Sunday Leftovers (7/18/10)

Human anger is almost always portrayed in Scripture to be something unwise, foolish and ungodly.  And even when men exhibit genuinely righteous anger, it is always prone to degrading into ungodly, unrighteous anger.  A few observations about anger from Scripture:

1. Anger, like every sin, is the result of allowing the flesh to rule one’s mind and heart and refusing to use restraint and self-control (Js. 1:14).
2. Anger is in part the result of not listening — and not being willing to listen (Js. 1:18).
3. Anger is in part the result of talking too quickly — not taking time to reflect on what has been heard before responding (Js. 1:18).
4. Anger can be controlled by being humble in response to the conviction of the Scriptures; ultimately, all anger is against God and His providence in our lives (Js. 1:21).
5. Uncontrolled anger is a result of being unwilling to deal with the sin fully and immediately (Eph. 4:26).
6. Anger is a God-given emotion used for Satan’s purposes (Eph. 4:27).
7. Anger is closely related to bitterness, wrath, slander, revenge and malice (Eph. 4:31).
8. Anger may stem from refusing to forgive others or failing to accept the forgiveness of Christ (Eph. 4:31-32).
9. Being angry is a demonstration that either the person has never fully grasped the significance of all that Christ did for him at the cross, or that he has become so hardened that he knows what Christ did, and willingly sins anyway (Eph. 4:32).
10. Anger is progressive in nature.  It seems to go something like this (based upon the use of the different words used for anger in Scripture):

• There is a refusal to listen to another person because of some offense or perceived offense
• This refusal is followed by a quick response or retort without pausing to consider the effect of those words
• A number of quick, heated words accumulate without seeking forgiveness
• A grudge begins to settle in one’s heart, so he is frequently angry about a variety of circumstances without provocation
• The sudden anger may disappear, but a sullen state of bitterness is present
• The “satisfaction” of the momentary outburst is replaced by a quest for revenge
• The revenge is driven from a heart of real malice — desire for deep, complete, retribution, that may even desire the death of another

The results of this anger are hardly happy:

1. One who is perpetually angry is one who has allowed Satan to gain an advantage over him with the result that his testimony will be destroyed (Eph. 4:27).
2. The one who is angry cannot claim to exhibit God’s righteousness (Js. 1:20).
3. Anger, like every uncontrolled sin that is allowed to rule one’s life will ultimately result in spiritual failure and death (Js. 1:15).

So it is that the wise man is the one who is intentional and aggressive in putting off anger and putting on the righteous thinking and resolution of anger and  conflict that are found through Jesus Christ (more on that next week).