Pastor Jim continues his series on Sanctification and the four ingredients to spiritual growth: (2 Chronicles 7:14)
14 if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.
– 2 Chronicles 7:14 (NIV)
Living to Please God
As for other matters, brothers and sisters, we instructed you how to live in order to please God, as in fact you are living. Now we ask you and urge you in the Lord Jesus to do this more and more.
– 1 Thessalonians 4:1 (NIV)
Instructions for Christian Living
17 So I tell you this, and insist on it in the Lord, that you must no longer live as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their thinking. 18 They are darkened in their understanding and separated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them due to the hardening of their hearts. 19 Having lost all sensitivity, they have given themselves over to sensuality so as to indulge in every kind of impurity, and they are full of greed.
20 That, however, is not the way of life you learned 21 when you heard about Christ and were taught in him in accordance with the truth that is in Jesus. 22 You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; 23 to be made new in the attitude of your minds; 24 and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.
– Ephesians 4:17-24 (NIV)
11 “‘Do not steal.
“‘Do not lie.
“‘Do not deceive one another.
– Leviticus 19:11 (NIV)
9 Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices 10 and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator.
– Colossians 3:9-10 (NIV)
25 Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to your neighbor, for we are all members of one body. 26 “In your anger do not sin”: Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, 27 and do not give the devil a foothold.
– Ephesians 4:25-27 (NIV)
- Orgizó (or-gid’-zo) – Verb
- To provoke, or to arouse to anger.
- To be provoked to anger or be angry.
“It’s natural to feel anger over the flagrant violation of God’s laws in the world, both inside and outside the church. It’s bad enough when this hurts others, but when it’s directed at us personally, it’s even worse. And when that anger turns to resentment (anger stored for future use), or causes us to respond in kind toward another person it becomes sin for two reasons. One, it puts us in God’s role of judgment, and two it causes us to presume that we’re better than the object of our resentment. That’s called pride.”
– Gracethrufaith.com
9 Do not be quickly provoked in your spirit, for anger resides in the lap of fools.
– Ecclesiastes 7:9 (NIV)
19 My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, 20 because human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires. 21 Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you.
– James 1:19-21 (NIV)
26 “In your anger do not sin”: Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, 27 and do not give the devil a foothold.
– Ephesians 4:26-27 (NIV)
Things to Remember:
- We are meant to grow.
- 86% of people in America call themselves Christians.
- Be Repentant.
- Be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry.
- Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry.