I am using the daily Bible reading schedule from “The Bible.net” for my daily Bible reading.

Today, I am reading and commenting on Colossians 1-4.

The Gospel message changes lives.  It does not result in us following a set of rules to which we can find loopholes.   We see the way rules fail to save, or change, people in our society today.  Our society rejected Paul’s teaching on sexual morality, but discovered that without it they needed rules to protect the vulnerable.  Now society is discovering that it needs to ever extend those rules because sinful people find loopholes through which they can exploit the vulnerable.  

  Paul writes that we should forgive those who offend us and live our lives with compassion, kindness, gentleness, humility and patience.   Letting all of these express the love which Christ will cause to live in us.  No rule set can ever cover all of the things which flow out of such characteristics.  No matter how you write the rule set, those who do not possess those characteristics will find ways to abuse others.  On the other hand, those who possess all of those characteristics will never abuse others, even if there are no rules at all.   The point which Paul makes again and again is that sexual immorality, evil desires, and greed are all contrary to the above characteristics.

Paul tells us to bear with the faults of others, although elsewhere he also tells us to confront sinners about their sin.  However, this does not present the conundrum that many people think it does.  Paul tells us not to confront sinners to show them how much better than twe are.  Nor are we to confront sinners as a way to pay them back for what harm they have done to us or others.  No, we should confront sinners because we love them and want them to stop harming themselves with their sins.