You might want to ask, "If someone who’s born again realizes that he has hatred, anger, bitterness, jealousy, envy, pride, etc., in his heart, how should he get rid of them? Should he pray to God to take them away?" First, you need to know who a Christian is; he’s someone whose spirit has been recreated by God; and the recreated human spirit has certain distinct features, such as love, joy, peace, patience, gentleness, goodness, and faith.
Hatred, anger, bitterness, jealousy, envy and pride aren’t features of the recreated human spirit; so, refuse to harbour them. Look into your spirit and bring forth love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith. You have these beautiful features in your spirit. You may call them the "produce" of your human spirit, because you’re a tree of righteousness.
The Bible says the love of God is shed abroad in your heart by the Holy Spirit (Romans 5:5); this means there’s no room in your heart for hatred, bitterness, jealousy, and all such negativities. Those are the works of the flesh. And God didn’t tell us to pray about them. What He tells us is to put them off! If that weren’t possible for you to do, He wouldn’t have said so.
What you should do when there seems to be a manifestation of the works of the flesh in your life is to use your mouth! Declare that there’s love in your heart. That’s what you start with. You might ask, "Must I say it?" Yes, you must say it, and continue to say it, because your mouth is the rudder that controls your life. Every now and then, affirm, "Jesus Christ is Lord of my life, and I walk in love!" The more you say it, the greater the manifestation and expression of the love of Christ in your life.
You’re born with the nature of God in your heart; you have the life of God in you. Be more conscious of the features of your spirit, and let your words and actions be consistent with your true nature.
Confession
I walk in the Spirit, and therefore don’t fulfil the lust of the flesh! The love of God is shed abroad in my heart by the Holy Ghost! And I’ve put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of Him that created him. I express the virtues and perfections of divinity to my world. Hallelujah!
further study: 1 Peter 2:1-2; 1 Peter 2:12 MSG
: Luke 19:1-27 1 Samuel 14-15
: Luke 19:1-27 1 Samuel 14-
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