Laying Aside All Malice - Ezekiel 24-26 and I Peter 2
The Lord does not want us to harbor ill will in our hearts toward anyone. It is easy to do, and it is even understandable sometimes, but it is not God's will. God is a forgiving God who wants the best for other people, and He wants us to be the same way. God punished the nations around Israel because of their malice toward His people. They rejoiced in their afflictions, and they sought to take revenge on Israel, because they had hard feelings toward them. There was no doubt that Israel was not perfect. They had sinned so badly that God referred to them as a pot with scum which needed to be boiled away. That did not make it alright for the other nations to disdain them and to have malice toward them. The same is true for us. We can't excuse our malice, because someone is sinful. God desires for us to be free from malice. He wants us to be forgiving like Him.
Peter explains this truth in detail. Putting aside malice, envy, deceit, hypocrisy, and all evil speaking is a part of growing in the Lord. Today, the church is God's holy nation and chosen people like Israel was in the Old Testament. He wants to build us up as living stones into a beautiful Temple for Himself. For that to happen we have to put aside the conduct of this world. We can't act like everyone else. When we are reviled, we are not to take vengeance. We are to leave that to the Lord. We are to honor all people, love the brothers and sisters in Christ, fear God, and honor the governing authorities. It is a tall order, but it is God's way. His children are not to be people of malice. I am afraid that is how the unbelievers see us sometimes, and it hurts our witness. They need to see us as loving people who are willing to forgive and to accept them when they turn away from their sins and to the Lord. I pray that we will take this admonition to heart each day and abound in it as we grow in the Lord.
Tomorrow, I intend to read Ezekiel 27-29 and I Peter 3.
Peter explains this truth in detail. Putting aside malice, envy, deceit, hypocrisy, and all evil speaking is a part of growing in the Lord. Today, the church is God's holy nation and chosen people like Israel was in the Old Testament. He wants to build us up as living stones into a beautiful Temple for Himself. For that to happen we have to put aside the conduct of this world. We can't act like everyone else. When we are reviled, we are not to take vengeance. We are to leave that to the Lord. We are to honor all people, love the brothers and sisters in Christ, fear God, and honor the governing authorities. It is a tall order, but it is God's way. His children are not to be people of malice. I am afraid that is how the unbelievers see us sometimes, and it hurts our witness. They need to see us as loving people who are willing to forgive and to accept them when they turn away from their sins and to the Lord. I pray that we will take this admonition to heart each day and abound in it as we grow in the Lord.
Tomorrow, I intend to read Ezekiel 27-29 and I Peter 3.