There is a kind of anger that is righteous.
We know that because God is wrathful and Jesus demonstrated anger during His time on earth.
It is also quite evident that virtually all human anger is unrighteous — and even when it is righteous initially, it tends towards unrighteousness over time. And that is why Ephesians 4:26-27 is so important.
We understand the principle that sinful anger must be resolved quickly — the day of anger should be the day of reconciliation. We understand that we should not go to bed with unresolved anger towards one another.
But that is also true of righteous anger. The sun “should not go down” on righteous anger either. Whether anger is righteous or unrighteous, it must be resolved that day. The reason that righteous anger tends towards unrighteousness is that it is left unresolved after its initial expression. Even when the anger is righteous, it must be handled immediately or there will be a great temptation to brood and mull and degenerate into ungodly expressions of anger.
So here is how it might look — you see someone committing a sin that not only is destructive to his own spiritual life, but also to his wife and family and most of all demeans Christ, whom he claims to love. You are grieved and saddened and righteously angry that these lives are being destroyed by sin and even more that the testimony of Christ is being mocked by unbelievers in the community who see the hypocrisy of this man’s life. So without hesitation you confront the sinner with his sin and directly and clearly point out the sin and its destructiveness in all its ramifications. And he remains steadfastly unrepentant.
Now what do you do?
The anger was rightly motivated and expressed. And there has been no change. How can that anger be kept from becoming unrighteous? John Piper offers a hint when he writes this:
Nothing will befall you apart from his wise and loving providence over your circumstances. Don’t fear. And, by implication, don’t be angry in a way that contradicts your confidence in God’s care over your life. God’s providence should change the way we experience circumstances that would otherwise be totally infuriating.
In other words, there should be a very short pathway between righteous anger and trust in God. After anger has been expressed in righteousness, then it must be quickly followed by a deep and abiding trust and confidence that God can and will accomplish His purposes in the individual or circumstance that evoked the anger in you, without continuing expressions of anger from you.
Even righteous anger must cease quickly — and be transformed into deep and abiding trust in God.
Words of Grace 