The art of forgiveness Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you. —Ephesians 4:31–32
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n Ephesians 4:22–32, Paul describes what it means to live a Christ-like life as a child of God. We are to “put off” our old selves, which have been put to death with Christ’s sacrifice, and “put on” our new selves. This idea applies to the art of forgiveness.
Verses 31 to 32 lay out the steps to forgiveness: “Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.” What does this mean in practical terms? It means avoiding talk that fuels bitterness and resisting the temptation to harbour thoughts of revenge. 70
For example, we need to stop criticising siblings who are unwilling to help care for Mum, or thinking about how we can do less for Dad because he has not been grateful for our caregiving so far. In their place, we are to find kindness and gentleness. We are to forgive each other as Christ has forgiven us. Ultimately, forgiveness means having to examine and control our own actions and character. It means learning to lay down our martyrdom, bitterness and anger at the foot of the cross, so that we can don our new clothes from Christ—compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, patience, and love. Consider the roots of forgiveness: Compassion, which comes from knowing who we
