Matthew 5:22 "That whosoever is angry with his
brother without a cause shall be in danger of the
judgment: and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca,
shall be in danger of the council: but whosoever shall
say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire.:
Falsely judging someone of wrongdoing without clear evidence and two witnesses is a sin in God's eyes.
1 Peter 1:15 But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation;"
The word conversation here ought to be translated as "lifestyle."
Treating the Holy Spirit with contempt rather than just saying words against Him is an attitude of superiority to Him as well as contempt for him.
Mark 3:28–30: "Truly I tell you, people will be forgiven for their sins and whatever blasphemies they utter; but whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit can never have forgiveness, but is guilty of an eternal sin—for they had said, "He has an unclean spirit.""
The Pharisees who accused Jesus Christ of doing His miracles by the power of the devil were showing contempt for Christ as well as speaking against Him. The attitudes came first then the speaking and then the actions. They are all connected and will eventually reveal themselves, no one can hide their intent forever.
We experience often the attitude of contempt from those who wish to walk according to their own flesh. They accuse believers of mistreating the Word of God when they are the ones who malign the Word of God through worldly wisdom. Instead of seeking Christ they reject His Word by using it dishonorably to justify their sin of pride. They change what God said and live by their own idea of what He said.
Attitudes in the heart always lead to actions that prove the attitude. Sometimes the actions are very subtle, they are covertly designed to be hard to detect but nonetheless, they are actions that discerning believers can see.
In 1 Corinthians 12:10 we see that God gives a special gift of discernment to some who are able to detect things that others are unaware of. " and to another the distinguishing of spirits,"
The important thing in our lives is that we not negate the gifts of others just because we don't happen to have that gift. The gifts God gave for helping the body of Christ are being largely ignored today because of the hierarchy system that only allows "educated" people to work within the body has quenched the Spirit in others.
1 Corinthians 12:15-26
15 If the foot says, “Because I am not a hand, I am not a part of the body,” it is not for this reason any less a part of the body.
16 And if the ear says, “Because I am not an eye, I am not a part of the body,” it is not for this reason any less a part of the body.
17 If the whole body were an eye, where would the hearing be? If the whole body were hearing, where would the sense of smell be? 18 But now God has arranged the parts, each one of them in the body, just as He desired.
19 If they were all one part, where would the body be?
20 But now there are many parts, but one body.
21 And the eye cannot say to the hand, “I have no need of you”; or again, the head to the feet, “I have no need of you.”
22 On the contrary, it is much truer that the parts of the body which seem to be weaker are necessary;
23 and those parts of the body which we consider less honorable, on these we bestow greater honor, and our less presentable parts become much more presentable,
24 whereas our more presentable parts have no need of it. But God has so composed the body, giving more abundant honor to that part which lacked,
25 so that there may be no division in the body, but that the parts may have the same care for one another.
26 And if one part of the body suffers, all the parts suffer with it; if a part is honored, all the parts rejoice with it."
To tie this all together we might say that people within the body are being treated as foolish when they may have a gift that is needed for the rest of the body.
Many godly Christians are being treated with contempt through treatment that denies their gifts.
Treatment is far more devastating than words. The devil knows that encouragement comes through actions of respect. We all know that actions prove words and without actions, the words are dead and meaningless.
James 2:14-18 "14 What does it profit, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can faith save him?
15 If a brother or sister is naked and destitute of daily food,
16 and one of you says to them, “Depart in peace, be warmed and filled,” but you do not give them the things which are needed for the body, what does it profit?
17 Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.
18 But someone will say, “You have faith, and I have works.” Show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith by my works.
19 You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe—and tremble!
20 But do you want to know, O foolish man, that faith without works is dead?"
Faith without works is dead just as words without actions are dead.
1 John 3:18
"18 Little children, let’s not love with word or with tongue, but in deed and truth."
If we love someone we show them by our acts of respect and kindness. We encourage them in their gift. So often today believers are being treated contemptuously as though they have no gift because they do not do what others think they should be doing. Such foolishness to negate someone else because they are not us.
Those who want to pretend they have love and respect but act as though they have contempt are living a lie, a pretense that eventually will be exposed.
Let us encourage those with gifts that we don't have, to develop them and express them. Let's now allow pride to enter into the judgment of another human being, as though they are worthless without a gift.
Lastly, every born-again believer walking in the Spirit has gifts, to act as though someone does not is to deny Christ's work in others.
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