Anger God's Way

Ephesians  •  Sermon  •  Submitted
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Many of us grew up in a home and a world that told us emotions were wrong. In my home growing up, crying was not really tolerated. (crying was for sissies) Unless you were getting a whippin in which case crying was the objective. Even in Christian churches, we’re often led to believe that emotions are wrong. I’ve heard it said that a major problem with modern worship is that it becomes an emotional experience. (implying that emotions, in themselves, are bad) One emotion that certainly carries negative connotations is “anger”. Certainly there is good reason....
The Bible often speaks of anger in the negative....
Psalm 37:8 KJV 1900
Cease from anger, and forsake wrath: Fret not thyself in any wise to do evil.
Proverbs 29:22 KJV 1900
An angry man stirreth up strife, And a furious man aboundeth in transgression.
Proverbs 19:19 KJV 1900
A man of great wrath shall suffer punishment: For if thou deliver him, yet thou must do it again.
Proverbs 22:24 KJV 1900
Make no friendship with an angry man; And with a furious man thou shalt not go:
Proverbs 29:22 KJV 1900
An angry man stirreth up strife, And a furious man aboundeth in transgression.
Colossians 3:8 KJV 1900
But now ye also put off all these; anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication out of your mouth.
Now, look at our text today...
Ephesians 4:26–27 KJV 1900
Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath: Neither give place to the devil.
Notice the instruction is not…Don’t get angry.
Good thing…Avg person gets angry 10-14 times/day
It is not a sin to become angry (Jesus - ; )

It is not a sin to become angry (; )

So, the Bible (in this verse) permits anger, but puts parameters on it.
It is possible to be angry without sinning, but it’s rare among sinful mankind!

Restriction #1 - Don’t be quick to anger

Proverbs 15:18 KJV 1900
A wrathful man stirreth up strife: But he that is slow to anger appeaseth strife.
Proverbs 16:32 KJV 1900
He that is slow to anger is better than the mighty; And he that ruleth his spirit than he that taketh a city.
Proverbs 19:1 KJV 1900
Better is the poor that walketh in his integrity, Than he that is perverse in his lips, and is a fool.
Titus 1:7 KJV 1900
For a bishop must be blameless, as the steward of God; not selfwilled, not soon angry, not given to wine, no striker, not given to filthy lucre;
James 1:19 KJV 1900
Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath:

Restriction #2 - Don’t sin with your reason ()

Matthew 5:22 KJV 1900
But I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment: and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council: but whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire.
Without a “just cause” - a just reason (we always think we have a reason)
-But is the reason a “just cause” in God’s eyes.

Two Angry Men (David and Saul)

David (I Sam. 17)

David was angry because Goliath was mocking God’s army and no one was doing anything.

Another time David was angry ()

David’s reason for anger - God’s glory!

We need more of this type of anger!
In the face of evil, when God’s name is being defamed....there should be righteous indignation, not passive apathy!
Florence Nightengale - anger toward inadequate hosp. care
William Carey - anger toward the poverty and Godlessness of India.
Martin Luther King Jr. - anger toward the segregation and mistreatment of blacks
Christians should be angry about...
Abortion
Human traffiking
Drug trafficking
Abuse of women and children
The agenda of homosexuality in our country
All of these issues/problems are at attack on God’s glory and design (and hurt others in the process)

Psalm 97:10 KJV 1900
Ye that love the Lord, hate evil: He preserveth the souls of his saints; He delivereth them out of the hand of the wicked.

We should hate what God hates and get angry at that which God gets angry!

King Saul (I Kings 18)

Saul was angry because of jealousy toward David.

Saul’s reason for anger - Saul’s glory!

In the face of evil, when God’s name is being defamed....there should be righteous indignation, not passive apathy!
Florence Nightengale - anger toward inadequate hosp. care
William Carey - anger toward the poverty and Godlessness of India.
Martin Luther King Jr. - anger toward the segregation and mistreatment of blacks
Christians should be angry about...
Abortion
Human traffiking
Drug trafficking
Abuse of women and children
The agenda of homosexuality in our country
All of these issues/problems are at attack on God’s glory and design (and hurt others in the process)

Psalm 97:10 KJV 1900
Ye that love the Lord, hate evil: He preserveth the souls of his saints; He delivereth them out of the hand of the wicked.

Saul’s reason for anger - Saul’s glory!

As a result of his selfish motive - he hurls a javelin, etc.

This is personal anger. It is about me. While not necessarily sinful, we are treading on dangerous ground...
Is my anger about what happened to me or is my anger about the sin of the offender?
Someone driving 55 mph in the passing lane on the interstate…Is it wrong? (yes) Should they know better (Absolutely)? Am I justified in getting indignant?

Is my reason righteous?

Am I angry over someone’s sin?
Am I angry over injustice done to someone else?
If it is personal - am I angry over the fact that someone sinned or that I was sinned against?

Restriction #3: Don’t sin with your response

Ephesians 4:26 KJV 1900
Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath:

It is not o.k. to sin just because someone else did.

Don’t sin with your words

Verbal Assault
Veiled Sarcasm
Gossip
Corrupt Communication (vs. 29)
Ephesians 4:29 KJV 1900
Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers.

Don’t sin with your actions

Cold shoulder
Avoidance
Retaliation
Romans 12:17 KJV 1900
Recompense to no man evil for evil. Provide things honest in the sight of all men.

Don’t sin with allowing anger to linger

Anger allowed to remain moves from a response to the offense to a resentment of the offender.

Gives the Devil a place in your life, your relationships, your home.
Instead of inviting Jesus to dinner your inviting the devil.

If our anger is righteous anger....

Right person - Right reason - Right response

Righteous anger results in restoring people into a loving, relationship with Jesus whereby He is glorified.

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