Ephes. 4:29-32 Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers. 30) And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption. 31) Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice: 32) And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you.

Many people in our churches today don't think that they need the message of forgiveness preached to them, because they feel justified for their bitter feelings.

Matt. 12:34 ... for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh.

1)  The word kind means to be gentle, caring, helpful, courteous, good, useful, giving, and showering favors upon people. It is the opposite of being neglectful, harsh, sharp, bitter, and resentful. Lehman Strauss points out that kindness comes from such words as kin and kindred which means that it treats a person as one's own kin.

Romans 12:10 Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honor preferring one another.

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

2) The word tenderhearted means to show compassion, mercy, understanding, love, tenderness, and warmth. It means to be aware of a person's hurts and sufferings, problems and difficulties, emotions and mental state, physical and spiritual condition. It means to be tenderhearted toward them.

Matt. 5:7 Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.

Luke 6:36 Be ye therefore merciful, as your Father also is merciful.

John 13:35 By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.

Rom. 12:9 Let love be without dissimulation [hypocrisy]. Abhor that which is evil; cleave to that which is good.

I Thes. 3:12 And the Lord make you to increase and abound in love one toward another, and toward all men, even as we do toward you.

I Peter 1:22 Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently

3) The word forgiving means to be gracious to a person, to pardon him for what he has done wrong. Jesus didn't say that the person hasn't hurt you and caused you pain. But the command is to still forgive him.

The reason we should forgive each other is because God has forgiven us.

No matter how much a person has done against you, it does not come close to what we have done against God. Yet, God has forgiven us. Why?  For Christ's sake. Jesus Christ died for us-died for our sins so that we could be forgiven. Therefore, God forgives us. No matter what we have done, God forgives us when we want forgiveness. He forgives us despite the fact that we have rejected Him, cursed Him, ignored Him, neglected Him, and rebelled against Him. So, because of what Christ has done for us, we should forgive others no matter what they have done.

Luke 6:35-36 ...ye shall be the children of the Highest: for he is kind unto the unthankful and to the evil. Be ye therefore merciful, as your Father also is merciful.

Luke 17:4 And if he trespass against thee seven times in a day, and seven times in a day turn again to thee, saying, I repent; thou shalt forgive him.

Col. 3:13 Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye.

Mark 11:25-26 And when ye stand praying, forgive, if ye have ought against any: that your Father also which is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses. 26) But if ye do not forgive, neither will your Father which is in heaven forgive your trespasses.

Matthew 6:14-15 For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you: 15) But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.

Luke 6:37 Judge not, and ye shall not be judged: condemn not, and ye shall not be condemned: forgive, and ye shall be forgiven:

Matt. 18:21-22 Then came Peter to him, and said, Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? till seven times? 22) Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee, Until seven times: but, Until seventy times seven.

I John 1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

In His Service,
Pastor Donald Pierce