Commentary on "From Complaints to Apostasy"

STEVE PITCHER

 

Day 4: Tuesday, October 27, 2009

 

Today’s lesson is titled “Family Nastiness.” It is true that in familial relationships, we can sometimes become nasty to one another in ways that we would often condemn in others. Aaron and Miriam’s jealousy are definitely grown from a root of bitterness. The lesson author is correct in directing our attention to the difference between Moses, and Aaron and Miriam. Moses was a man of God, the most humble man on earth, and a type of Christ who would continually intercede for his people.

The author compares the complaints of Aaron and Miriam to similar racial attitudes amongst our own cultures. Whether here in the United States, Europe, Australia, Africa, India or Asia, there is a natural desire to differentiate ourselves from others. The author then asks the question at the bottom of the page, “What bad attitudes need to be purged from you before they lead to your own spiritual ruin?” It is not the purging of bad attitudes that will lead to our spiritual ruin; it is the condition of our spirit. If we have not been born again, our spirits are separated from God and regardless of the attitudes we hold, we are lost.

If we have been born again by the Spirit of God, only then can we allow him to purify our hearts and cleanse our minds. If we fight our own fleshly desires with our flesh, we will lose every time. If we fight our fleshly desires with a born again spirit, filled with the Holy Spirit we will be more than conquerors in Christ.

Let’s allow the power of God the Holy Spirit to purge the “family nastiness” from among us and show us how to love one another in the power of the risen Christ.

 

Summary

1. “Family nastiness” has been a problem since Adam and Eve began pointing fingers at one another.
2. Our bad attitudes can only be purged by the Holy Spirit, by allowing him to fill us with the love of Christ. Only then will our familial and racial jealousy and anger be removed.
3. If we are in Christ, there is no Jew or Greek, male or female, slave or free. We are all one in Jesus Christ. Being found in Christ is the only answer to “family nastiness.”

 

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