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Rage
Another iniquity of the mind is rage. Paul reminds us not to indulge in this error in three passages. In Galatians, he says that fits of rage are acts of the sinful nature. Those who act that way will not inherit the kingdom of God. (Galatians 5:19-21) And twice Paul tells us to, “Get rid of rage.” (Ephesians 4:31) (Colossians 3:8)
Selfish Ambition
Ambition in our culture is a highly admired virtue. We associate it with hard work and contrast it with laziness and sloth. But we are put on notice that ambition must not degenerate into what biblical writers call “selfish ambition.”
That strikes many of us as a strange concept. Selfish ambition seems to be a natural, even a reasonable way of looking at life. After all, didn’t we earn the money. Why shouldn’t we spend our earnings as we please? God, however, demands a higher standard. He does not tolerate selfishness in any form. We are reminded to keep our perspective.
Jesus graphically illustrates God’s disgust with stingy people in the Parable of the Rich Fool. A rich man’s land yielded a good harvest. So good, he didn’t even have room to store all his grain. To solve his problem, he decided to tear down his barns and build larger ones to hold his grain. After that, he thought he could take life easy — eat, drink, and enjoy himself.
But God said: You fool, tonight you will die. Who will get all that you have hoarded for yourself? That is what happens to those who selfishly keep everything for themselves. The wise share their riches with God. (Luke 12:16-21)
Paul lists selfish ambition as another act of the sinful nature. Those who act that way, he says, will