Family life often requires that we bear up under conditions that are not ideal. Parents do not enjoy dealing with loud, obnoxious, disobedient children. We may have to put up with disagreeable people in our neighborhood or community. And church life requires that we bear with people who are different from us and perhaps somewhat annoying, irritating, or disappointing.

In an ideal world, we would get along with everyone. No one would annoy us; no one would offend or irritate us; everything would be love, peace, and good feelings. But that’s not the real world. We live in a fallen world with other sinful people. We are far from perfect ourselves, and so is everyone else. Yet we have to get along with others.

Sometimes difficult, imperfect people attend church with us—perhaps they sit in our row! Even Christian people, especially immature believers, can be self-centered and hard to get along with. Others sometimes irritate us or annoy us in various ways.

Last Sunday, we considered Paul’s command to the Galatians to “bear one another’s burdens.” Today we’ll consider another “one another” responsibility, that is, to “forebear” one another. Two main verses in the NT tell us to forbear one another.

Eph 4:2 With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love;

Col 3:13 Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye.

How do we understand this Christian responsibility of forbearing one another?