Showing posts with label Malice. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Malice. Show all posts

Thursday, November 8, 2018

Let All Bitterness Be Put Away


Eph. 4:31 Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamor, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice:

People normally become bitter and full of malice when they are treated wrongly. It is the natural reaction of the carnal nature. It is difficult to understand the behavior of other people. Those who seek to hurt others do so out of self preservation or selfish intent. Desiring to fulfill or satisfy a personal need. The carnal heart cares not who it hurts, only thinking of self and protecting one’s ego, even at the expense of doing wrong or hurting someone else. Bitterness, a sin that destroys the very fiber of one’s character can easily begin to fester in the heart toward one who has wronged us. We feel it is our right to be bitter, or angry. Having ill will toward someone who is treating you unfair or hateful is what is expected. To the natural man, this is how we deal with people who don’t care and are self centered. How is it possible to let all bitterness be put away? How can we keep from lashing back in anger and speaking back maliciously? It is only by the grace of God and a heart purified by faith by the Holy Spirit that this is made possible. Even as Christ forgave us, He gives us grace to forgive and love others. “With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible.”

Monday, November 21, 2016

Christian Anger

Eph. 4:26a, 32 “ Be Angry…and be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.”-

In a perfect world, everyone would put aside their own wants and even their dignity to keep peace. It is natural to be angry when wrong is inflected and our shelf image is wounded. The natural tendency is to strike back, and inflict pain to those who say and do things that hurt. Anger is a natural emotion that in itself is not sin. As Christians, we have a choice how we are going handle our anger. Paul says that we are not to let our anger become bitter and malicious. Jesus, our God and Savior has shown us how we are to act in the face being treated wrongly. React with kindness, forgive those who despiteful use you. Show the same forgiveness to others that Christ has shown you. Such choices are not natural, they are super natural and come through the power of the Holy Spirit that lives within us. We can lay our head down each night knowing that God has given us a heart of forgiveness and our feelings of anger can be given to God.