Our scripture reading for this morning, to which I invite you to turn with me at this time, is found in the epistle of the Apostle Paul to the church at Colossa, Colossians chapter three. The Apostle Paul penned this letter to the church at Colossa, a church which he tells us he had never had the opportunity to visit. Apparently, it was a church founded by one Epaphras, who had seemingly met the Apostle Paul during his ministry in Ephesus. It ended up at this time being a relatively small, relatively insignificant city on the banks of the Lycus River in Southeast Asia Minor. Today, modern day Turkey. It's interesting to know, brothers and sisters, that in each of the first three chapters, Paul speaks to the issue of forgiveness, forgiveness, God's forgiveness of us and our own forgiveness of one another. And that is the theme of our study today as we conclude. this series of messages, this series of studies concerning the character of Christ. You may recall that we've been looking at many one another's in the New Testament and considering how God would have us relate to one another after the image and after the example of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. We have considered thus far the biblical exhortations to be devoted to one another, to be honoring one another, encouraging one another, serving one another, accepting one another, praying for one another. And last Lord's Day, we looked at the biblical exhortation to be confessing our sins to one another. And now again, today, we conclude this series of studies by looking at the exhortation to be found forgiving one another, forgiving one another. We begin our scripture reading in Colossians three, verse one, we will read through verse 17. But please note that we will be focusing especially on verse 13. Verse 13 constitutes our text for today. Colossians 3, beginning in verse 1, hear then the word of the Lord. Since then you have been raised with Christ. Set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory. Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature. Sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires, and greed, which is idolatry. Because of these, the wrath of God is coming. You used to walk in these ways in the life you once lived. But now you must rid yourselves of all such things as these. Anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips. Do not lie to each other. since you have taken off your old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator. Here there is no Greek or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave or free, but Christ is all and is in all. Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues, put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity. Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body, you were called to peace. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. Thus far, the reading of God's Holy Word. And as always, dear friends, I ask and urge you to keep your Bibles open and handy as we look to God's Word together on this Lord's Day. Dear congregation of Jesus Christ, question. Have you ever been hurt or wronged or betrayed by a trusted friend? Have you ever been hurt, wronged, or betrayed by a trusted friend? Well, I would suppose that at one time or another, to one degree or another, most of us probably have. Most of us probably have. In fact, interestingly enough, that very same thing was true for a first century A.D. Christian by the name of Philemon. Philemon. The man who has a book of the Bible bearing his name. Now, when we study the sacred Scriptures and especially focus in on the books of Colossians and the book of Philemon, we discover that Philemon seemingly was a fairly successful first century A.D. businessman. And he happened to have a household servant or a household slave by the name of Onesimus. Friends, let us take note of this. In Paul's day in the first century A.D., the so-called slaves or servants were by no means, generally speaking, treated with the disgusting and degrading despicable behavior with which most African slaves had been treated early on in American history. In fact, quite the contrary. When we study the scriptures, when we look at the historical context of these times, we learn, in fact, that many of these servants, many of these slaves were fairly highly educated. Many of them had opportunity either sooner or later to either either obtain or purchase their own freedom from servanthood or slavery. Most of them, in fact, were treated as if they were a member of the family. Indeed, perhaps the term, inventured servant, would give us a better insight or idea as to the standing and the status of the slaves or the servants in Paul's day. In fact, according to one Bible encyclopedia, and I quote, listen carefully, While an individual was a slave, he was in most respects equal to his free-born counterpart in the Greco-Roman world. And in some respects, he had an advantage." End of quote. Now, why do I share this bit of historical commentary with you? Well, I share this bit of historical commentary with you, brothers and sisters, in order to help us better understand what Philemon was feeling, what he was enduring, what he was going through when this trusted household slave or servant ran away from him, ran away on him. And according to the book of Philemon, also apparently robbed him in the process. Now think about that. How do you think Philemon would have felt? How would you have felt? How would I have felt were we to be betrayed by such a trusted confidant and servant and friend? As we think about those things, let's put ourselves in the in the shoes of Philemon and consider the fact that according to Philemon, verse one, this church at Colossa apparently met in his house. They had a house church. Also, according to Colossians 4, verse 16, Paul wanted this letter to the Colossians read publicly. And if you'll skim over with me, in fact, Colossians 4, verses 7-9, Colossians 4, 7-9, we find that Paul entrusted the delivery of this letter to the church at Colossae to a man named Tychicus, and look at the end of that passage, and also to the hands of the recently converted runaway slave named Onesimus. Now, put all that together and think about the context with which we are dealing. For example, imagine Philemon and Onesimus sitting there in worship together. Perhaps secretly stealing glances at one another. Wondering what each was thinking, wondering what each was feeling, wondering perhaps what the other would ultimately do. Imagine what was going on in the hearts and minds of the other worshipers there that day, wondering what Philemon was thinking, wondering what Philemon was feeling, wondering if Onesimus was uncomfortable sitting there in worship that day. And many of them knowing, by the way, no doubt that Paul had also penned a more personal letter under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit personally to Philemon. asking Him, exhorting Him to receive Onesimus back to Himself, not simply as a slave, not simply as a servant, but now rather as a trusted and beloved brother in the Lord. Think of it. And as they're all sitting there in worship together, they're all hearing together at the same time, these words being read aloud, the words recorded in our text for today in verse 13. Bear with each other. And forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another." Forgive as the Lord forgave you. Think about the impact and the power of those words. Well, brothers and sisters, interestingly enough, this biblical Holy Spirit inspired exhortation which the Apostle Paul sent to the church and Christians at Colossae and to Philemon and Onesimus also comes to you and me today as well. In fact, as we work our way through the words of our text, as recorded for us in Colossians 3, verse 13, we find that all Christians, not just you and me, but all Christians everywhere, are called and commanded by God, by His grace and mercy, by His strength and Spirit, to be found faithfully forgiving one another. Forgiving one another. Thereby, more faithfully and effectively reflecting The character of Christ. The character of Christ. Now, as we work our way through our text, we're going to consider this command to be found faithfully forgiving one another from three distinct vantage points. From three distinct vantage points. First of all, let us consider the command to be found forgiving one another from the vantage point of the spirit of forgiveness. From the vantage point of the spirit of forgiveness. for notice. Having spoken in verses 5 and following of the sinful soiled clothing, which the believer is to take off now that he is in Christ, that clothing that would be on the old man. In fact, Paul says we've got to crucify such sin. We've got to put to death such sin. We're taking off that old soil clothing of impurity and lust and evil desires and greed and idolatry and anger and malice and rage and filthy language and all the rest. And then in verse 12, he exhorts us to put on the new clean spiritual clothing of the sanctified saint. For example, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. Things of which John Calvin refers to as, and I quote, the effects and evidences of renovation. The effects and evidences of renovation. In other words, if the Holy Spirit has renovated our heart, He has regenerated our souls. We are new creatures in Christ. We're new men and women. We're new boys and girls. Those should be some of the evidences of that radical saving work of the Holy Spirit. Now, that having been said, Paul gets a little bit more personal in an interpersonal sense as we get to the words of our text in verse 13 where he begins by saying, bear with each other. Bear. with each other. King James Version reads, forbearing one another. Forbearing one another. The original conveys a sense of tolerating or enduring or literally putting up with one another. And that in a continual, ongoing fashion. Bear with. Put up with. Endure. Tolerate. one another. Think about that. You know, friends, I can recall many years ago, early on in my pastoral ministry here at Pompton Plains, it was back in the 1980s, and I was visiting one of the elderly couples in our congregation, both of whom today are in glory. But they were a bit hard of hearing and they said whenever I had an appointment scheduled with them, don't bother ringing the bell or anything. Just knock and walk in. We probably won't hear you anyway. I was supposed to visit them one day and I knocked and I walked in and I entered their living room and they were both sitting in their respective easy chairs. And they're both sitting like this with their arms crossed across their chest, and they both had very grumpy expressions on their face. And as I walked into the living room, I said, oh, what did I just walk in on? And he said to me, well, pastor, she always this or that, and she did it again today. And I've been married to this woman for 53 years and I can't take it another day. And I said to him, well, my dear brother, if you've taken it for 53 years, I think probably you can take it another day. And he smiled and he said, well, I guess I can. And he did and she did until the Lord called him home to glory. Friends, I share that true. anecdote with you for this reason. I would strongly suppose that each and every one of us could correctly declare that there are times when our wives do something, or our husbands do something, or our children do something, or our parents do something, or our brothers do something, or our sisters do something, or our classmates do something, or our co-workers do something, Our fellow members of the family of God do something that tends to literally drive us crazy. Isn't that true? Isn't that true? Ah, but notice, but notice. Consider the divine example of our loving, faithful, patient, long-suffering God on behalf of His people. In fact, turn to the book of Nehemiah with me. It's in the Old Testament. We often don't turn to Nehemiah, Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther, Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther, Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Nehemiah, chapter nine, verses 30 and 31. Nehemiah 9, 30 and 31, the Levites here are proclaiming together in unison various aspects of the Lord's relationship with His chosen people, with His people Israel. And in Nehemiah 9, verses 30 and 31, they proclaim, for many years you were patient with them. By your spirit, you admonished them through your prophets. Yet they paid no attention, so you handed them over to the neighboring peoples. But in your great mercy, you did not put an end to them or abandon them, for you are a gracious and merciful God. Think of it. The Gospel according to Matthew. Turn there with me, if you would, please, in the New Testament. Matthew 23, verse 37. Matthew 23, verse 37. Shortly before He went to the cross to pay the penalty for the sins of His people. In Matthew 23, verse 37, Jesus cries, O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, How often I have longed to gather your children together as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings. But you were not willing, but you were not willing. But how long I longed to so gather you. And then finally, on this score, let's go toward the end of the Bible to 2 Peter chapter three. 2 Peter 3, after Hebrews James, 2 Peter 3, verses 8 and 9, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, in 2 Peter 3, 8 and 9, the Apostle Peter proclaims, But do not forget this one thing, dear friends, with the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day. The Lord is not slow in keeping His promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance. Friends, think of this. Time and time and time and time and time again, you and I have violated the holy will of God as revealed to us in the holy Word of God. Time and time and time and time again, you have tried the patience and I have tried the patience of our blessed, holy triune God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. But the Bible says that time and time and time and time again, He loves us. And time and time and time again, His arms remain open wide to receive us. And time and time and time again, He calls us to Himself by His grace and repentance and faith. And so, my dear, dear friends in the Lord, how much more ought you and I by the grace and mercy of God to hear and to heed this Holy Spirit-inspired exhortation of the Apostle Paul When He says to you and me, as He said to Philemon and He said to the Christians at Colossians so many years ago, bear with each other. Tolerate each other. Endure each other. Put up with each other. And do so in an ongoing fashion. He has stated here very, very succinctly the spirit of forgiveness. The spirit of forgiveness. Ah, but now notice. The second vantage point from which we will consider the biblical exhortation to be found forgiving one another, that which would enable us to more faithfully reflect the character of Christ, is the vantage point of the substance of forgiveness. The substance of forgiveness. Look at verse 13 with me, if you would, once again. Here Paul writes, bear with each other and forgive, underscore that, whatever grievances You may have against one another and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. King James Version reads forgiving one another if any man have a quarrel against any. New American Standard forgiving each other, whoever has a complaint against anyone. Friend, do you have a quarrel? For a complaint? For a grievance? Against anyone? And do I? If so, if so, let us keep that specific item in our hearts and in our minds as we allow it to be further addressed by God's Word at this time. Look again at the text with me, please. Bear with each other and forgive Whatever grievances you may have against one another, I ask you to underscore that word forgive for this reason. It loses the significance in the English translations, but in the original languages, the Bible has seven different words for forgive, seven different words for forgive. There are three different words in the Hebrew and there are four different words in the Greek, all translated forgive. And each of those different seven words Focus on or emphasize a particular aspect or ingredient or characteristic of forgiveness. The particular word used here in verse 13 by Paul, stay with me, is the Greek word charizomai. And you can hear the root of that word, which is charis. Charis in the Greek literally means grace. Grace. Undeserved. unmerited favor, charizoma. Now think about that. Think about that. The implication, brothers and sisters, for you and me is this. Paul is saying to the Colossians and he is saying to Philemon and he is saying to Onesimus and he is saying to you and me, if we have any complaint, if we have any quarrel, if we have any grievance with one another, Even if it is undeserved, even if that person has not asked for it, even if they do not deserve it or are worthy of it, we must deal in grace with them and we must graciously, sacrificially, selflessly grant them forgiveness. Charizomai. In fact, I looked up charizomai in the Greek lexicon and one of the definitions was this, Quote, to give freely or graciously as a favor. To give freely or graciously as a favor. Forgive. Chorizo mai. Now, someone has once very insightfully said, bitterness is the poison which we drink in hopes that someone else will die. Poison, excuse me, bitterness is the poison which we drink in hopes that someone else will die. And that's true, you know. And so when you and I are wronged or hurt or insulted or betrayed or slandered or whatever else the case may be, Because of our sinful, fallen, totally depraved human natures, what is our natural reaction? Well, friends, were we to go on autopilot, according to our sinful, fallen human natures, my natural reaction would be, ho! Right? And we plant and we feed the seeds of bitterness until they take root and bear a bitter fruit and say, oh, I'll never forget that. I will never forgive that unless I first get my pound of flesh. Can you identify with such sentiment? Can you identify with such sentiment? A few weeks ago, my wife Margaret and I were viewing the very powerful video, The Hiding Place. The Hiding Place. It's a story of Corrie ten Boom and her family, a Dutch family which hid a number of Jews during the Nazi occupation in the Netherlands in World War II. As we were viewing that video, I was reminded that I keep in my file an article that makes reference to Corrie ten Boom. It's an article on forgiveness. And the title of the article is Forgiveness, the Power to Change the Past. And this article reads in part, and I just quote a brief portion to you. When it comes down to it, anyone who forgives can hardly tell the difference between feeling forgiven and doing the forgiving. We are such a mixture of sinners and sinned against, we cannot forgive people who offend us without feeling that we are being set free ourselves. I haven't found a better example of this truth than Corrie ten Boom. She was stuck for the war years in a concentration camp. Humiliated and degraded. Especially in the Delousing Shower where the women were ogled by the leering guards. But she made it through that hell. And eventually she felt she had, by grace, forgiven even those fiends who guarded the shower stalls. So she preached forgiveness. For individuals, for all of Europe. She preached it in Blumenthal. in the United States, and one Sunday in Munich. After the sermon greeting people, she saw a man come toward her, hand outstretched. The offer line. It is wonderful that Jesus forgives us all our sins, just as you say. She remembered his face. It was the leering, lecherous, mocking face of an SS guard at the shower stall. Her hand froze at her side. she could not forgive. She thought she had forgiven all. But she could not forgive when she met a guard standing in the solid flesh in front of her. Ashamed, horrified at herself, she prayed, Lord, forgive me. I cannot forgive. And as she prayed, she felt forgiven. Accepted. In spite of her shabby performance as a famous forgiver. Her hand was suddenly unfrozen. The ice of hate melted. Her hand went out. She forgave as she felt forgiven. And I suspect she would not be able to sort out the difference. To forgive. Is to set a prisoner free. And discover that the prisoner. Was you. End of quote. Bear with each other. Forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. The spirit of forgiveness. The substance of forgiveness. And now the third and final vantage point from which we will consider this way in which we can more faithfully and effectively reflect the character of Christ is from the vantage point of the standard of forgiveness, the standard of forgiveness. Verse 13, one last time. Look with me, please. Bear with each other the spirit of forgiveness. And forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. The substance of forgiveness. And now the standard. Forgive, charizomai, as the Lord charizomai'd you. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. You know, every so often down through the years, I ask our young people either in a youth group meeting or in a catechism class this question. How many sins in thought, word and deed do you think you commit in a day? Young people I say, how many sins in thought, word and deed do you think you commit in a day? And they think for a few moments and then usually it's one of the girls who will raise her hand first and she'll say, About ten. About ten. And I'll say, anybody else? And then one of the guys will raise his hand and go, yeah, about a hundred. About a hundred. I say, well, the truth is probably somewhere in between. But just for argument's sake, I say, let's just take ten. Let's just say that minimally speaking, we commit ten sins a day in our thoughts, words, and deeds. Brothers and sisters, you can check my math, but I believe that if that were the case, In the course of an average month, you and I would commit some 300 sins against God. And in the course of a year, we would commit some 3,650 sins against God. And were we to live an average of 75 years, I did this on my calculator, that means we would come to stand before the judgment seat of God with a minimum of 273,750 sins on our record. Think of it. And yet, because of the shed blood of Christ on Calvary, All those who, by God's grace, profess faith in His holy name, hear these gracious words of our Lord, which He spoke through the prophet Jeremiah, saying to His people, for I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more. Think of it. All glory be to God. All glory be to God. Now, I do not know who may have hurt you, or how they may have hurt you. I do not know, my friend, who may have injured you, or slandered you, or betrayed you, or offended you, or how they may have done that. But I know this, there is not a single person on this planet who has sinned against you or sinned against Me 273,750 times. Wouldn't you agree? Consequently, what then is God's Word of exhortation to you and to me? It's this. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. as the Lord forgave you and as He forgave me." One commentator has put it so well when he said this, and I quote, Church members and those outside the church will, from time to time, be guilty of injustice towards us. We may have just ground of complaint. but how our brother's offenses dwindle into utter insignificance when compared with the offenses we ourselves committed against God. It will not do to be severe on our debtors after God has been so forgiving towards ourselves. If we cultivate a God-like forgiveness, then we shall be promoting constantly the unity of the church." And I might add, we're faithfully and effectively reflecting the character of Christ. You know, it's interesting, as we close, turn to Matthew 18 with me just for a moment, if you would, please. Matthew chapter 18. It seems in Matthew chapter 18 verses 21 and following, the Apostle Peter himself was wrestling with this very same issue with which you and I are also wrestling today. In fact, in Matthew 18, 21 and following, we read, Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother when he sins against me? Up to seven times. Peter thought he was being magnanimous. He thought he was being gracious, kind hearted. Jesus answered, I tell you, not seven times, but seventy seven times. Then Jesus told this parable to illustrate what he meant. Therefore, the kingdom of heaven is like a king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants. As he began the settlement, a man who owed him ten thousand talents, that's millions of dollars in today's money, was brought to him. Since he was not able to pay, the master ordered that he and his wife and his children and all that he had be sold to repay the debt. The servant fell on his knees before him. Be patient with me, he begged, and I will pay back everything. The servant's master took pity on him, canceled the debt and let him go. But when that servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him 100 denarii, just a few dollars. He grabbed him and began to choke him. Pay back what you owe me, he demanded. His fellow servant fell to his knees and begged him, be patient with me and I will pay you back. But he refused. Instead, he went off and had the man thrown into prison until he could pay the debt. When the other servants saw what had happened, they were greatly distressed and went and told their master everything that had happened. And the master called the servant in. You wicked servant, he said. I canceled all that debt of yours because you begged me to. Shouldn't you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on you?" In anger, his master turned him over to the jailers to be tortured until he should pay back all he owed. Now notice, this is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother from your heart. My dear brothers and sisters in the Lord, question, question. Is there someone, somewhere, who has hurt you, offended you, betrayed you, insulted you, sinned against you in some way? If so, if so, then by the grace and mercy of God, let us together, individually and collectively, hear and heed this Holy Spirit-inspired exhortation which the Apostle Paul sent to the Christians at Colossae. He wanted it read to Philemon. He wanted it read to Onesimus. And God wants us to hear and heed it today, saying, bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. Because then we will more effectively and faithfully reflect the character of Christ. Amen. Let's bow our heads and our hearts together in prayer. Two other men, both criminals, were also led out with Him to be executed. When they came to the place called the Skull, there they crucified Him along with the criminals. one on His right, the other on His left. Jesus said, Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing. And they divided up His clothes by casting lots. Oh, Almighty God, and most merciful Heavenly Father, by Thy grace and mercy, by Thy strength and Spirit. Enable and empower each and every one of us, we pray, today and every day to personally appropriate and practice the Spirit, the substance, and the standard of forgiveness set forth here in Thy holy Word. To the end that we as a congregation, Lord, might more faithfully effectively and fruitfully reflect the character of Christ. Hear us, Father, we pray, in His most high and holy name. Amen.