Paul says we must get rid of filthy language from our lips. Swearing is not cute nor does it make you one of the boys. When you use profanity your mouth is full of demons. Remember that! Your mouth is full of demons when you swear. You are speaking with the voice of Satan.

Get rid of profanity! Put it to death by the Spirit of God! God wants you to be a kind person. When you swear you are not a kind person. You are bringing corruption, destruction and death into the spiritual atmosphere.

I don't care how angry or frightened you are, quit your swearing if you want to be accepted by the Lord Jesus.

Paul says we must get rid of lying. God does not lie and will not accept liars at His table. Satan is the father of all lies and those who lie. How can you be kind to someone when you are lying? You are deceiving them. You are bearing false witness. There is a snake in you. Kill it by the Holy Spirit. If you do not it will keep you out of the Kingdom of God, grace or no grace.

Paul says we must put on the new self "which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator." How do we put on the new self? By praying every day, reading our Bible, gathering with the saints, giving, serving, and doing all else that is part of wholesome Christian living. Above all, each day, we must count ourselves crucified with Christ and risen with Christ. There is to be a new creation in us.

Anger, rage, malice, slander, filthy language, and lying are not found in the new self.

Paul says we must clothe ourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. He says we must bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances we may have against one another. We absolutely must forgive as the Lord forgave us.

We must clothe ourselves with:

Compassion.

Kindness.

Humility.

Gentleness.

Patience.

We must bear with each other.

We must forgive one another.

Compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, forgiveness, all go together. They are characteristics of the Lord Jesus in whose image we are being made.

The blood stands ready to forgive us. The Spirit stands ready to furnish wisdom and power.

The rest is up to us.

The Christian churches often are characterized by meanness, bitterness, divisive attitudes, gossip, slander, hatred, self-seeking, pride, the seeking of preeminence, and unforgiveness. The day is past when these attitudes and actions are acceptable. We are entering an age of moral horrors. The spiritual pressure on those who are attempting to stand in Christ will be tremendous.

Any trace of bitterness, meanness, hatred, or unforgiveness in us will weaken us to the point that we eventually may fall. These attitudes and actions must be driven from us at once.

Let us as sincere followers of the Lord Jesus ask His help in ridding ourselves of all these forms of murder, for all of them belong in the Lake of Fire for eternity. They are of the nature of Satan.

Let us clothe ourselves with a spirit of kindness. Let us cultivate this aspect of the fruit of the Spirit for it is the image of our Lord.

To be continued.