Christ?s Law of Love...Continued from page 5

C. Forgiveness of Love (Gal. 6:1-2; Col. 3:12-14)

Galatians 6:1. Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted.

2. Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ.

Colossians 3:12. Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering;

13. Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye.

14. And above all these things put on charity, which is the bond of perfectness.

Isn't it interesting how God will forgive an individual's sins, but we as believers may not forgive the person for having fallen into temptation or erroneous ideas? Without love for this person, we cannot be a positive force in restoring them as a productive member of the body of Christ.

Here we are reminded of the nature of genuine spirituality. Sin demands discipline. It cannot be disregarded or compromised. However, once the individual is repentant before God, we believers who claim to be spiritual are to be ready to help this person grow in Christ and to be resorted as a full member of the Church.

The only way this can be accomplished is for each of us to recognize who we are - "God's chosen people" (Col. 3:12 NIV). He chose to offer salvation, He chose to allow His Son to die for us, and He chose to allow the Holy Spirit to be our Comforter. Now we in turn are to "put on" those virtues which are Christlike. They enable us to become vessels of forgiveness in difficult situations. Sometimes fellow believers hurt us deeply with their words and/or actions. Others bring great disappointment to us through failures in their personal lives. Yet, we must forgive! It is not an option!

The Lord forgave us, and we are obligated to do likewise. Christ's forgiveness is the stimulus that enables us to cross the obvious barriers of love. Love can be described as the bridge that enables great gulfs to be spanned. It serves as the glue that will bond what has been broken. It is the solvent that dissolves the elements which are hindering the situation.

Once again, let us be reminded of the true definition of love, which goes far beyond feelings. Love evidences itself in attitudes and actions which, despite the situation, enable "perfect unity" (v. 14 NIV) to exist.

CONCLUSION

Within this lesson we have covered a number of well-known and often-quoted scriptures. All of them speak specifically of Christ's law of love, which is to be a reality in our lives by demonstrating it to other people. Love can't remain passive. It explodes outwardly, reaching out to everyone without favoritism. When this happens, we know it has become the guiding principle in our lives.

GOLDEN TEXT CHALLENGE

"IF YE FULFIL THE ROYAL LAW ACCORDING TO THE SCRIPTURE, THOU SHALT LOVE THY NEIGHBOUR AS THYSELF, YE DO WELL" (James 2:8).

The royal law is the law of love, expressed in the command "Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself" (Lev. 19:18). Christ taught that all who need our help in any way are to be thought of as neighbors. The command to love our neighbor may then be seen as a summary of the horizontal dimension of the Law.

This command may be called "the royal law" because it is thought of as supreme, that is, "the king of all laws." It can also be considered the royal law because Christ, the true King, is its promulgator. Love is the law of His kingdom.

To "fulfill the royal law" is to practice it. When we do so, it is evident that we have royal blood flowing in our veins, for it is only Christ who can empower us to love others as He loves them.