Malice
Ephesians 4:30-32
God knows not just the thoughts of our hearts and minds He knows the intent of our thoughts and our minds. God’s WORD knows the what and the why!
Quote: “Malice is more than a powerful emotion. It is a purposeful thought and decision of ill-will projected toward others.”
Hebrews 4:12 “ For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.”
Malice, in relationship to the other five in our text can be viewed in horsemanship terms as the “Out rider.” The outrider does not get directly involved with the action but more or less Rides Herd on the rest of the group. It is actually the boss in a sense. The outrider is responsible for keeping the key elements focused and the process or goal of the event in view.
The energy of malice is its intentional focus on self for profit and on everyone else for their diminishing. Their lessening.
Note: The Bible, being the living Word of God, should be the singular source for the Christian’s growth, guide, teaching and motivation for living an obedient life. Any extra-Biblical influence waters down and weakens the power and authority of the Word.
Quote: Malice, the intentional ill-will by a Christian through the means of bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor and evil speaking.
Ephesians 4:30 speaks clearly to the Christian of our responsibility to the Holy Spirit and our day of redemption. Redemption in scripture has three points of focus:
The redemption price (the Blood of the Redeemer) paid for a slave under the sentence of death at the marketplace (of sin) but we are still dealing with the influence and impact of that slavery. Because of disobedience we are all sold under sin.
The redemption price has been paid and we are released to leave the old slave market to walk to be brought out of, in a new way because of a new life in Christ.
The redemption that is in the future and the Holy Spirit has sealed us until that day. In that day, redemption is complete because it will be a total removal and translation of the Christian to heaven. That day is on the horizon but is not yet.
Note: Christ PAID the Blood Price for our redemption and the Holy Spirit makes the experience “actual”. We are bought from slavery and released and brought out of the marketplace of slaves to sin.
* Until that day, these five, now six horsemen have a desire to defeat us and destroy our work and testimony for Christ and malice, above all has its hands on the reigns of all sorts of evil and wickedness. It intentionally guides all kinds of carnality and self-will to enter the life and testimony of a Christian.
Closing: The defeat of these will one day be complete and final but until then we have a daily battle on our hands and they can only be defeated by observing and obeying the instructions of Ephesians 4:32 “And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you.”