“Do all things without murmuring!” (Philippians 2:14)
God says murmuring is serious. Why? Because every time you grumble, you are ultimately complaining against God! And it is a horrendous sin! And if you are complaining about another believer, that is a personal affront to God because that believer is one of God’s children! John MacArthur points out,
“Believers’ failure to willingly, even joyfully, submit to God’s providential will is a deep-seated and serious sin. Discontentment and complaining are attitudes that can become so habitual that they are hardly noticed. But those twin sins demonstrate a lack of trust in His providential will, boundless grace, and infinite wisdom and love. Consequently, those sins are especially odious in His sight and merit His discipline. As Paul explained to the Corinthians, the numerous Old Testament accounts of God’s severe dealing with Israel’s complaints in the wilderness were given “as an example, and they were written for our instruction” (1 Cor. 10:11). Jeremiah asked, “Why should any living mortal, or any man, offer complaint in view of his sins?” (Lam. 3:39). If that is true of everyone, how much more does it apply to believers, whose sins have been graciously forgiven by the Lord?”
Kent Hughes appeals to grumblers, “Those who persist in such murmuring are not obedient to Christ and His gospel and are rejecting the divine call to “work out your own salvation.” They impede their own souls and the souls of their brothers and sisters in this matter. They are undertows to the body of Christ. So if you are one of these people, understand that when you finally stand before your Savior, you will answer with shame.”
And Sinclair Ferguson adds that grumbling is ““a form of ingratitude to God’s providence and it expresses a lack of love toward others. It is a manifestation of pride! A denial of grace, it is not working out your own salvation with fear and trembling. It is a no-no because we are children of God! We are united to Christ and we have resources provided so we don’t have to live a grumbling, complaining, bitter life.”
