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 Three

"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

Who has not heard this line, "I'll never go there, that Church is full of hypocrites." Most people believe hypocrisy is from the Greek word meaning acting. In this verse it means, "dissimulation." Meaning to cover up what you really are. If you are one of those who fill that all Churches are full of fakes who believe one thing and do another, I first say to you that there is no way that you know all the Christians in one particular fellowship, much less all the groups in your area. So you are making a discussion that will have eternal consequences for you and your family with lack of knowledge.
Now for those of you that believe in Christ and have chosen to follow Him, take off the hypocrisy and walk the talk you profess. See how you affect others by what you say and do. This is a subject that even the non-believer with no religious training at all knows is wrong. For a matter of fact when most of us hear this subject we turn up our eyes for we are beating again the proverbial dead horse.
Today the names Pharisee and Hypocrite have become synonymous with usage. See Matthew 23:23, Mark 12:15 and Luke 12:1. Although a Pharisee is a picture of a hypocrite in the Bible they worked hard at preserving the scriptures and traditions of the Jewish faith which we get our root beliefs, But, Jesus said in Matthew 5:20 that our "righteousness is to exceed that of the scribes and Pharisees. We should work hard in the faith, but do as we say. What people hear and see of us is to be what we are. And if we are truly walking with the Lord, they will see Him instead of us. So take off and put aside hypocrisy. Let others see the new clothes the Lord has given us.

Prayer: Lord, forgive us of our hypocrisy. Forgive us for not being what we say we are and for not doing what we say we do. Help us to show you to others. Clothe us with your truth in our lives that will point others to you. Amen