And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. (31) Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away for you, with all malice. (32) And be kind to one another, tender hearted, forgiving one another; even as God in Christ forgave you. (5:1) Therefore be imitators of God as dear children. (2) And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma.

The letter to the Ephesians was writtten by the apostle Paul. He has been showing what it means to live as Christians in this world. We are to put off our old life and be renewed in our minds and hearts by the indwelling Spirit. The faithful are to put off all bitterness and anger and to be kind and forgive one another. Behavioral changes have as a supreme motive for not sinning which is to not grieve the Spirit who is the pledge of God’s final redemption of Christians. Paul exhorts us to get rid of bitterness which harbors resentment from which flows rage, anger, and chaos in living. The model for our forgiveness and love should be Christ’s love for us to the extent of dying for us.

In a fallen world forgiveness is essential to maintain close relationships. This is not an easy task, especially on an emotional level, but to a Christian seeking and granting forgiveness it is not optional. As c.s. Lewis observed, we are forgiven precisely as we forgive. When guilty sinners repent of sin and lay hold of Christ in faith, God promises NOT to remember those sins. When we forgive someone we are to let the matter drop, refuse to think about the offense and seek to restore a broken relationship. Forgiveness of others gets rid of bitterness which eats at our souls. Bitter people keep score and it hurts them more than the guilty people who hurt them. We cannot afford bitterness. Outbursts of anger have no place among believers.

We are first to make sure we have received God’s forgiveness through faith in Christ alone. We are not to let angry thoughts fester and to ask the Spirit to control (guide) our minds and emotions. Lasting joy is only found in true lasting holiness – sin brings us temporary pleasure but long term pain. Christians are to practice kindness and forgiveness to replace bitterness and anger. We are to remember foremost how God in Christ has forgiven us and that forgiveness is through Christ alone.