Lesson for April 3, 2024
Mental Attitude Sins
Bitterness
Ephesians 4:31-32, “All bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and slander must be removed from you, along with all malice. Be kind to one another, compassionate, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you.”
The Greek word for bitterness is “pikria,” meaning resentment. Resentment means disappointment at being treated unfairly. All of us have most likely been treated unfairly at some time in our lives. The mental attitude of bitterness often leads to other sins like revenge motivation or maligning the one who treated you unfairly. Notice the admonition regarding how we are to avoid bitterness. Paul said to handle unfair treatment with kindness, compassion, and forgiveness.
Kindness is a mental attitude of grace toward others by letting them live their lives before God without interference, by applying impersonal love toward them. Impersonal love is the virtue in our souls that causes us to have a relaxed mental attitude toward others and treat them with kindness, compassion, and forgiveness. Impersonal love is how we regard and treat others. Therefore, impersonal love must be based on the virtue of the one doing the loving (“the treating”). It is our love for God that motivates us to demonstrate impersonal love toward everyone.
As a Royal Ambassador, we represent God before the world. Therefore, as royalty, we are to conduct our life accordingly. This calls for high standards of excellence in every area of our life. It calls for honor in our dealings with our fellow believers and with unbelievers alike. With Jesus Christ as our example, we are to have the same kind of love that He had. Titus 3:4-6, “But when the kindness of God our Savior and His love for mankind appeared, He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we did in righteousness, but in accordance with His mercy.”
When we are properly functioning under the power and guidance of the Holy Spirit, we will adhere to the principles found throughout the Word of God. These principles will enable us to treat everyone with kindness and respect. We will refrain from gossip, maligning, judging, character assassination, etc. In other words, we will “live and let live.” The principle of treating everyone with respect also means that we will be tolerant, thoughtful, and kind toward others, holding no grudges or resentment against anyone. I Timothy 6:11, “But flee from these things (foolish and harmful desires) and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, perseverance, and gentleness.”
Kindness and forgiveness are attributes of Jesus Christ. Kindness teaches us to forgive on the basis of how God forgives us. It is only because of the kindness that God showed toward us in sending His Son Jesus Christ to die for our sins that we can have eternal life. Should we not also show kindness and forgiveness to others, as our Savior does to us? The Golden Rule: Luke 6:31, “Do to others as you would like them to do to you.”
Colossians 3:12-13, “So, as God’s own chosen people, who are holy [set apart, sanctified for His purpose] and well-beloved [by God Himself], put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience [which has the power to endure whatever injustice or unpleasantness comes, with good temper]; bearing graciously with one another, and willingly forgiving each other if one has a cause for complaint against another; just as the Lord has forgiven you, so should you forgive.”
Gentleness is closely linked with kindness and compassion. Gentleness refers to a believer who is advancing in the Christian life because gentleness is a fruit of the Holy Spirit. Only believers who are consistent in learning and applying Bible doctrine will allow God the Holy Spirit to produce this fruit in their lives. Gentleness means that a believer does not “fight against” God, but embraces the principles of His Word. Therefore, an attitude of teachability is a characteristic of a gentle believer. James 1:21, “So get rid of all uncleanness and all that remains of wickedness, and with a humble (teachable) spirit receive (the teaching of) the word [of God] which is implanted [rooted in your soul], which is able to save (deliver) your souls (from a life of unrighteousness).”
Gentleness is a “power” word. Far from being a helpless, weak individual, a gentle believer is a strong, confident person who is relying on the power of God. Jesus was called gentle, and we know He wasn’t a weak, helpless person. Gentleness is being occupied with Jesus Christ, which is the opposite of occupation with self. You become occupied with Christ when you obey the same scriptural commands that He obeyed. Matthew 11:29, “Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me [following Me as My disciple], for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls (peace).”
Colossians 3:13, “Be tolerant with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as Christ forgave you.”
A character trait of a spiritually mature believer is forgiveness. Understanding that God has forgiven us at salvation for all of sins should be a motivating factor for us to forgive others. Christ always forgives unconditionally. Ephesians 1:7-8, “In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s gracethat He lavished on us. With all wisdom and understanding.”
Who among us does not need to be forgiven from time to time? Should we not also give forgiveness to others? No one is perfect and therefore we all need someone else’s forgiveness at times. Proverbs 17:9, “Love prospers when a fault is forgiven, but dwelling on it (the fault) separates close friends.”
Forgiveness is not the same as condoning a wrong done against us. It is however the correct response to that wrong. It is also a very wise decision on our part. An unforgiving attitude is a cancer in the soul that will eat away at a person if allowed to do so. We all need to learn to forgive unconditionally as Christ forgave. Ephesians 4:32, “Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.”
Forgiveness is as much (if not more) for the person doing the forgiving as it is for the one being forgiven. Harboring resentment, bitterness, hatred, vindictiveness, or any other mental attitude sin against another person means we have not truly forgiven them. Mark 11:25, “Whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone, so that your Father who is in Heaven will also forgive you your wrongdoings.”
Jesus had more reason than any of us to harbor mental attitude sins like bitterness against those who hated and abused Him. But Jesus harbored no ill will against anyone, even when He was on the Cross paying for the sins of the world. On the Cross, these are the words of Jesus in Luke 23:34, “Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing.”
Do not let bitterness invade your soul and cause you to lose your momentum in the spiritual life. Use kindness, compassion, and forgiveness to combat the thinking of Satan’s world system and always take the “high road’ when being mistreated!