Bitter/sweet Ephesians 4:31-32

Ephesians 4:31-32 

³¹ Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice. ³² And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you.

On my way home, I forgot my bible in church so I turned around to retrieve it. By the time I got there, the church grounds were cleared but the pastor’s car was still there. I opened the church doors and shouting and screaming greeted me. As I got closer, I thought it was the drama team rehearsing but then the profanities were
like second nature to these people as they were being used in every sentence now. I stood in shock with my mouth opened as I saw that it was the pastor and his wife and an elder trying to calm the two. I politely turned around, got in my car and went home. I don’t think they ever knew I was there. Sunday in church, they were the picture of the perfect couple.

Paul is very adamant about not letting these traits be a part of Christians. And he didn’t say put SOME of those traits away but he said ALL.  I mean come on now, am I not allowed to get angry, yell and scream at someone? Use profanity to truly express my rage? Can’t I say some nasty things about someone who hurt me? Can’t I be bitter about something that someone did to me? Well at least I can just be spiteful towards them without them suspecting it? Well yeah….- but not as a Christian. As a Christian we are to display traits that show that Christ resides in our hearts no matter what the circumstance.

I believe Paul must have been very angry with the Christians to persecute them and to want them dead. But how is it that this same man, now tell us to put away our anger, bitterness and evil speaking? How? Because this same man had a life changing experience on the road to Damascus (Acts 9:3-9) and because of that he can say to put those things away since he knows the extent of each. If we too are believers which means we too had a life changing experience with Christ, let us too strive to put all things that are not Christ-like away.

Instead Paul says “Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you.”  I am constantly humbled when I think about God’s forgiveness of my sins. I don’t know about you but God brought me through A LOT (an understatement) and when I think that the Almighty God can find it in His heart to forgive me, then who am I to not forgive?? I know what it is to confess my sins to God and be cleansed from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:9). It is the best gift ever! So now Paul, I’m sure, after all his wicked acts and evil doing, felt that was not much to ask his follow brothers and sisters in Christ to do having overcome those challenges.

From experience, it’s not easy but what works for me is my humility when the thought of God forgiving me of my wrongs.

"But why do you judge your brother? Or why do you show contempt for your brother? For we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ." (Romans 14:10)