The study of why men ought to forgive others may seem obvious, but it is actually quite complex without some thorough Bible study. On several occasions, the Lord told His disciples that they needed to forgive in order to be forgiven (Matthew 6:14-15; Matthew 18:34-35; Mark 11:25-26; Luke 6:37). As a result of these statements, many Christians live in fear that they will not receive God’s forgiveness unless and until they have forgiven all those who have wronged them. Two things need to be understood contextually: (1) these commandments from the Gospels were given prior to Christ's sacrificial death upon the cross and (2) He was speaking specifically to His Jewish people. Diligent Bible study always involves asking to whom God is speaking in any particular text. Epistles written specifically to and for the church following Christ's sacrifice reveal that those who are saved are already forgiven on the basis of Christ's payment on the cross. Today, men do not forgive to be forgiven; they should forgive others because they have already been forgiven (Colossians 3:13).
Everyone should and must learn how and when to forgive others. However, forgiveness has some inherent limitations. True forgiveness of sins comes only from Almighty God. People may and should forgive others for things in which they have been wronged, but only God has the capacity to forgive transgressions against Himself and His word. Once an individual has trusted Christ as Saviour, he has been forgiven of all trespasses and the shed blood of Christ serves as the sole basis for that forgiveness (Ephesians 1:7; Colossians 1:14). Though it is important to seek forgiveness from others whom you may have wronged, everyone must still go directly to the Lord to seek the forgiveness for sins. The forgiveness offered by others cancels the conflict amongst and between them; however, the conflict caused by sin between God and man may still remain even after reconciliation has taken place between individuals.
An epistle (Colossians 4:16) is a letter from one person, or a group of people, to another. The epistle of Second Timothy was from Paul to a preacher named Timothy. Timothy was a young man (1 Timothy 4:12) but possessed a strong love for the Lord. Paul testified of this truth repeatedly and today’s passage shows Paul commenting on Timothy’s “unfeigned faith.” There was something refreshingly genuine about Timothy’s walk with the Lord. Though Paul was speaking specifically about Timothy’s faith, he made mention that this faith did not start with Timothy. This faith had been passed from his grandmother Lois to his mother Eunice, and then on to Timothy. In fact, he was being taught scripture from the time he was a child (2 Timothy 3:15). This type of upbringing yielded a young man of “unfeigned faith” who further matured into adulthood with spiritual fortitude worthy of emulation.
Christians in every age have faced varied battles ranging from small skirmishes to life-ending combat. God’s word tells the believer to equip himself as a good soldier of Jesus Christ (2 Timothy 2:3) by putting on “the whole armour of God.” This armour enables those engulfed in the battle to “stand against the wiles of the devil.” The apostle Paul identifies this armour and the importance of every element. Interestingly, as he refers to “the shield of faith,” he suggests taking it “above all.” Faith, though often overlooked, remains a crucial element within the saint’s spiritual arsenal. The Bible drives home this truth by pointing out that the shield of faith can “quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.” Without faith, the believer stands exposed and vulnerable. It is utterly impossible to “be strong in the Lord” apart from a steadfast faith in God and His word. While the sword (the Bible) works on the offense, faith protects and shields.
Prior military personnel know the difficulties associated with functioning as a good soldier. Their training focuses on teaching them how to endure physical and emotional hardships unique to their service. They learn how to follow and obey their chain of command and frequently do things commanded without always understanding the how and why. Paul’s letter to Timothy relates the Christian life to that of a soldier. Timothy, as well as every other faithful Christian, is challenged with difficulties based solely on the fact that he is a follower of the Lord Jesus Christ. Paul instructed Timothy how to react during those times when the difficulties arise. According to Paul, Timothy was to “endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ.” The Christian life is not supposed to be a life of ease. Fortunately, with Christ in focus, things take on a clearer focus with a notable purpose and plan. The Christian life contains “hardness” but submission to the true Commander in Chief helps the suffering seem like a light affliction (2 Corinthians 4:17). Like the good soldier, the faithful Christian needs to learn how to endure hardness in order to avoid bitterness and bewilderment during life’s battles.
God created the animals and points to them as examples for men to humbly consider. By considering these lessons, Christians can grow in their service as well as their knowledge of God’s expectations. Bible students can discover several references to animals and the specific lessons taught by them. Our passage is one such example. Proverbs admonishes the sluggard (a lazy person) to go to the ant and consider her ways (Proverbs 6:6). The ant needs no supervision, for she knows what to do and does it without instruction, supervision, or a king (Proverbs 6:7). The ant works with the future in sight so not to be lacking in times of need (Proverbs 6:8). All of this is accomplished by the ant in spite of a pure physical handicap—“the ants are a people not strong” (Proverbs 30:25).
The scripture plainly declares that God was compassionate prior tothe coming of Christ. Hiscoming to earth in a body of flesh simply confirmed that He is a compassionate Saviour. The coming of Christ, in the likeness of sinful flesh, enabled God the Son to experience the temptations and struggles of mankind (Romans 8:3, Hebrews 5:8). His compassion on earth reveals that He suffered with man, but more importantly, He suffered for man. He took the sins of the world upon Himself (2 Corinthians 5:21; 1 Peter 2:24), and gave man His own righteousness (2 Corinthians 5:21). One of the greatest demonstrationsof His compassion is the fact that God Himself loved us enough to be housed in a body of flesh (Hebrews 10:5).
