As believers in Christ, we are called to give respect to everyone no matter how they treat us. We give the respect to bullies that they never gave us.
That's what makes us different from the world. Taking rudeness personally is a weakness in us. Compassion is at the very root of someone who loves Christ.
We may have to call out rudeness when there is a consistent bully, and we may have to remove ourselves but we do not have to act the way they do.
Matthew 5:44: "But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.Proverbs 26:4-5
Proverbs 26:4-5 "4 Answer not a fool according to his folly,
lest you be like him yourself.
5 Answer a fool according to his folly,
lest he be wise in his own eyes."
My take on this passage is that we are not to answer a fool the way he speaks to us, but we can answer wisely without anger.
When we see they are stubborn and resistant, then we do not give them any feedback; in other words, silence.
Proverbs 23:9: "Do not speak to a fool, for he will despise the wisdom of your words."
2 Timothy 2:23-24 "But reject foolish and ignorant speculation, for you know that it breeds quarreling. And a servant of the Lord must not be quarrelsome, but must be kind to everyone, able to teach, and forbearing."
And finally, if we have constant companions who act foolishly and contentiously, we will begin to act like them. This is the reason our close circle of friends must be those who love Christ the way we love Him.
Proverbs 13:20: "He who walks with the wise will become wise, but the companion of fools will be destroyed."
1 Corinthians 15:33 "Do not be deceived: “Bad company corrupts good character.”
Proverbs 29:9 "If a wise man goes to court with a fool, there will be raving and laughing with no resolution."
Proverbs 9:7-8 "He who corrects a mocker brings shame on himself; he who rebukes a wicked man taints himself. Do not rebuke a mocker, or he will hate you; rebuke a wise man, and he will love you."
Sometimes silence is the best answer of all for those who wish to provoke you into sinful responses.
Wednesday, August 12, 2026
Forgiven Means Gone Forever
I do not expose the sins of those who have repented. God doesn't hold them against us, and neither should people.
Anyone who holds past forgiven sins against others must also hold their own against themselves.
Anyone who holds past forgiven sins against others must also hold their own against themselves.
Obeying God is Better than Allowing Wicked People to Manipulate Us
Holding onto anger is a choice and will make those who engage in it physically ill. God told us to be angry but not sin.
Ephesians 4:26: "Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger."
There were times when Christ was angry but never allowed that anger to cause Him to sin.
When Christ lives in us, we do become angry at sin, but we should never allow us to act sinfully or use anger as an excuse for a bad attitude or behavior.
When we bless those who curse us, gossip against us we are dispelling any bitterness.
There are times when I feel angry at injustice, especially when I see the damage it does to those who are innocent. This anger is justified but is not a license to be rude, mean, or contentious toward the one who harmed me.
If someone is disrespectful on a regular basis without remorse for it, then I know there is a pattern and will avoid that person so that I do not become bitter. I might call it out or not but we should never retaliate, thinking we will teach them a lesson by doing the same to them that they did to us.
Those who have a pattern of disrespectful behavior do not learn from us acting "in kind", they only use it as an excuse to further harm, feeling justified even though they were the first to act this way.
Romans 12:17-21 "17 Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all. 18 If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. 19 Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.” 20 To the contrary, “if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.” 21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good."
Our goal as born-again believers, above everything else, is to refrain from becoming like the world. Satan will use ungodly people to poke and prod at you to cause you to look no better than the world.
When we obey God, we are free from the guilt that comes from disobeying Him. We walk in peace because we are not guilty of allowing others to manipulate us to sin.
When we retaliate, we are demonstrating our emotional weakness and a sense of revenge.
Strength comes when we ignore our fleshly feelings to strike back and do what God has commanded us.
Luke 6:27-28 "27 But to those of you who will listen, I say: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, 28 bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you."
Obeying God is far more peaceful than being manipulated by wicked people to act like them.
Ephesians 4:26: "Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger."
There were times when Christ was angry but never allowed that anger to cause Him to sin.
When Christ lives in us, we do become angry at sin, but we should never allow us to act sinfully or use anger as an excuse for a bad attitude or behavior.
When we bless those who curse us, gossip against us we are dispelling any bitterness.
There are times when I feel angry at injustice, especially when I see the damage it does to those who are innocent. This anger is justified but is not a license to be rude, mean, or contentious toward the one who harmed me.
If someone is disrespectful on a regular basis without remorse for it, then I know there is a pattern and will avoid that person so that I do not become bitter. I might call it out or not but we should never retaliate, thinking we will teach them a lesson by doing the same to them that they did to us.
Those who have a pattern of disrespectful behavior do not learn from us acting "in kind", they only use it as an excuse to further harm, feeling justified even though they were the first to act this way.
Romans 12:17-21 "17 Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all. 18 If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. 19 Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.” 20 To the contrary, “if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.” 21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good."
Our goal as born-again believers, above everything else, is to refrain from becoming like the world. Satan will use ungodly people to poke and prod at you to cause you to look no better than the world.
When we obey God, we are free from the guilt that comes from disobeying Him. We walk in peace because we are not guilty of allowing others to manipulate us to sin.
When we retaliate, we are demonstrating our emotional weakness and a sense of revenge.
Strength comes when we ignore our fleshly feelings to strike back and do what God has commanded us.
Luke 6:27-28 "27 But to those of you who will listen, I say: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, 28 bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you."
Obeying God is far more peaceful than being manipulated by wicked people to act like them.
Trusting in Christ is Different from Trusting in Yourself
The Bible teaches that faith alone saves, but that faith produces a lifestyle transformation and actions.
The actions do not come first; faith comes first and all by itself.
Remember the thief on the cross: he had no deeds, only faith, and Christ told him that he would be in heaven that very day with Him.
James 2:20-24 "20 You foolish person, do you want evidence that faith without deeds is useless? 21 Was not our father Abraham considered righteous for what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar? 22 You see that his faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did. 23 And the scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness,” and he was called God’s friend. 24 You see that a person is considered righteous by what they do and not by faith alone."
The problem is when people believe they can save themselves by their actions without faith in Christ. They are attempting to gain heaven by their deeds without trusting in Christ.
Matthew 7:21-23 tells us that many, perhaps most people, will trust in themselves and will be turned away on the day of judgment.
Matthew 7:21-23 "21 Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22 On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ 23 And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’"
Those who have been transformed by Christ because of their faith in Him are those who are eternally saved.
Those who think they are going to heaven by being a good person but are not trusting in Christ, and have no desire to be controlled by the Holy Spirit, are not saved and will not gain heaven.
The question is not whether you did enough good deeds, but whether you trusted Christ and were transformed by Him.
The actions do not come first; faith comes first and all by itself.
Remember the thief on the cross: he had no deeds, only faith, and Christ told him that he would be in heaven that very day with Him.
James 2:20-24 "20 You foolish person, do you want evidence that faith without deeds is useless? 21 Was not our father Abraham considered righteous for what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar? 22 You see that his faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did. 23 And the scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness,” and he was called God’s friend. 24 You see that a person is considered righteous by what they do and not by faith alone."
The problem is when people believe they can save themselves by their actions without faith in Christ. They are attempting to gain heaven by their deeds without trusting in Christ.
Matthew 7:21-23 tells us that many, perhaps most people, will trust in themselves and will be turned away on the day of judgment.
Matthew 7:21-23 "21 Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22 On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ 23 And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’"
Those who have been transformed by Christ because of their faith in Him are those who are eternally saved.
Those who think they are going to heaven by being a good person but are not trusting in Christ, and have no desire to be controlled by the Holy Spirit, are not saved and will not gain heaven.
The question is not whether you did enough good deeds, but whether you trusted Christ and were transformed by Him.
Tuesday, August 11, 2026
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