The God of Anger

Anger is simply an emotion, it is not a sin in itself. But the Bible warns consistently that anger is dangerous because it can be a gateway to sin. So how do we know if our anger is sin or not?

If it comes from sin, it’s a sin.

Anger can result from idolatry. Ask yourself why you are angry with someone, with a situation. Is it because God is not being glorified or because you are not being glorified. People get angry because, like a child, we don’t get our way, things don’t go our way, and the universe at the moment is not how we decreed in our minds it should be. Why should he have a better car than me? envy. You didn’t show up when you were supposed to. I had to go out of my way because of you. You insulted me! Pride. You didn’t do what I want!

Who is the god in these situations, God or you? We all want to control everything around us, we all want what we want, when we want it. We want a job with no work, money with no bills, health without effort, everybody to be on time, do what they are supposed to, respect us, do things our way, and meet our needs. If we’re honest with ourselves, that’s how, deep down, we want the universe to run. To revolve around us. We want to be God. And when we don’t get this, we get angry. How could someone speak to me that way, let me down, talk about me, reject me, fire me, look down on me, cheat on me, steal from me, think someone is better than me. Me me me. And we get angry. Never realizing that all those things others have done to us, we have done to God.

If it leads to sin, it’s a sin.

If your anger leads you to break commandments of God, it’s probably sin. If you are bitter at someone, if you gossip about someone, talk smack about them behind their backs, lie about them, steal, or kill someone because of your anger, I don’t think it’s a stretch to guess that you probably have sinned. There’s two good reasons for this from the Bible: 1) God said don’t lie, steal, kill, gossip or hate,  among other things, and 2) because He alone, not you, is God, he gets to make the rules.

The apostle Paul, writing instructions to a new church in Greece, provides a snapshot of what a church of believing Christians ought to be comprised of, how their lives and relationships are governed:

Ephesians 4:25 Therefore, having put away falsehood, let each one of you speak the truth with his neighbor, for we are members one of another. 26 Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, 27 and give no opportunity to the devil. 28 Let the thief no longer steal, but rather let him labor, doing honest work with his own hands, so that he may have something to share with anyone in need. 29 Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear. 30 And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. 31 Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. 32 Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.

Anger stirs up bitterness, drives division, and gives the devil an opportunity to ruin everything good in and around us.  Anger creates a fog that keeps us from seeing others as God would have us see them, keeps us from hearing God’s voice, and can shipwreck our lives.

So how do we handle our anger?

Leviticus 19:17 “You shall not hate your brother in your heart, but you shall reason frankly with your neighbor, lest you incur sin because of him. 18 You shall not take vengeance or bear a grudge against the sons of your own people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the Lord.

Go to them and only them. If it as at a person, scripture is clear: we go to them, and speak frankly, and work it out. Especially our Christian brothers and sisters. Gossip is the greatest evil that comes from anger, from envy, from jealousy, from malice, from hurt feelings and bruised egos and self-righteous pride. If you are a gossip, angry at someone because they didn’t do things your way, and you go around talking quietly to your friends about the bad thing they did- you are a gossip and in serious sin. A person forgiven and walking with Christ does not do that. Go to them, speak frankly about it, and work it out. If not, these aggravations will fester into sores, infect you and others, and spread division in a church like cancer kills a body.

Pray for them.

Matthew 5:43 “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ 44 But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,45 so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven.

It is hard to remain angry at someone who you are praying for. And Jesus didn’t mean “pray that fire will come down from heaven and burn them to charcoal.” Pray that they will see their error, pray that your relationship can be healed. Pray that division will be reconciled. Pray that God will show you where you are wrong. Pray that both of you will forgive each other, as Jesus has forgiven both of you.

Who is Glorified in Your Anger?

In the end, ask yourself if God is glorified in your Anger, or are you? Nehemiah was one of the most angry men in the Old Testament, a prophet of God with his own book in the Bible. That’s like getting a boxing belt. He’s got his own book. Nehemiah took care of business through a lot of anger. He came out of retirement, rebuilt the city of God’s people Jerusalem that had been destroyed, drove out the corrupt, evil, idol-worshiping freaks who had made the church a flea market and were living and worshiping other gods in God’s house. He beat, punched, kicked and threw all their stuff out in the street. He threatened and cursed them. He gave orders, commanded men, and inspired men to put things right where they had gone terribly, terribly wrong. It’s a wild story. But here’s the deal: he was God’s man for that time, and God was glorified in Nehemiah’s anger. Nehemiah was angry that God’s people were liars who said they loved God and did the exact opposite of what God says. That they disrespected God and made other God’s equal to the one true God. They compromised with sin instead of obeying God.

When can we be angry?

If you want to be angry in a way that glorifies God, be angry at your sin. Be angry at all the ways you compromise with sin and disobey God. Be angry at your laziness, your gossiping, the ways you ignore God by not making time to pray, to read your Bible. Be angry at yourself for not putting God first in your life, before all things, where he belongs. For having other gods like football, shopping, television, facebook, your band, your career, sleeping in or staying up late. These aren’t bad things alone, but God must be first in your life, your time, your schedule, your priorities.  That is God’s rightful place.

What’s Next?

The next time you are angry at someone else, look at the cross, and the brutalized body of Jesus and remember, that’s how angry God was with you, with your sin, and that’s what it took to forgive you. If God did that for you, follow his example. Let that God of anger die on the cross with Jesus, and forgive others, like Jesus.

About

We are a new church plant on the west side of Atlanta in the Austell and Mableton area. At the Journey, we are trying to re-form the church around the teachings and example of Jesus Himself while building relational bridges to people in the current culture. Out with the self-righteous, judgmental attitudes and the useless religious traditionalism, and in with the fresh wind of the timeless teachings of love and forgiveness, acceptance and repentance. Come and find a home at The Journey.