Bearing injuries and pain with patience and love is a crucial aspect of the Christian life, as taught by Jonathan Edwards in his book Charity and Its Fruits. R.C. Sproul shares a personal account of how he struggled with anger and bitterness when faced with false accusations, but ultimately learned to respond with the fruit of the Holy Spirit. He emphasizes the importance of keeping one's focus on God and His relationship with Him, and encourages listeners to seek to live like Christ, who was sinless and yet loved, was patient, and was kind. [... more]

Slanderous speech can destroy relationships and is a common problem among Christians. According to James 4, we are commanded to stop tearing each other down with our words, and this includes gossip, criticism, and fault-finding. Christians often get caught in the web of speaking against each other due to buying into lies and having a perverse appetite for information. To deal with this issue, we need to be aware of our speech habits and make a conscious effort to stop speaking against each other. [... more]