Steps That Lead to Freedom, Part 3

Sin apart from the violation against God as a damaging impact on our lives like a cancer. Sin eats away at our conscience, anger, resentment, and deceive our transgressions that like a tornado leave a trail of destruction today on Insight for living. Chuck Swindoll invites us to confront our human nature and to employ the tools God is provided to break free sinful patterns.

In doing so, we begin to experience true liberty in Christ teaching from Ephesians 4 Chuck titled his message steps that lead wrong is going on and that doesn't anger you there something wrong with your body.

If there is abuse and mistreatment and violence committed against another individual, and you calmly walk by saying we need to tolerate life as it really is. I do not think that is the right response. I think it ought to make you angry.

Anger is a great motivator to stand alone and to stand for what is right so there's nothing wrong with the right kind of anger. This is an uncontrolled anger. In fact, look at the do not always notice in your Bible. The repeated statements are the repeated words do not do not not verses 26 and 27 do not sin. Do not let the sun go down on your anger do not give the devil an opportunity. You and I know that one of the fruits of the spirit is self-control. If anger reaches the level that you lose control. You moved into the realm of sin. If the enraged condition is to that point that you blank out you moved into sin. Temper usually does that causes us to act or react in a violent manner and that sinful.

He says do not let the sun go down on your anger do not give the devil a place you know he takes an opportunity to do that when you fester. That's why festered anger always gets worse. That's why you're not less angry.

You just have sublimated it. You just shunted aside, you got it on hold waiting to pounce when it comes up again. Now here's 1/3 area that all sins are hard to break. When you think I've gotten personal.

Verse 28 really starts to metal. He who steals talk to was like a pack of thieves well in this reading from the Bible here. I'm just doing my best to be true to the Scripture was a common practice in the first century and when people became Christians, they have been doing this all their lives, and now Christians they still would steal goodness I would steal the let's see shoplifting is stealing padding expense account is stealing using a credit card for other reasons than its purpose is stealing intentionally overestimating the cost of service or product is stealing from your customer. Failure to report accurately to the IRS is stealing falsifying cost overruns is an active stealing accepting more change after once purchase that is more than you should be receiving is stealing outright embezzlement.

Obviously, reneging on a debt is stealing, not paying fair wages is stealing common occurrences all some of them even among Christians. You work at a place that has a full supply of paper you want to use the paper for your own purposes.

Use steel paper when you use it in that way, you should buy your own paper and do it in your own under your own expense. They have paperclips and rubber bands and pens and pencils. Another petty items you say how petty can you get more than that, find freedom from stealing what it I have a son who steals from the euro where I have my wallet and I find five dollars gone. Every now and then and I I know he's doing it. Why do with an individual who seems unable to solve this. Look at verse 28, but rather see the verse that who steals stop it, but rather to suggestions. He must labor performing with his own hands, what is good, hard work, hard manual labor hard work is good. Second, he will then have something to share with the one who has need the cultivation of a generous spirit is the second chances are good that your problem with not being generous is that you were still stealing. I don't know what you're stealing and maybe stealing time when you promised your children you would spend it with. I have a very good psychologist friend who said it was a great day of his life when he realized that he was awfully proud of never having stolen anything from the organization. He was a part of, only to realize he was overcommitted and it stolen time from his wife and his children over commitment is a form of stealing.

You break your promises.

You will even believing one thing when in fact, extolling that star trust stolen. I might as well face it head on.

Some of you work for organizations where there is a surplus amount and it's very possible you have fallen into the trap of taking from that organization.

Listen to this report.

The paper was given at an American psychological Association symposium on employee theft presented and they presented a breakdown of the $8 million that inventory shortages cost department and chain stores every year. Imagine that figure $8 billion of these losses, 10% were due to clerical errors, 30% due to shoplifting a shocking 60% at $16 million a day to theft by employees.

I once stole a dozen softballs from the store I work for. When I was the stock boy in the back and I don't know what in the world I was gonna do with the dozen softball. First of all, it's hard to hide them from a very curious mother put them in my drawer and I and and I took them back in the back underneath my underwear. As if that was going to keep her out and and I had a note on my dresser that evening from my mother. I want to talk to you about the softballs that are in your drawer and of course I have my mind just raced. I I could see me being beaten to the end of my life by my father and I so I I said to her right. I took them. Obviously you took them and you're going to take him back and you're going to tell the manager that you stolen from the store but will mother you know I could even put them back in. I could even buy some input extras in their you know how you'll do, you will put them back. But first you will tell him what you have done and your father will hear about this tonight. Those of the worst words a 14-year-old kid can hear your father will hear about. So my dad comes in the cave work second shift he woke me up side and realize I was raising a thief. Those were the words it will me up so I sat down. The next morning I didn't sleep the rest the night. The next morning I went over to Chris's were I was working and I walked in and I spoke to Mr. Hubbard, who was the manager and I had the balls in my hand and my father said I will sit in this car and wait to see what's going to happen you need to be fired. I walked in I showed in the balls and he fired but I worked here. Lo these many months so faithfully just a little moment I taken these for just overnight and he said we don't keep thieves in our employment. You're fired. I will never forget was that bad I had to go back to the car where my dad is sitting waiting for his wish to be fulfilled. I get in the car and he unloads the truck on me is one of the most humiliating moments of my entire life is the last time I ever took something that wasn't mine even a paperclip.

Even a piece of paper you learn. I got another job that was a lot more hard work a lot less money and interestingly my mother said what you need to learn to do is to give which you've never learned before so that sort of kicked in as well, and I learned to share with some others who have not flawless example of any of this. I just want you know what I learned from very faithful confronting an unbending parents who didn't cover for me. Don't ever do that for your children when they've done what is wrong, walked to the edge with them. Stay with what's right. If they don't learn it from you.

It's doubtful the going to ever learn it from anybody else. Verse 29 addresses unwholesome words. You know what the word unwholesome means in the Greek it means rotten it's use for rotten vegetables, sour and rotten fruit.

It means foul and corrupt, bad and worthless as it appears unwholesome word.

Talk about a hard habit to break if you cursed when you were on the street. If you were cursing in school.

If you picked up profanity in the military if you if you learned to say words that were unwholesome. They are chances are good. The cross has not erased that had and it comes out from your mouth, but it's not just profanity.

It it can include putdowns in sarcasm and needless words. It can be lack of confidentiality. It can be words that don't have to be spoken, but you just somehow feel the need to put them in their it doesn't do good in this case it does harm and they proceed from our mouths. So he says stop it. How do I get freedom from. This will give what he says and 29 say only the words that are good for edification.

According to the need of the moment, words that build up rather than tear down. By the way parents.

This is a great time for me to add that it's easy for us to see the two or three wrongs they've done, rather than the 15 or 20 right things address the wrongs but remember to camp just as well, and just as often on the right. According to the need of the moment why that it may give grace to those who hear words that are unwholesome are wrong word set against a person who isn't there to defend himself, don't go there. St. Augustine held an interesting hung on interesting motto in his dining room that read he who speaks even evil of an absent man or woman is not welcome at this table start with your table talk that usually where we are most free with our family. Just watch your mouth just guard your time. You don't have to add something there that could put another down, don't do it if you're dealing with a resume in working with hiring the person that's where you have to do it but that's done confidentially behind closed doors and it goes no further, and how great it is to add grace to those who hear that a wonderful way to put it. We all can learn a lesson from the Scottish pastor Alexander white, of whom it was said all of his geese became swans. I think it's significant that on the heels of the unwholesome words are the words about the grieving of the Holy Spirit.

He has deep feelings about his residence within you. Your words cause him pain for their unwholesome words you been sealed to the day of redemption so that would be a good limit to put on unwholesome words until the day of redemption. Wanted to stay away from finally let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, with all malice list, bitterness, wrath, anger, loud talking, slander, why would a person live in such malice.

The next verse tells us there's someone he hasn't forgiven.

Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving each other. That's where all that stuff comes from you look back far enough, you'll find someone that you might forgiven your grudges making you ugly is causing you to say things that are unkind, lacking in tenderness, bitterness, wrath, anger, plan, clamor, slander, malice, how to get free from that forgive forgive. We all have at least one thing in common. We've all been hurt by someone else. Every face I look at in this place knows pain because of somebody else's words or actions mine to if I thought I'd try to forget them. But if I thought about a list I could give you some names of people who have hurt me deeply.

My responsibility is to forgive them because if I don't I'm the one who suffers the most. There is released within me. The acid of resentment and bitterness and and and this uncontrollable anger that comes out in of all things.

I'm taking it out on one of or someone was near me and I love dearly.

When I really have not look the person in the eye and said you know what I need to let you know all this forgiven.

They won't listen.

I need to write him a letter and if there did I need to tell their tombstone or a counselor or a pastor. It's all over. Some of you who have been married before in horrible situations. Seeing yourself as the terrible victim of that and you may have been need to get past it, or you will remain hard to live with. You need to forgive them. I don't say they deserve it.

You and I didn't deserve it. And Christ died for us while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. That's why the cross stands so tall. No one can say he held it against me. Father forgive them. They don't even know what they're doing. Some of the sins are sins of ignorance person you were married to file Linton had all these unresolved problems and you became the punching bag. It was wrong was horrible but for you not to forgive is worse that way. By forgiving you can be kind.

My sister is the best line. Just be nice a good love to meet people who are fairly well known in the Christian life who can hold an audience in their hand and do a fairly good job of communicating when nobody is looking still nice and tender and merciful.

You know those who aren't. They got somebody, they haven't forgiven just that simple.

It's what keeps you from being nice kind, tender Frederick Buechner in his provocative work. Wishful thinking of theological ABC rights. This of the seven deadly sins. Anger is possibly the most fun okay you can lab to lick your wounds to smack your lips over grievances long past to roll over your tongue.

The prospect of bitter confrontation still to come, to savor to the last toothsome morsel both the pain you were given and the pain you are giving back. In many ways is a feast fit for a king. The chief drawback is that what you are wolfing down is yourself.

The skeleton at the feast you when will we learn like us to bow our heads. I just close your eyes. The Lord has given us the anatomy so that we can just blank out all visual interruptions is close your eyes open your mind to sit there is a word in the Psalms that says Selah SELA H. I sometimes paraphrase Paul's and let that sink in what I want you to do right now lying, stealing, unwholesome words anger that's out of control. Refusing to forgive the list when a list.

The good news is that you're free to let anybody tell you you can't help yourself.

Some of the major lies that comes from the devil. I just always been like that. Well you been saved.

The only real excuse you God is that you're not saved you hang onto this lifestyle than you really are bound to the stake you serve the enemy you've never been bought with a price. Today's the day to solve that one as well another year in the family of God. How wonderful it is that you can say when confronting whatever may be on whatever list Lord God everything within me wants to move in that direction, but I know I don't have to walk in that circle anymore. I'm freed from that you cut the strain you set me free right now. Give me power to say no to close my mouth guard mind… To respond kindly to forgive that enemy to say no to that temptation to steal to curse to lie father, thank you for the great grace that there is in the Lord Jesus, thank you for knowing all about us and loving us more than anybody we've ever known. Thank you for forgiving us for seeing within us the inability to solve these dilemmas and rushing to our rescue in helping us through them just as faithfully as you bring this rain and to our land. I pray that you will bring mercy to our hearts and refreshment to our spirits as we live as free women and men no longer in bondage help us as we take the steps toward freedom to be encouraged along the way with your favor and blessing and now to him who is able to guard us from stumbling and to present us faultless before the presence of his throne with exceeding joy to the only wise God our Savior be glory and majesty and dominion, and power for ever and ever and all the people of God said it inside for living it's our hope and prayer that today's message is brought a ray of sunshine your day as we step into the light of God's truth you're listening to the Bible teaching of pastor and author Chuck Swindoll. He titled the study and Ephesians 4 steps that lead to freedom.

To learn more about this ministry. Visit us online@insideworld.org. Earlier we heard Chuck describe the debilitating impact of anger, bitterness, slander and malice 2020 started with a global pandemic that is resulted in unprecedented social unrest and we seen the escalation of these emotional sins.

Over the past year. These unwanted forces have given us a choice. We can either choose fear and resentment or we can walk in the light to guide you through the new year we recommended desk calendar that will bring a small beam of light for your journey.

It's a flip calendar called quotable Chuck Daly insights from the pulpit. Someone 19 105 says your word is a lamp to guide my feet and a light for my path.

By displaying this calendar on your desk or kitchen counter will be reminded of your freedom in Christ every single day in 2021 to purchase the flip calendar called quotable Chuck Collis if you're listening in the United States dial 1-800-772-8888 or go online to insight.org/store. In addition to your purchase.

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