BaptistWay Bible Series for August 12: Be generous in your relationships

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The character of generosity derives from the way of grace. Grace is giving in nature—providing for others, doing things for them or caring for them in ways they cannot do for themselves. This lesson studies passages that discuss Christian characteristics and searches for elements that indicate generosity.

Our Colossians passage teaches the virtues each believer should strive for in life. This passage builds upon verse 10 which teaches each person, no matter their life before Christ, has been made new in the Creator’s image. “Therefore,” says verse 12, pursue these virtues.

Verse 12 describes the Apostle Paul’s readers in three ways. First, the readers are a “chosen people.” This term once referred to Israel, which was chosen from all the people of the earth to know God and serve him. This passage, however, teaches that under the provisions of the new covenant, God still chooses people from all the peoples of the earth to know him and serve him.

Second, the readers are holy. The principle distinction of holiness is separation—the willful exclusion of certain things to strengthen a relationship. God is holy because he keeps himself pure from sin and evil for the sake of his relationships. Believers also must live holy lives, fully separated from worldly ways and focused on living for their Lord.

Paul also describes his readers as dearly loved by the Lord. God’s motive for involvement in believers’ lives derives from his intense love for his people (see John 3:16 and Romans 5:8). As God is motivated by his love for humanity, his followers should be motivated by their love for God.

Paul then commands his readers to “clothe” themselves with five character traits. Compassion, with its sympathy for the misfortune of others, leads the way with an outward focus. Kindness, another outwardly focused trait, displays a benevolent nature toward others. These kindred traits pace the believer with a compelling disposition that characterizes and accredits God’s kingdom.

At the center of the list stands humility. This trait refers to knowing one’s rightful place in life—neither inflated, nor deflated. Humility before God means accepting God’s position of authority and one’s status as a human. Humility before humans means living within one’s personal parameters, neither encroaching upon others nor yielding to the encroachments of others.

Gentleness refers to mildness in conducting life. Patience refers to the ability to endure provocation, annoyance, delay, hardship or the restlessness that accompanies the lack of resolution. Gentleness and patience also are good partners. Gentleness provides calmness for living and relating to people while patience provides the ability to endure external circumstances or personalities that cannot be resolved quickly.

Verse 13 encourages forgiveness, an act that builds on the practice of the traits in verse 12. To forgive means to pardon, cancel debts, release all claims for retribution and cease resentment. In biblical terms, forgiveness also means the wronged party “pays” for the offense of the wrongful party. At his crucifixion, Jesus expressed forgiveness as he paid the price of atonement. To say Jesus paid our debts is to say he forgave us. Verse 13 concludes with the command: Forgive as Jesus forgave you. God practices forgiveness and so must his people.

Verse 14 describes the five traits in verse 12 and implied trait, forgiveness, from verse 13 as virtues. These virtues must be practiced with love. When love governs a character trait, that trait is expressed in a well-balanced, godly manner. The effect of such loving practice is to draw all believers together in perfect unity. Thus this passage promotes generosity in relationships through an outward focus and loving disposition.

Hebrews 13 opens where Colossians 3:14 ends, commanding the continuing practice of love. Verse 2 encourages benevolence toward strangers, a group of special interest to God. The Lord causes strangers to visit his people because he wants his people to influence others to commit their lives to God. A special test of loving others is “remembering” those in prison. “Remembering” is not simply a matter of memory, but includes taking appropriate action. Ancient prisons often neglected prisoners’ daily needs. Verse 3 commands believers to make a loving difference in people’s lives, even to the extreme of providing for prisoners.

Verse 4 preserves the sanctity of marriage by reinforcing the Seventh Commandment. Love must focus upon others, not things. In verse 5, the love of money can prevent a person from understanding God’s commitment to provide for him or her. Instead Christians should realize the endurance and strength of God’s commitment to provide for his people as indicated in the biblical quotations in verses 5-6.

Verse 7 encourages believers to follow their leaders who live out their faith publicly. Verse 8 provides great encouragement by declaring Jesus’ unchanging way. Thus Jesus ever provides generously for his people as the quotations promise.

Verses 14-16 remind that Christian pursuits are other worldly. Paul uses the word “city” in verse 14 to point out Christians are building their lives toward the next life. “City” refers to a worldly dwelling place, but the intimate, eternal presence of God is in mind as verse 15 indicates. Verse 15 speaks of a continual sacrifice of praise, to which verse 16 adds the sacrifices of doing good and sharing with others. These sacrifices seem far from the stodgy, regimented, mysterious Old Testament offerings, yet they describe exactly the spiritual maturity to which the old sacrificial system pointed. God wants followers who desire him enough to praise him and who are willing to emulate his generous ways among people.