Righteous Anger
While most Christians are chasing a modern fantasy of an irenic and affable day-to-day Christian experience, may we recognize the truth that we cannot be godly without regularly feeling and periodically expressing righteous anger. Of course I am not referring to the hot-tempered man of Proverbs 29:22, who, with selfish motive and slight provocation, explodes at those around him. I am referring to the experience of the godly Psalm writers who regularly declare, “I abhor the assembly of evildoers” (Ps.26:5), “the deeds of faithless men I hate” (Ps.101:3), “indignation grips me because of the wicked” (Ps.119:53), and “I loathe those who rise up against you O Lord” (Ps.139:21).
Unless you are living in the perfection of the New Jerusalem, you will not be able to be godly and anger-free. Christ certainly wasn’t. A cursory reading of Matthew 23 or a familiarity with Christ’s temple-clearing rampage will remind us that godliness includes a righteous frustration with the sin and blasphemy that is so ubiquitous in our fallen world. Speaking of “godly,” it is enlightening to note that of the 358 times the words for “anger” appear in the Scripture, over half of them are attributed to God himself.
While we are obviously not in the position to respond as God would (and will) to the sin in our culture, historical accounts like that of Phinehas in Numbers 25:1-13, remind us that often we just are not angry enough at the sin and idolatry in our world. May God teach us to “be angry and sin not” (Eph.4:26).
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Please!!!
Oh how fearful it would be to fall into the hands of God because of ungodly and selfish anger.
Denying Christ is just that, to refuse His truths through suppression.
To die for Christ and others, for Christ’s sake, for their eternal soul would be to speak the truth plainly in love for their eternal soul speaking simply and with clarity. No man can tame another man’s response but God. We are His co-worker yet it is God who makes things grow.
The Love of God has never been passive, nor is the love spoken within 1 Cor 13. We worship Him in Spirit and in truth not distorting His Word.
They can kill the messenger, but hey would be doing Him a favor.
I am no taking about being nosy or intrusive, but I get to share my life and how I have found God right in all His ways.
My testimony in short through the use of scripture whereas I press on desire more of Christ, to be taught by the only teacher having Him prune my branches…
This is my testimony summed up through scripture and is the goal in which I press on longing to be taught pruned by the Only Teacher Jesus Christ…
Proverbs 3:5-8 English Standard Version
5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart,
and do not lean on your own understanding.
6 In all your ways acknowledge him,
and he will make straight your paths.
7 Be not wise in your own eyes;
fear the Lord, and turn away from evil.
8 It will be healing to your flesh
and refreshment to your bones. (ESV)
John 15:1-11 English Standard Version
That you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples.
Jesus said,
15 “I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser.
2 Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away,
and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes,
that it may bear more fruit.
3 Already you are clean because of the word that I have spoken to you. 4 Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. 5 I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.
6 If anyone does not abide in me he is thrown away like a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned.
7 If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. 8 By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples.
9 As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love.
10 If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love. 11 These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full. (ESV)
Matthew 7:18-23 English Standard Version
18 A healthy tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a diseased tree bear good fruit. 19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20 Thus you will recognize them by their fruits.
21 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22 On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ 23 And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’ (ESV)
Proverbs 28:13 English Standard Version
13 Whoever conceals his transgressions will not prosper,
but he who confesses and forsakes them will obtain mercy. (ESV)
John 3:16-21 English Standard Version
16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. 18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God. 19 And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil. 20 For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed. 21 But whoever does what is true comes to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that his works have been carried out in God.” (ESV)
As James spoke to the 12 tribes…
James 1:19-25New King James Version (NKJV)
19 So then, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath; 20 for the wrath of man does not produce the righteousness of God.
21 Therefore lay aside all filthiness and overflow of wickedness, and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls.
22 But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. 23 For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man observing his natural face in a mirror; 24 for he observes himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was. 25 But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does.
Thank you for that word………….it is true,we are not angry enough toward sin in our present world.
For instance,there’s a cancer;which is eating up the universe,and that’s Homosexuality………….as am talking now,we are in evil times,but the good thing is;Christ is on our side,as a church at large.
May the Lord God bless you All in the name of him,who died & rose again;for our sake.