With everything going on in the world today, how could you not feel angry at one time or another? The most important thing to remember is that anger is birth out of chaos, resentment, frustration, loss or failure. Then we continually feed our disappointments which causes a lack of forgiveness, this leads to our anger building and building. The anger on top of unrepentance leads to unresolved situations and that leads to rage. There is a right way to deal with your anger. If we are saved, we are holy people without fault in God's eyes. We therefore have the burden of showing the world the right way to deal with hardships, difficult people, unjust situations, poverty, short comings, etc.
I had a period in my life where every person I came in touch with, every situation I was involved in, irritated me and I was a very unhappy person. No matter what you're going through, There is a God and he sent someone that saw passed my anger and knew I was just acting out because my life wasn't right with God. She challenged me to at some point to reach out (by prayer) and ask
why everything in my life was causing me to be so unhappy. Amazingly God pointed out that my heart, attitude and mindset was wrong which set the tone for how I was dealing with my problems. God guided me to the bible where I learned about having joy. I became more prayerful, but in praying for peace, joy and patience God begin to lead me to what I was praying to be delivered from. So I learned quite a lot during this trail, which God was saying that what I'm praying for I already have, but I need to exercise my fruits.
We live in a world where people do what makes them happy, what they think is right and pay little or no attention to the negative effects that causes for others around them. Even in these situations, we need to keep our eyes focused on the Lord. There's prosperity in living for God's approval. There's victory and satisfaction in doing right in God's sight, even if it seems like the devil is winning. The trick of the devil is to make us feel like we're wining, even when there's a loss. Quarreling, anger and resentment creates a division and there's no victory in being separated from God, from your comforter, from your loved ones, from your support system. The devil wants to isolate you, so you feel like you have no one on your side, nothing to live for and no hope in your situation getting any better.
Remember: THE DEVIL IS A LIAR!!!!!!!!!!!
- Anger is an emotion produced by the flesh and does not create any positive results.
- When you get angry, let reading the word feed, nourish and bring you comfort.
- Let reading the bible, prayer and supplication allow you to become visionaries or workmen for the change that is needed.
- We all have a job to do to show the world who God is, so let's get to work.
- See the vision, write the vision (create a plan of action) and get workers (to carry out the vision).
- Sow into being peacemakers & peace restorers.
- Speak God into all situations, good and bad. This will remind us of who He is and that He is in control of all situations, not the other way around.
- We are more than conquers, no weapon formed against us will prosper. (Isaiah 54:17)
As children we are told what's right and wrong, once we grow up how can a unbeliever be expected to know what's right and wrong. Certainly knowledge comes through us seeking the truth or being taught right and wrong. Believers go to church and hear a word from God through the preacher about what's right and wrong. Also through experience, we learn our sinful deeds will lead us to face very real consequences for our actions. Even though unbelievers haven't read the bible to know the written moral laws, we all are accountable to know there are standards in which we should live by.
The consequences of living and engaging in sin.
Sin separates us from God
Sin leads to emotional instability
Sin leads to a lack of self control
Sin brings God's judgement
Sin opens more opportunities to sin
Sin will keep you from hearing or seeing God
Habitual sinful behavior leads to strongholds (feeling of enslavement, powerless to stop)
Living in sin will keep you from inheriting the Kingdom of God
Sinful living hardens your heart against God
Sinful living suppresses the spiritual nature, which causes a spiritual and physical death
A mind that is set on fleshy satisfaction is hostile to God (Romans 8:7)
Sin causes a sense of being lost and creates confusion in the mind
There's one thing I'd like to make clear, we have two natures living inside of us. We have a sinful nature because of our fleshly bodies and desires. Our spiritual nature comes from God creating us in His image.
God created the flesh to be a vessel or temple that would be strong enough to hold our spirit. The greatest thing about freewill is that we have a choice of whether we use our bodies in the way in which it was intended which is for the building up of God's kingdom, or to use it in a way that will lead to our demise. God's design and plan for our physical bodies is to be used to carryout His work, instructions and will. Romans 12 instructs us to offer our bodies as a living sacrifice. We are to use our bodies to serve God with our Spiritual Gifts.
List of Spiritual Gifts (1 Corinthians 12):
Word of wisdom
Word of knowledge
Special faith
Healing miraculous
Power of prophecy
Distinguishing of spirits
Speaking in Tongues
Interpretation of tongues
Paul told the believers in Galatia that “the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit wants what is contrary to the sinful nature. Romans 6:23
The objective of this lesson is to point out and demonstrate the reality and seriousness of sin and its consequences of death and point lost sinners to Christ. We understand that God gives us daily renewed grace and mercy (Lamentations 3:22-24), but that doesn't give us a license to sin. Continually engaging in sinful behavior without remorse makes us an unrepentant sinner. We need to keep in mind that in sin we don't have a good nor close relationship with God. So if we want to go to heaven, we have to sow into building a right relationship with Him. Salvation is a gift from God (Ephesians 2:8) that cost us nothing, but we do have to work to build a strong relationship with Him. The more you put into a relationship, the more you get out of it. This is certainly true with God. Sowing into spiritual things helps us resist the desires of the flesh. (Galatians 6:8)
Hosea 10:12 says, Sow for yourselves righteousness; Reap in mercy; Break up your fallow ground, For it is time to seek the Lord, Till He comes and rains righteousness on you.
God is faithful to those who are faithful to Him. We must respect that there's no way we can get ourselves into Heaven, so that's why we shouldn't lean on our own understanding. Jesus is the way, the truth and the life (John 14:6) and it's His example in which we need to seek after, emulate, study and pray to take on His character, to truly have any chance of receiving God's gift of salvation.
Even though unbelievers will not be held to the same standards as believers are held, unbelievers will still not only have to answer for their sins, but they will be also be held accountable for their works and pay for their own sins in eternity (Rev 20:11-16). Likewise believers will also have to stand and give an account to God for the works they've done or not done.
Unbelievers are still accountable to know God's commandments. The wages of sin don't just affect those who believe, because ignorance of the law is no excuse to continue in sin. ” Luke 12:48, says “But the one who did not know, and did what deserved a beating, will receive a light beating. Everyone to whom much was given, of him much will be required, and from him to whom they entrusted much, they will demand the more.” Romans 3:19, says we are accountable to know God's law. Romans 2:12-16, says If you sin without knowing what you’re doing, God takes that into account. But if you sin knowing full well what you’re doing, you will be judged by the law.
The Message for today is whether you're a believer or unbeliever, we are all sinners and sin effects us all. So let us not boast about our goodness, we should acknowledge and profess our gratefulness for God being a loving, compassionate and forgiving God even when we don't deserve it.
