From his high standpoint of appreciation of the Divine law, the advanced Christian sees that in the Lord's sight hatred is murder, slander is assassination, and the destruction of a neighbor's good name is robbery and rapine. And any of these things done in the Church, among the professed people of God, is doubly evil—the assassination and robbery of a brother. The only exception to this rule, "Speak evil of no man," would come in where we might know of an absolute necessity for making known an evil—where the relating of the evil would be contrary to our heart's wishes, and only mentioned because of necessity—because of love for others who, if not informed, might be injured.
Bitterness, wrath, anger, evil-speaking and malice are works of the flesh. Therefore, it behooves saints to put them aside. We should exercise faith, hope, love and persistent determination as well as the cleansing power of the Word against them. Let us by these good qualities seek to detach our sentiments and divert our attention from, and restrain, displace and become impervious to, them.
Rom. 12:14, 18-21; Col. 3:8, 13, 19; Titus 3:2; Jas. 3:5-18; 4:11; 1 Pet. 2:1, 23; 3:9; 1 Cor. 13; Eph. 4:26, 32; 5:1, 2; 2 Cor. 3:12-18.
