No Nudist In The Kingdom: Part Seven

In parts 1-6 we looked at items in 1 Peter 2:1-3 and Colossians 3:8-9 that we are to “put off” or better translated as “take off” as in taking off a coat and laying it aside. And we discussed how the Lord always gives us something better to put on when He has us take something off. Therefore not leaving us Spiritually naked. Now in Eph. 4:31-32 I would like to show you the final two items that we need to shed before being able to put-on what the Lord has for us.

"Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking,

be put away from you, with all malice: And be ye kind one to another,

tender-hearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you." Ephesians 4:31-32 KJV

Bitterness, just the sound of the word tells us that it is bad. It’s the attitude that we have to a person or an event in our lives that leaves a bitter taste in everything we do or say. One of the best tricks of our enemy is to make us bitter. There may not be a worst testimony for Christ than a bitter Christian. Second, we see clamour as another ill fitted garment for a Christian. Do you know someone in your Church or workplace that is constantly stirring up trouble? And they love it. They seem unable to function without doing it. Well that person wears the cloak of clamour. Take it off.

We have already gone through the others in this verse: wrath (Col. 3:8), anger (Col. 3:8), evil speaking (1 Peter 2:1), and malice (1 Peter 2:1 and Col. 3:8). Also; guile, hypocrisy, envy (1 Peter 2:1) along with blasphemy and filthy language (Col. 3:8). In conclusion to the “Put Off” section on this series I plan on sharing the “Put On” part. Unless I come across more put-offs like before.

Please notice the last part of this verse, ”And be ye kind one to another, tender-hearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you." Being kind to others and tenderhearted (opposite of hard-hearted) is the tool used to take off the garments of bitterness and clamour and place it into the fire, like a leper’s garment that is defiled and unable to be used for anything else.

Prayer: Lord, help us to take off all actions and attributes that do not bring Glory to Your name and Kingdom like bitterness and clamour. Give us the right attitude to live and the right words to speak. Amen

No Nudist In The Kingdom: Part Two

"Therefore, laying aside all malice, and all guile, hypocrisy, envy, and all
evil speaking (gossip), as newborn babes desire the pure milk of the word, that
you may grow thereby, if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is gracious." 1
Peter 2:1-3 NKJV

In part one of this series we looked into malice which we are told to lay aside
and as mentioned," taking off and laying aside in order to run or work". Now we
will look at "guile". The Greek word here is "dolos " which literally means
"deceit," deceit with the intent of harm to another. Where as malice was "deceit
in order to get ahead." Guile is deceit to harm another.
In the New Testament we see Phillip bringing Nathanael to Jesus and Jesus
calling him a "man without guile." A man that would not harm a flea, as the
saying goes. Although he belittled Jesus because he was from Nazareth, he did
so without the intent to harm Him. It is hard to believe this is possible, but
Jesus sees the heart of a person. (John 1:43-51)Paul states in 2 Corinthians
12:16 that he had caught the Corinthian Church with guile. Paul tells the
Thessalonians that their preaching to them was not deceitful. (1 Thessalonians
2:3) Peter says in 1 Peter 2:22 that Jesus left us an example that while He was
suffering guile/deceit was not found in Him.
What does this all mean for us? In our Christian lives we are not to be
deceitful so take off our garment of guile. Don't do or say anything deceitful
with the intent of harming or "getting back at someone." This goes for not
"doing unto others as they have done to you." Surely we would not harm anyone
without cause. But we may be tempted to give the hurt back to those who harm us.
We are to take off guile and replace it with forgiveness. In times past on the
job I have been wronged by co-employees and even management, but I am not to
look for a way to get-back at them and it is not my job as a Christian to teach
them a lesson. I have in some jobs been discriminated against because of my
race. I wish I could say," that I was a man without guile."
As I put off all these old-natured attributes, I will put on the new garments
given me. (To be revealed in upcoming post)

Prayer: Lord, forgive us of the sin of guile. Forgive us of our deceitfulness to
harm another person made in your image. Help us to forgive others as you forgave
us. Clothe us with your wisdom to do our jobs and to live in a way that pleases
you. Amen