Let's check our faith by examining nine evil attributes that we need to get rid of to stand on the rock of faith and looking at several practical cases.
Nine attributes we have to cast off to stand on the rock of faith
Anger Do you still lose or try to suppress your temper? Do you reveal your annoyance, even a little, when you speak? Do you convey ill feelings when speaking with others? When you have little anger, then you are standing on the rock of faith.
Ill Feelings Do you feel bad when you are blamed or reprimanded for something? If you're not treated as expected, not compensated for your efforts, not recognized by others, or you are misunderstood or disadvantaged, does it affect you negatively? Do such situations depress you? If you lose heart and then don't have strength to pray or fulfill your duties, it shows that you still have ill feelings.
Hatred, Jealousy, Envy How do you feel when others are loved, recognized, and complimented more than you? If you rejoice with the truth, you are close to the heart of spirit. If not, then you are far from it. By just checking your feelings alone, you can estimate how close you are to the heart of spirit.
Lying and Deceiving Heart If you deceive others or make up lies for your benefit, if you make a false report, overstate or exaggerate your performance to reveal yourself or gain credit, or if you understate or hide what is unfavorable for you, it shows that you have a lying and deceiving heart. If one lies and deceives others for immediate gains, then the individual must think he can delude God!
Judgment Most people judge others by appearance or by their own standard. However, we must not rashly make judgment on people because each person has a different inner heart and a different intent or purpose for his actions. Only God who searches our inner hearts knows.
Changing Heart You have to check if you often change your decision or plans, or check if you simply break promises with yourself, with others, and even with God.
Adultery You have to thoroughly cast away lust in heart or adulterous thoughts, not to speak of adultery in action.
You must keep in mind that an adulterous mind is the source of temptation that Satan easily and persistently uses to lead people to death.
Greed, Selfish Motives, Covetousness With greed and covetousness in the heart, you feel jealous of others' possessions, fame, authority, and appearance. Selfish motives refer to the heart to seek one's own benefit and follow personal passions and desires of the heart. It leads to various kinds of corruption. They are generally related to money. Money gained through these hearts causes you to pursue more money and sensual things of the world. It will distance you far from God (James 1:15).
Betrayal Betrayal is related to changing heart, craftiness, seeking one's own benefit, lying heart, and arrogance. Such evil attributes work in combination and bear betrayal. Betrayal includes forgetting the grace you received, turning your back on your group or team for your own benefit, and extinguishing others' expectations by breaking a promise with them.
Why haven't they stood on the rock of faith yet?
Case 1. A person lacking the longing for spiritual things
He thinks in complacency, 'I will also be changed someday.' But he has not changed even after passing of much time. He has to have earnest longing for spirit and change and keenness to enter New Jerusalem, and realize that following the shepherd is the most important way to enter spirit.
Case 2. A person using fleshly thoughts caused by greed
Greed can be the stimulants of the fleshly thoughts that cause one to do things for his benefit. In the same manner, if evil attributes remain in us, they cause us to have fleshly thoughts. We may even think it is not fleshly thought and saying, 'It's nothing. It's really OK' or 'I am doing it for God's kingdom'.
Case 3. A person with discomfort of the heart and of the lips
When she sees somebody else act in a different way, she doesn't try to understand with goodness and to see the person's strong points, but just has uncomfortable feelings against him. People who often have discomfort in heart reveal it with the words and have a tendency to blame others or their circumstances. The feelings of discomfort arise from fleshly attributes such as a person's self-righteousness or self-frameworks.
Case 4. A person mistakenly thinking in arrogance
Such a person is unable to use the Word of God to reflect upon himself, because he thinks mistakenly in arrogance such as, 'I am of goodness. I love God and the shepherd.' He is very likely to be confined within his own goodness. Arrogance hinders him from seeing himself and acknowledging and accepting the advice or reprimand of others.
Case 5. A person with strong self-frameworks
A person with strong self-frameworks hurts others' feelings and breaks peace while working together due to her self-frameworks. However she just thinks she faithfully works and volunteers. She may say she loves God, the Lord, and the shepherd, but her love is mostly fleshly love rather than spiritual love. Fleshly affection and love expects love in return and it causes negative feelings.
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