But the Apostle Paul goes further in Ephesians 4:2. He also teaches that we should relate to one another with PATIENCE, with FORBEARANCE, and with LOVE.
- PATIENCE is RESTRAINT in relationship to others. It is HANGING IN THERE with difficult people. Of course ALL OF US are difficult people to someone at sometime! Patient people are not EASILY OFFENDED. Their "offend-o-meter" is not tweaked to extreme sensitivity. Rather, they understand that we are all IN PROCESS, being made like Jesus, but NOT THERE yet. Think of the patience of Jesus in hanging in there with the 12! What a motley crew. The boisterous Peter. The passionate James and John. The pilfering Judas. The show-me-before-I-believe Thomas. Think of Jesus' patience with YOU!
- BEARING with ONE ANOTHER is mutual tolerance, putting up with each other. It is closely related to patience. It is in the name of unity in Christ putting up with differences in convictions about raising kids, music selection, spending free time, sermons, etc.
- LOVE. It all comes down to this. We are humble and gentle and patient and forbearing because we LOVE one another. Love is primarily a CHOICE and not an emotion. It SHOULD affect the emotions, but it should not start there...be birthed from there. Love seeks, even sacrificially, the good of my brother. It WILL NOT give up or give in or take off. It will keep on keeping on with whatever you and the community of Christ needs. It is an umbrella attribute of our Father and it comes to us and grows in us by the Holy Spirit (Romans 5:5; Galatians 5:22). Jesus' loved to the CROSS...and beyond.
Our churches will always be able to maintain the unity of the Spirit with the glue of harmony if we treat one another like Jesus...with "all humility, gentleness, patience, and bearing with one another in love."
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