“A soft answer turneth away wrath: but grievous words stir up anger.” (Proverbs 15:1)

When the Lord Himself was reviled, He reviled not again. We need to learn this well. When someone lashes out at you, don’t lash back. It never accomplishes anything and only worsens the situation. In the heat of conflict much is said that is not meant and is later regretted. If only we could bite our tongues. Someone once said: “If you are offended by someone, wait an hour before you respond. If it is really important, sleep on it.” And if by God’s grace, we could only respond with a soft answer. Experience will show that a kind and reasonable answer will often diffuse someone’s anger.

Pastor Paul Mahan

When you are tortured by an unrelenting sense of guilt, come to Christ. NEVER let your guilt keep you from Christ. The guilt of sin is why a sinner comes to Christ. Come to Christ for the forgiveness of your sin. The guilt of sin is removed because Christ our Substitute bore the sin and the guilt of His people away. A feeling of guilt should not torture us and drive us away from Christ. The sense of guilt should drive us to Christ, Who is the Savior of guilty sinners.

FOR CHRIST’S SAKE

Ephesians 4:32: And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.

Why would God have mercy and show grace to such a sinner as I? There is only one answer to that question. It was for Christ’s sake. God has revealed to me some horrible things concerning myself. By nature my heart is desperately wicked and deceitful above all things and the thoughts of my heart are only evil continually. (Jeremiah 17:9, Genesis 6:5) My carnal mind is enmity against God, it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can it be. (Romans 8:7) So again I ask you who are in the same condition, “Why would God forgive any of us?” It is only, “for Christ’s sake.” When I consider how little my love is for Him, and how great my love is for myself, I cannot help but to think, “Why does God continue to be so patient and longsuffering to such a one as I?” There is only one reason, “It is for Christ’s sake.”

May we continue by God’s wondrous grace to be kind one to another. May God enable us to always be tenderhearted, forgiving one another and preferring each other more than ourselves. Romans 12:10 Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honour preferring one another; Philippians 2:3 Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves. Our motivation and God given desire to be so is “for Christ’s sake.” This is no greater reason for us to be so.