Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander, as well as all types of evil behavior. Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you. Ephesians 4:31-32 NLT
Cultivating a holy attitude is an important part of following Jesus. In fact, attitudes are the most important elements of living a holy life. If we have the proper attitude toward God and our fellow human beings, we will manifest holiness in all areas of our lives.
Wrong attitudes are the first sign of backsliding and are inevitable components of hypocrisy.
Love is the basic attitude that distinguishes true followers of Jesus from the world.
Jesus teaches us in Luke 10:27: “‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your strength, and all your mind.’ And, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’”
We demonstrate our love for God by how faithfully we obey his Word.
1 John 2:3-5 teaches us: And we can be sure that we know him if we obey his commandments. If someone claims, “I know God,” but doesn’t obey God’s commandments, that person is a liar and is not living in the truth. But those who obey God’s word truly show how completely they love him. That is how we know we are living in him.
We should love God enough to do his perfect will. If we love him we should want to be like him, as much as possible.
We should try to avoid anything that is not like God.
We should be on guard when any type of resentment or dislike arises in us toward another human being. We must strive to have a loving and forgiving attitude toward any person if we want to maintain a holy life and be pleasing to the Lord.
Jesus plainly taught us in Matthew 6:14-15
“If you forgive those who sin against you, your heavenly Father will forgive you. But if you refuse to forgive others, your Father will not forgive your sins.
Cultivating a holy attitude does not come over night. We must actively choose to put into practice the spiritual principles God places in us by the working of his Holy Spirit.
We must remember that genuine faith always includes obedience and always produces good works.
