January 10

Ephesians 4:32

And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you.

If someone is slow to learn, or progress in his Christian life, we should be willing to comfort him and ENCOURAGE him in his Christian walk instead of criticizing and condemning. Sometimes a rebuke is in order, but it should be given in love, and gently, not hatefully. If someone is suffering and going through distress, we should not callously administer an “I told you so”, or seem to be unmoved by his situation, but contrariwise, we should be gentle and compassionate toward them, remembering how often we ourselves have slipped and fallen and displeased our Lord. A Christian should not be overbearing and rough, but kindhearted and gentle, always bearing in mind THE DEEP PIT OF SIN from which our Lord has lifted US. If someone does you wrong or offends you, be quick to forgive them, “even as God for Christ’s sake has forgiven you”.

Commentary by Francis L. Harris

"...what must I do to be saved?" Acts 16:30