We received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is from God.—1 Cor. 2:12.
Many of the people we come in contact with are “lovers of themselves,” “haughty,” and even “fierce.” It is very easy for bad characteristics like these to rub off on us and anger us. (2 Tim. 3:2-5) In fact, movies and TV programs often portray vengeance as noble and violence as a natural and justifiable solution to problems. Typical story lines lead viewers to look forward to the moment when the villain “gets what he deserves”—usually a violent end at the hands of the story’s hero. Such propaganda promotes, not God’s ways, but “the spirit of the world” and of its angry ruler, Satan. (Eph. 2:2; Rev. 12:12) That spirit caters to the imperfect flesh and is in total opposition to God’s holy spirit and its fruitage. Indeed, a fundamental teaching of Christianity is not to retaliate under provocation.—Matt. 5:39, 44, 45. w10 6/15 3:5, 6
No comments:
Post a Comment