I am irritated by people who talk about the love of God and yet are hateful to people.

This is one of my greatest problems. I would like for this to be one of my shortest sermons. Unfortunately, I need to face and address the facts:

·        Hatefulness is not part of the fruit of the Spirit

Galatians 5:22. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23. gentleness and self-control.

·        Hatefulness is a reflection of impatience, intolerance, and unforgiveness

Why am I impatient if ‘patience’ is evidence of a ‘Spirit-filled’ life? Why am I unkind if ‘kindness’ is evidence of a ‘Spirit-filled’ life?

·        Hatefulness is a reaction reflecting one’s personality flaws

Our personality is a reflection of our societal values, and inter-relational and intra-personal values.

For our purposes as Christians, we have these values within the context of our Religious Orientation and our Spiritual Orientation.

We are coached early-on in our ‘religious orientation.’ Our ‘spiritual orientation’ is something different. It is closely akin to something the old-time Methodist’s called ‘sanctification.’

The Religious Orientation of an individual has societal and inter-relational values woven into its parameters.

Each of us needs to understand our own Religious Orientation (or background). We need to understand the societal values which we have adopted or developed, whether actually instructed or inferred, that became a part of our religious orientation. (Societal indicates expectations of how we are to relate to the world and community around us.)

How about your perspective on such things as race, immigration, wealth, poverty, society, proprieties? Those positions come as a product of our religious orientation - how we relate to the world and community around us. In our society these perspectives are currently anything but Christ-like or Biblical. The racism of nationalism and isolationism is not Godly.

E.g., 'perfectionist' religions create cloistered societies. We see that in the various 'fundamentalist'  religions that create 'havens' ranging from their own private schools all the way to the extreme of having their own private towns...'anyone different from us keep out!!'

It is oxymoronic that some of these consider themselves to be 'evangelical.' They aren't carrying the 'good news' except as they might commission a 'missionary' to go out and preach to the condemned.

They want isolation from the 'world,' and all who represent it and its evils.

Look at your Religious Orientation (or background). The inter-relational values which you adopted or developed, whether actually instructed or inferred, have become a part of your orientation and are affecting your personal relationships. (Inter-relational indicates expectations of how we are to relate to individuals around us.)

The Spiritual Orientation of an individual has intra-personal values which are the parameters and goals for that individual’s development and function. (Intra-personal indicates expectations of personal growth and perhaps the struggle within one’s self in that development.)

Christians need to prioritize and define their Values. We must differentiate between our Religious Orientation and our Spiritual Orientation! Our Spiritual Orientation must inform (shape) our Religious Orientation.

The development of one's spiritual orientation is generally painful. If done Biblically it will cut across the lines of our religious orientation. It will alert us to the times when the fruit we are producing isn't the fruit of righteousness!

My values aren’t what I profess, but what I practice. Most western civilization Christians aren’t ‘Christian’ by how they live – what they practice, but by what they profess.

Now that hurts, but that’s the way it is. It is time for repentance. We are called to come into conformity with the image of Christ. We are called to crucify the flesh and lay aside the things that ‘beset’ us from coming into the fullness of the spiritual nature God has for us.

If I really value 'kindness' then that is what I will practice. It doesn't come 'naturally.' Our religious orientation comes naturally. 'Kindness' comes with the deliberate, targeted and practiced development of my spiritual orientation.

I’m a glaring example of those who are most irritated by the flaws in others that one personally possesses. I’m working on it. Kindness is the best place for me to start.