Imitating God (Ephesians 5:1) is joyful, challenging, necessary, and productive. The command in verse 4 that we must forgive the person who repents will be much easier to obey if we practice daily imitating the God Who is always “ready to forgive” (Nehemiah 9:17; Psalm 86:5). The fact that we don’t—or won’t—forgive in necessary situations could be explained by our failure to develop a forgiving nature. God did not have to develop it—HE IS IT. But we do have to develop it because the command in verse 4 (“You shall forgive him”) requires a forgiving spirit. Being such a person has another upside—it makes those who offend have an easier time choosing to repent.
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