Nationalism: A Humanist Dilemma

 Some secularists argue the problem with the world is nationalism. They may argue that nationalism causes division and we are all human beings and politics just draws imaginary lines to divide us. They may argue that nationalism is just like rooting for your team and when you get great players on your team you get riled up and it's like we are going back to our "tribal instincts".

I would argue that it's not about tribalism. It's not this barbaric caveman mentality based on evolution. All of history men were not dumber than the previous generation, history just shows the progression of human technology. Technology has advanced as it always has. Men were geniuses all throughout history. We can't look back at history and just think it's wrong because we know better now. Technology has progressed, that's all. We've developed new ways to do things to improve our way of life, to make it more convenient. But I would argue that we've been just as sinful as any generation, or any empire before us.

But I digress, the point I want to make is that in a biblical perspective, the only way to tear down boarders is to see things through God's eyes. But this only works if you believe in the God of the Bible. No other god can give you this perspective, only the God of the Bible can. If we are all children of God then we don't have nationalism. Our citizenship doesn't belong on earth. It is not restrained to man made laws and borders. Yes, God does establish the Kings and leaders of this world, but as Christians we love each other no matter the passport. We don't put our nationality over our heavenly citizenship. We are stewards of this earth together. All men and women are one family with one Father. We are brothers and sisters under God. Not by a nation's declaration or constitution. We belong to God. We belong to Jesus Christ.

Supralapsarianism and Infralapsarianism

Did God choose the elect because of His mercy? Or did He choose the elect to display His sovereignty?

Supralapsarianism is the belief that God chose the elect before He decided to create the universe, man and the fall.

Infralapsarianism is the belief that God chose the elect after the creation of the universe, man and the fall. 

Supralapsarianism (Before the fall)

Infralapsarianism (After the fall)

The Supralapsarian position might have God’s sovereignty uppermost in one's mind. 

The Infralapsarian position might have God’s mercy uppermost in one's mind.

Christalogical-supralapsarianism would be a position that the last thing that will happen in Heaven, the consummation of the union of all believers to Christ was what He had intended in mind at the very beginning. The end of all God’s decrees. Simply the glory of Jesus Christ.

What Does The Bible Say About Women Pastors?

Source: GotQuestions.org

There is perhaps no more hotly debated issue in the church today than the issue of women serving as pastors. As a result, it is very important to not see this issue as men versus women. There are women who believe women should not serve as pastors and that the Bible places restrictions on the ministry of women, and there are men who believe women can serve as pastors and that there are no restrictions on women in ministry. This is not an issue of chauvinism or discrimination. It is an issue of biblical interpretation.

The Word of God proclaims, “A woman should learn in quietness and full submission. I do not permit a woman to teach or to have authority over a man; she must be silent” (1 Timothy 2:11–12). In the church, God assigns different roles to men and women. This is a result of the way mankind was created and the way in which sin entered the world (1 Timothy 2:13–14). God, through the apostle Paul, restricts women from serving in roles of teaching and/or having spiritual authority over men. This precludes women from serving as pastors over men, which definitely includes preaching to them, teaching them publicly, and exercising spiritual authority over them.

There are many objections to this view of women in pastoral ministry. A common one is that Paul restricts women from teaching because in the first century, women were typically uneducated. However, 1 Timothy 2:11–14 nowhere mentions educational status. If education were a qualification for ministry, then the majority of Jesus’ disciples would not have been qualified. A second common objection is that Paul only restricted the women of Ephesus from teaching men (1 Timothy was written to Timothy, the pastor of the church in Ephesus). Ephesus was known for its temple to Artemis, and women were the authorities in that branch of paganism—therefore, the theory goes, Paul was only reacting against the female-led customs of the Ephesian idolaters, and the church needed to be different. However, the book of 1 Timothy nowhere mentions Artemis, nor does Paul mention the standard practice of Artemis worshipers as a reason for the restrictions in 1 Timothy 2:11–12.

A third objection is that Paul is only referring to husbands and wives, not men and women in general. The Greek words for “woman” and “man” in 1 Timothy 2could refer to husbands and wives; however, the basic meaning of the words is broader than that. Further, the same Greek words are used in verses 8–10. Are only husbands to lift up holy hands in prayer without anger and disputing (verse 8)? Are only wives to dress modestly, have good deeds, and worship God (verses 9–10)? Of course not. Verses 8–10 clearly refer to all men and women, not just husbands and wives. There is nothing in the context that would indicate a narrowing to husbands and wives in verses 11–14.

Yet another objection to this interpretation of women in pastoral ministry is in relation to women who held positions of leadership in the Bible, specifically Miriam, Deborah, and Huldah in the Old Testament. It is true that these women were chosen by God for special service to Him and that they stand as models of faith, courage, and, yes, leadership. However, the authority of women in the Old Testament is not relevant to the issue of pastors in the church. The New Testament Epistles present a new paradigm for God’s people—the church, the body of Christ—and that paradigm involves an authority structure unique to the church, not for the nation of Israel or any other Old Testament entity.

Similar arguments are made using Priscilla and Phoebe in the New Testament. In Acts 18, Priscilla and Aquila are presented as faithful ministers for Christ. Priscilla’s name is mentioned first, perhaps indicating that she was more prominent in ministry than her husband. Did Priscilla and her husband teach the gospel of Jesus Christ to Apollos? Yes, in their home they “explained to him the way of God more adequately” (Acts 18:26). Does the Bible ever say that Priscilla pastored a church or taught publicly or became the spiritual leader of a congregation of saints? No. As far as we know, Priscilla was not involved in ministry activity in contradiction to 1 Timothy 2:11–14.

In Romans 16:1, Phoebe is called a “deacon” (or “servant”) in the church and is highly commended by Paul. But, as with Priscilla, there is nothing in Scripture to indicate that Phoebe was a pastor or a teacher of men in the church. “Able to teach” is given as a qualification for elders, but not for deacons (1 Timothy 3:1–13; Titus 1:6–9).

The structure of 1 Timothy 2:11–14makes the reason why women cannot be pastors perfectly clear. Verse 13 begins with “for,” giving the “cause” of Paul’s statement in verses 11–12. Why should women not teach or have authority over men? Because “Adam was created first, then Eve. And Adam was not the one deceived; it was the woman who was deceived” (verses 13–14). God created Adam first and then created Eve to be a “helper” for Adam. The order of creation has universal application in the family (Ephesians 5:22–33) and in the church.

The fact that Eve was deceived is also given in 1 Timothy 2:14 as a reason for women not serving as pastors or having spiritual authority over men. This does not mean that women are gullible or that they are all more easily deceived than men. If all women are more easily deceived, why would they be allowed to teach children (who are easily deceived) and other women (who are supposedly more easily deceived)? The text simply says that women are not to teach men or have spiritual authority over men because Eve was deceived. God has chosen to give men the primary teaching authority in the church.

Many women excel in gifts of hospitality, mercy, teaching, evangelism, and helping/serving. Much of the ministry of the local church depends on women. Women in the church are not restricted from public praying or prophesying (1 Corinthians 11:5), only from having spiritual teaching authority over men. The Bible nowhere restricts women from exercising the gifts of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 12). Women, just as much as men, are called to minister to others, to demonstrate the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22–23), and to proclaim the gospel to the lost (Matthew 28:18–20; Acts 1:8; 1 Peter 3:15).

God has ordained that only men are to serve in positions of spiritual teaching authority in the church. This is not because men are necessarily better teachers or because women are inferior or less intelligent (which is not the case). It is simply the way God designed the church to function. Men are to set the example in spiritual leadership—in their lives and through their words. Women are to take a less authoritative role. Women are encouraged to teach other women (Titus 2:3–5). The Bible also does not restrict women from teaching children. The only activity women are restricted from is teaching or having spiritual authority over men. This precludes women from serving as pastors to men. This does not make women less important, by any means, but rather gives them a ministry focus more in agreement with God’s plan and His gifting of them.

Teaching Children Self-Discipline

Remove All Pleasures Temporarily ("You're Grounded")

Just because a child is well-behaved, it doesn’t necessarily mean he has self-discipline. Self-disciplined kids can choose to refrain from immediate gratification. They can make good choices regardless of how they feel.

Kids who have self-discipline can cope with uncomfortable emotions in a healthy way. They’ve learned anger management skills and are able to control impulsive behaviour. They can respond respectfully when adults correct them and they can take responsibility for their behaviour.

The more self-disciplined your child becomes, the less discipline he'll need from you. When your child accepts responsibility for their own behaviour, you won't need to use as many negative consequences. Instead, you'll be able to focus on teaching your child new skills and building a healthy relationship.

God Is Free

God is free. God is not conditioned by anything other than himself. He permits good things to happen with divine pleasure and enduement, as well as evil things. But God is self-determined either way. Does this mean that God is free to approve sin? By no means! God is not free to be unloving, unwise, to ignore hard facts of reality, to be unfaithful to what is or ought to be, to be uncompassionate or unmerciful. God cannot deny Himself and His own character. He is free to be Himself--His personal, eternal, living, intellectual, ethical, emotional, volitional self.

The World Religion “Collective Faith”

 

Anger & Controlling Temper

 Source: www.gospelway.com

Anger, Controlling Temper, and Bible Teaching

"Be Angry and Sin Not." Anger and loss of temper are problems that all people face at times. With some the problems are habitual. Is it always sinful to be angry? 

What does the Bible say about anger, wrath, blowing up, and clamming up? Should we vent our feelings to "get it out of our system"? Can we control our tempers? What guidance does God's word give in overcoming the temptations of anger?

Click here to hear this Bible study as an mp3 recorded message.

The purpose of this lesson is to study the Bible teaching about anger.

All of us have problems controlling our temper at times. Some of us have habitual problems.

Let us consider what the Bible says. Is all anger necessarily sinful? Can we control our tempers? What does Jesus offer to help up overcome the habit of losing our temper?

[I have been benefited in this study by counseling materials written by Jay Adams.]

I. The Relationship between Anger and Sin

What is the problem with anger? What is the danger?

A. Bible Examples of Acceptable Anger

Some people assume that Christians should never show signs of a temper. If a Christian raises his voice or becomes visibly upset, some people think or act as though he violated his duty as a Christian. Consider:

God is angry with sin.

Psalm 7:11 - Because He is a just God, God is angry with sinners every day. Surely God's anger is not wrong. It is proper, for it is even based on His justice.

Many other passages show that God is angry when people commit sin. He will punish sinners in wrath. If God is infinitely righteous yet is often angry, why should we conclude that people are always wrong when they are angry?

[Romans 1:18; 2:5-9; 5:6-11; Ephesians 5:6; Colossians 3:6; John 3:36; etc.]

Moses was angry with sin.

The Bible says Moses was more meek than anyone else on earth (Num. 12:3), yet several times he acted and spoke in great anger.

Exodus 11:4-8 - Moses predicted that God would destroy the firstborn in all Egypt. Moses was acting as God's spokesman, yet he spoke "in great anger" (v8).

Exodus 32:19-24 - While Moses was on Mt. Sinai receiving the law, Israel worshiped a golden calf. When he saw this, "Moses' anger became hot" (v19), so much so that other people could see that he was angry (v22). He spoke and he punished the people in anger (cf. vv 25-29).

Numbers 16:15 - When Korah, Dathan, and Abiram led a rebellion against Moses' leadership, "Moses was very angry." He spoke in anger (vv 16ff), and even prayed to God in anger.

Jesus was angry with sin.

Mark 3:5 - When Jews condemned Jesus for healing on the sabbath, He looked on them in anger, being grieved at their hardness of heart. Jesus became angry and spoke in anger, even when teaching. Did He sin (Heb. 4:15)?

Other examples of acceptable anger

2 Corinthians 7:11 - In obedience to Paul's inspired teaching (1 Cor. 5), Corinth had disciplined a fornicator. Paul praised them for their "indignation." Note that a whole congregation acted in indignation, even disciplined a member in indignation, and were praised for doing so!

Ephesians 4:26 - Be angry, and do not sin. Can we obey this passage? If so, then it is possible to be angry without sinning.

Not everyone who is angry has automatically done wrong. Some anger is justified. But note that every case listed above involves being angry at sin. Sin ought to anger Christians, but we must control our response.

Take care lest you conclude that people have sinned, simply because they became angry. Not all anger is sinful.

[Psalms 119:53; Gen. 31:31; Psalm 2:12; Nehemiah 5:6,7; Mark 10:14 - ASV]

B. The Danger of Anger

James 1:19,20 - Be slow to wrath, because the wrath of man does not produce the righteousness of God. Again, not all anger is forbidden. It does not say to never be angry but to be slow to anger. The problem with anger is what it "produces" or leads to.

Proverbs 14:17 - A quick-tempered man acts foolishly. Not all anger is sinful, but we must take care lest we "fly off the handle," lose control, and act wrongly. [Prov. 29:22]

Anger can cause us to sin in two different ways:

Anger can cause us to "blow up."

Some psychologists encourage people to "vent" their anger. If husbands or wives become angry, they are supposed to say whatever they think, because it "gets it out of the system" or "releases tension." They tell us to allow even little children to throw tantrums, scream, and call parents nasty names.

Proverbs 29:11,20

A fool vents all his feelings, but a wise man holds them back. Do you see a man hasty in his words? There is more hope for a fool than for him.

The problem with anger is that it may lead us to lose control of our conduct and lash out at others with foolish words or deeds that are intended to hurt others and may be regretted later. By contrast, a wise man will control himself, even when he is angry.

The Bible teaches that our words and deeds are controlled by our thoughts. We must learn to control our thoughts and emotions, because harboring sinful thoughts will lead to sinful conduct. [Prov. 4:23; Matt. 15:18ff]

Ephesians 4:31,32

Not all anger is sinful (v26), but we should put away anger that is associated with bitterness, clamor ("loud quarreling" - NKJV ftnt), evil speaking, and malice. It is the opposite of kindness, tenderheartedness, and forgiveness (v32).

Anger is sinful when it leads us to lose control so that, instead of being helpful to others, we become abusive, saying evil or hateful things intended to hurt them. Or we may simply not care about how we affect them. [Col. 3:8ff; 2 Cor. 12:20]

Genesis 4:4-8

Cain is an example. When God rejected Cain's offering but accepted Abel's, Cain became angry and killed Abel.

Cain's anger was wrong, first because Abel had done nothing wrong. Anger at sin may be justified, but Cain was angry at someone who was righteous. Cain was the one who did wrong and was upset because God did not accept his conduct. Second, his anger was wrong because it led him to harm his brother.

[Prov. 19:11; Rom. 12:17-21' Acts 7:54-60; 19:28; James 3:9-12; 1 Peter 3:9; Matt. 7:12]

Anger can cause us to "clam up."

Ephesians 4:31,32 - Anger and wrath should be "put away" from us, along with bitterness and malice. But instead of putting away their anger, some people just put it inside: they let it build up bitterness and grudges. They may not say anything, but their hearts are full of malice and a desire to hurt others.

Ephesians 4:26 - Do not let the sun go down on your wrath. Instead of letting anger build up, we should get rid of it. One who "clams up" violates this part of the passage. He may not lash out to hurt others, but neither does he work constructively to eliminate the cause of his anger. He just lets it build up.

James 1:19 - Let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath. Note that it says be slow to wrath and slow to speak, not "refuse" to speak.

Leviticus 19:17,18 - Hating our brother and holding a grudge against him in our heart violates the law of loving our neighbor as ourselves (which is also a New Testament law). To avoid this, rebuke him: talk to him about his wrong.

Some view clamming up as the only solution to blowing up. You don't say or do anything harmful (at the time), but you hold bitterness in your heart, plotting harmful things to say and do! Both responses violate the pattern.

In fact clamming up is often what leads to blowing up! The pressure builds till finally we lash out with cruelty and malice. When we learn to deal with anger properly, we can avoid both clamming up and blowing up.

Note that both kinds of anger tend to become habit. We practice them so often that they become ingrained in our character and very difficult to overcome. This leads to our next point.

[Matt. 5:21-24; 1 Cor. 13:5]

II. Ability to Control Anger

Anger can be controlled. Jesus was angry at times and was tempted in all points like we are, but He did not sin (Heb. 4:15). He controlled His anger, and we can control ours. The examples of Moses and others who were angry without sinning show that anger can be controlled.

A. God Commands Us to Control Our Anger.

Many passages command this.

Ephesians 4:26 - Be angry and sin not.

Proverbs 29:11 - A fool vents his feelings, but a wise man holds them back. We should not clam up, refusing to say what needs to be said, but we should control our anger: hold it back.

Proverbs 16:32; 25:28 - He who is slow to anger and rules his spirit is better than one who captures a city. You can restrain your spirit, and God commands you to do so.

Many other passages refer to this as "self control," an essential characteristic of Christians. Every passage that commands self control is a passage that tells us we can and should control our tempers (1 Corinthians 9:25-27; 2 Peter 1:5-8; Galatians 5:22,23).

[Gal. 5:20,23; 2 Tim. 1:7; Psalm 37:8; Prov. 14:29]

We can accomplish whatever God commands us to do.

God does not command the impossible.

1 Corinthians 10:13 - We do not face any temptation that is beyond our ability to handle, including the temptation to lose our temper. God will make a way of escape.

There is never an excuse for disobeying God. To say we cannot control our temper is to say God is not faithful. What we need to do is to look for the way of escape.

There is no excuse for failing to control our temper. God requires it and will judge us for it.

[Philippians 4:13; Psalm 37:5; Eph. 6:10-18; 3:20,21; 2 Cor. 9:8; Josh. 1:5-9.]

B. Experience Shows We Can Control Our Temper.

All of us do control our tempers, when it is important enough to do so.

Consider a mother who has a terrible day. The washer leaks on the floor, kids fight, supper burns, she breaks her favorite bowl, kids track mud on her clean floor. So she explodes, screams at the kids and threatens them. Then the phone rings and it's her husband's boss. Suddenly she is quite capable of carrying on a polite conversation.

Dad works on the car. The dealer gives him a wrong part, it won't go together right, then it won't run, and a wrench slips and splits his knuckle. He's screaming and using profanity. Then a car pulls in the driveway; it's the preacher's wife come for a visit. Suddenly he is calm and polite.

We can control our anger, when we really want to. If we can control our temper for the sake of other people, why not do it for God? God sees everything we do. Is God important enough to control our anger for?

III. Bible Principles to Help You Control Your Anger

A. Study the Scriptures and Develop a Plan.

Psalms 119:105 - Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path. Surely God's word will instruct us how to overcome anger.

Matthew 4:1-11 - Jesus dealt with Satan's temptations by quoting Scripture. Surely this approach can help us overcome the temptation of anger.

Make a list of passages about anger, then study and memorize them. When tempted to lose our temper, quote or read them.

Then, based on those Scriptures, develop a plan of action. This would include some or all of the points below.

[Joshua 1:8; Deuteronomy 6:6-9; Proverbs 3:5,6; 2 Timothy 3:16,17; Ephesians 6:17; Romans 1:16; Hebrews 4:12]

B. Repent and Pray.

A person who is not a Christian must repent and be baptized for remission of sins (Acts 2:38; 22:16; Mark 16:15,16; Romans 6:3,4; 1 Peter 3:21).

But a child of God who sins, whether loss of temper or any other sin, must confess the sin and ask God's forgiveness.

Acts 8:22 - To be forgiven, we must repent and pray for forgiveness. Some want to remove their problem without admitting it exists. God says confess it and make up your mind to change.

1 Peter 5:7 - Casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you. We should pray, not just for forgiveness, but for strength to overcome temptation. We should ask God's help especially when facing temptation.

Luke 6:27,28 - Pray for those who spitefully use us. That includes those who anger us. Praying for others helps us overcome our bitterness and develop an attitude of good will.

However, some will admit they have a problem and may even apologize, but then take no steps to change. Still more is needed.

[Proverbs 28:13; 1 John 1:8-10; Matthew 6:13]

C. Discuss the Problem with Other Christians.

James 5:16 - Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.

We may also ask advice from others in overcoming the problem. Often others have had the same problem. They can help bear our burden (Gal. 6:2; 1 Thess. 5:14).

D. Avoid Hot-Tempered People.

Proverbs 22:24,25 - Make no friendship with an angry man, And with a furious man do not go, lest you learn his ways and set a snare for your soul. If you associate with people who regularly lose their temper, you become that kind of person. This is especially dangerous, if you already have the problem.

Associating with people who practice sin tempts you to participate. Associating with those who have overcome the problem helps you overcome it.

[Matthew 6:13; Romans 13:14; 1 Corinthians 15:33; 1 Peter 4:3,4; Proverbs 13:20; Exodus 23:2; Psalm 26:5; 2 Corinthians 6:14-18; Ephesians 5:11]

E. Think before You Speak or Act.

James 1:19 - Be slow to speak, slow to wrath.

Proverbs 29:20 - Do you see a man hasty in his words? There is more hope for a fool than for him.

Proverbs 15:28 - The heart of the righteous studies how to answer, but the mouth of the wicked pours forth evil. Don't clam up, but don't just pop off whatever comes to mind. Give an answer, but study on it first.

Force yourself to analyze the situation and consider the consequences of what you might say or do. "If I say or do this, will it be good for others, or am I just angry and will regret the statement later?" Count to ten. Maybe take a walk or ask for time to calm down and think. But instead of clamming up, set an appointment: a specific time to discuss the problem later.

Proverbs 15:1 - A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger. Note it does not say clam up and give no answer. Give an answer, but make it calm.

Being calm does not mean we must never speak in a way that expresses anger by tone or volume. The examples we already learned show that such anger is not necessarily wrong. But don't speak to hurt, get even, or antagonize. Be sure you are calm enough to say what is helpful. And if the other person loses control, then you speak in a way that shows you are under control.

This turns away wrath: not just the other person's wrath, but your wrath too! When one person gets angry and says something mean, the other tends to respond with something meaner. Then the first must top that, etc. To break the cycle, instead of attacking the other person, calmly say something to help him, not hurt him.

F. Work to Solve the Problem that Angered You.

This may seem obvious, but most angry people do the opposite. We may say we are trying to solve the problem, but really we are trying to hurt the person who angered us. Instead of attacking the problem, we attack the person.

First determine exactly what happened that angered you.

The issue is not who angered you, but what happened to anger you. Learn to distinguish the act from the person. Hate the sin, but love the sinner. Striking out to hurt the person will not solve the problem. Seek to destroy the bad conduct, while helping the person who committed it.

Note: some problems are not worth being angry over. Learn to distinguish serious problems from imaginary or unimportant ones. If the problem is not worth working on, it isn't worth being angry over. Forget it and go on. If it's important enough to make you justifiably angry, then use your anger to work on the problem.

Use your energy constructively to solve the problem.

Anger is a natural reaction intended to prepare the body for action. The question is: what action is proper?

* Blowing up and attacking the person who angered you is the wrong action.

* Blowing up and attacking an innocent bystander (yelling at your wife or kids because the boss chewed you out) is worse.

* Holding a grudge (clamming up the anger inside yourself) does not solve the problem.

* The only proper way to "be angry and sin not" is to use your natural energy to work on the problem.

Go talk to the person who caused the problem for the purpose of working out a solution.

Matthew 5:22-24; (Luke 17:3,4) - Being angry without cause is not right; neither is saying cruel, hurtful things. If you have something against someone, or if they have something against you, either way go talk. But talk for the purpose of being reconciled. [Matt. 18:15-17]

Ephesians 4:26 - Don't let the sun go down on your wrath. Don't just seethe inside without working on the problem itself. Go work on the problem. This applies on the job, in the church, and in the home.

Speak with genuine concern for others.

Ephesians 4:26,29 - Be angry, but sin not. Speak what is good for necessary edification.

(1) Say what is necessary.

Don't say just whatever comes to mind or whatever you feel like saying. Don't drag out all the old wrongs that were supposedly resolved long ago. Don't just talk on and on and on. Use "no corrupt communication" - no profanity, etc. Say what is needed to solve the problem. If it won't help solve the problem, don't say it!

(2) Say what is good and edifies and imparts grace to the hearers.

Speak to help, not to hurt.

[1 Cor. 13:5; Rom. 12:17-21]

Be willing to listen to others.

James 1:19 - Be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath. Angry people usually want to tell others off and give them "a piece of their mind." They talk, talk, talk, but never really listen. This is not fair, not good for others, and does not solve the problem. We must be willing to listen.

Matthew 7:3-5 - Why behold the speck in your brother's eye, when you have a plank in your own eye? In speaking with others, we must consider the evidence that maybe we have been wrong as much or more than they have. Consider their evidence.

G. Apologize to Those You Have Hurt.

Matthew 5:23,24 - In order for God to accept our worship, we must seek reconciliation with our brethren.

Luke 17:3,4 - If discussion demonstrates we have been wrong, we must say, "I repent." Apologize. "I was wrong. I am sorry. Please forgive me."

If everyone who needs to do this would do it today, many families would be reconciled, many church members would be reconciled, many friends and neighbors would be reconciled.

Some church members have wronged God and the whole church in ways that are openly known. They need to publicly express their repentance to the whole church.

Conclusion

As with all sins, God does not just tell us what to quit. He also tells us what to do to correct our problem. Anger is often a deep-seated habit, but anyone can overcome it by diligent application of God's pattern.

Have you done what you should to be forgiven of your sins? Is there someone you have harmed in anger? Are there sins against others you need to make right? Are there known errors that you need to make right before the whole church? If so, do it today.

Note: If you wish to study further about topics mentioned in this lesson, please note the links listed below.

(C) Copyright 1980, 2000, 2009, David E. Pratte