 begins with a call to action. Paul tells we are “to walkworthy of the calling by which we have been called (4:1), and laterin verse 17, that “we should no longer walk as the Gentiles walk”.  In other words, we are to walk likeChristians—to walk as Jesus walked in this world. How did Jesus walk? Jesusforgave those who harmed Him. Even while hanging on the cross, He said, “Father,forgive them, for they know not what they do.” He lived with love and gracetoward those who were critical, bitter, and determined to hurt Him or push Himaside. My friend, that is the way Christ walked, and that is how we are calledto walk. When we walk that way, it makes a profound difference in our witnessfor Christ that Jesus told His disciples to be in Acts 1:8. Thissection of the chapter (vs. 17-32), begins with Paul saying, “Don’t walk as theGentiles walk.” Instead, walk in purity, walk in love, walk in grace. And nowas Paul brings this chapter to a close, he identifies the main obstacle thatkeeps us from walking in grace—bitterness. We could spend weeks talking aboutbitterness. It is like a seed that gets planted when someone offends us, hurtsus, or does something that deeply wounds us. Our natural response is often adesire to get even. But Jesus told us, “Do unto others as you would havethem do unto you.” When we hurt someone or offend someone, what do we want?We want forgiveness. We want peace. We want restored relationships. RememberRomans 12:17-21, where God tells us to live at peace with all men, and to returngood for evil. Thisis where the victory lies. When someone speaks harshly to you, respond withkindness. When someone tries to hurt you, entrust that hurt to God and say,“Lord, You know. Give me the grace to handle this in a way that honors You.” Bekind to one another. Be tenderhearted. And here is the key—forgiving oneanother. Ibelieve the last words Paul speaks in this chapter are especially important.Often, we remember the final words someone says more than anything else. Paulends with forgiveness. When we forgive, we refuse to let the devil use ourheart as a playground. We refuse to let the seed of bitterness grow. Instead,we say, “God, You know best. You said, ‘Vengeance is Mine; I will repay,’ saysthe Lord.” When someone hurts us—whether intentionally or unintentionally—andwe choose not to forgive, bitterness begins to take root. Our heart becomes abattleground with Satan. Bitterness causes us to treat others the way Satantreats people. Forgiveness allows us to treat others the way God treats people.And Scripture reminds us that as God has forgiven us in His loving, graciouskindness, we are to forgive others as well. Forgivenessis not only for their sake—it is for ours. It is the secret to a joyful,peaceful Christian life. Remember the motivations Paul has given us throughoutthis chapter to do the right things: We are members of one another. We do notwant to give Satan a foothold and we give instead of stealing. We speak truthinstead of lying. And we do not want to grieve the Holy Spirit of God or grieveour Father in heaven. Think about it this way: when children—especially adultchildren—are fighting and divided, it grieves the heart of their parents.Family gatherings become tense. Relationships are strained. That pain reachesdeeply into a parent’s heart. My friend, that is exactly what happens when werefuse to forgive one another. We grieve the Holy Spirit. We grieve JesusChrist, who forgave us. We grieve our Father in heaven. Let’snot do that today. Let us forgive one another “just as God in Christ forgaveus”.  Let us bekind and tenderhearted. And may God help us to show the world what it trulymeans to be Christlike.