GET RID OF THE JUNK IN YOUR LIFE
By Chuck Hendrix
1PE 2:1 Therefore, rid yourselves of all malice and all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander of every kind. 2 Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation, 3 now that you have tasted that the Lord is good.
A hypocrite can be defined as someone who complains that there is too much (prophanity) sex and violence on his VCR.
· Reader’s Digest, Oct. 1991, p. 183
·
Hypocrites are:
People who talk about prayer but never pray.
People who say tithing is right but never tithe.
People who want to belong to the church but never attend.
People who say the Bible is God’s Word to man but never read it.
Peter’s instructions are clear. We are to , rid ourselves of all malice and all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander of every kind.
Malice refers to evil or wickedness in general
Deceit is the idea of trickery or act of baiting
Hypocrisy hardness of art…acting in a play
Envy -
Slander- Defimation or evil speech
We find these things together several times in the New Testament. Jesus makes it clear it is a heart issue.
MK 7:5 So the Pharisees and teachers of the law asked Jesus, "Why don’t your disciples live according to the tradition of the elders instead of eating their food with `unclean’ hands?"
MK 7:20 He went on: "What comes out of a man is what makes him `unclean.’ 21 For from within, out of men’s hearts, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, 22 greed, malice, deceit, lewdness, envy, slander, arrogance and folly. 23 All these evils come from inside and make a man `unclean.’ "
So Jesus already told us the real issue that Peter is instructing us on. To get read of these things, is a heart issue.
I think as we look at these other passages, we will have a better way to get rid of these things.
1) Make sure your heart is right.
RO 1:28 Furthermore, since they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, he gave them over to a depraved mind, to do what ought not to be done. 29 They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit and malice. They are gossips, 30 slanderers, God-haters, insolent, arrogant and boastful; they invent ways of doing evil; they disobey their parents; 31 they are senseless, faithless, heartless, ruthless. 32 Although they know God’s righteous decree that those who do such things deserve death, they not only continue to do these very things but also approve of those who practice them.
2) PUT A HIGH VALUE ON GOD’S WORD
EPH 4:29 Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. 30 And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. 31 Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. 32 Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.
3) WE MUST FORGIVE EACH OTHER….
Why are we tempted to slander someone? Why would we want to get someone in trouble….?
Because we are holding a grudge.
Ted with the dynamite strapped to his chest.
COL 3:5 Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry. 6 Because of these, the wrath of God is coming. 7 You used to walk in these ways, in the life you once lived. 8 But now you must rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips. 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. 11 Here there is no Greek or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave or free, but Christ is all, and is in all.
4) REMEMBER YOU ARE A NEW CREATION .. TO LIVE DIFFERENTLY
