HOW TO GUARD AGAINST THE DEFILEMENT OF AN EVIL REPORT - PART FIVE
Posted By on Sunday, May 20, 2018
PART FIVE - FINAL
III. HOW TO CLEANSE OUR MINDS FROM AN EVIL REPORT
A. Ask God to cleanse your mind from the defilement of an evil report.
B. Pray for God to give you genuine love for each one involved in an evil report.
C. Cleanse your mind with appropriate scripture:
1. Have I accepted the report as true?
“The simple believeth every word; but the prudent man looketh well to his going.” Proverbs 14:15
“Keep back thy servant also from presumptuous sins…” Psalm 19:13
Presumptuousness is taking a matter for granted and assuming it to be true in the absence of proof to the contrary.
2. Has the evil report affected how I feel toward the person involved?
“A wholesome tongue is a tree of life: but perverseness therein is a breach in the spirit. “Proverbs 15:4
“Above all things, have fervent love among yourselves, for love shall cover the multitude of sins.” 1 Peter 4:8
“Love … thinketh no evil, rejoiceth not in iniquity.” 1 Corinthians 13:5, 6
3. Do I have the urge to tell someone else the evil report?
“Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it many minister grace unto the hearers.” Ephesians 4:29
“A talebearer revealeth secrets; but he that is of a faithful spirit concealeth the matter.” Proverbs 11:13
“He that covereth a transgression seeketh love, but he that repeateth a matter separateth very (close) friends.” Proverbs 17:9
4. I know my heart is clean when:
a. When I lose my urge to tell someone else the evil report.
b. When I grieve over the fact that a report was given.
c. When I have genuine love toward the person involved in the report.
d. When I am prompt to examine my own life for failures.
D. Act on what you heard:
1. Is God directing you to contact the one who gave you the evil report?
a. To ask the five questions which identify an evil report?
b. To emphasize the importance of speaking the truth in love? John 17:20-26; Phil. 2:1-4i
2. Is God directing you to contact the person involved in the situation?
a. Is God directing you to contact the person involved in the evil report in order to check out the facts and help restore in the spirit of meekness? Matthew 18:15-18; Galatians 6:1
3. Is God directing you to contact those who are spiritually responsible for the situation?
a. Once they are informed the responsibility for further action rests with them.
b. Restoration is as broad as the offence – whenever we have carried an evil report, we must be prepared in humility to go all the people we have infected and make things clear again. Romans 12:18; Hebrews 12:14 – peace with all men.
c. Your responsibility is to pray for those involved in the situation. James 5:16; Ephesians 6:18
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