From Unrighteous Anger to Righteous Anger (Eph. 4:26-27)

 

SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 5/10/2019 9:13 AM

 

My Worship Time                                    Focus:  “From Unrighteous Anger to Righteous Anger”

 

Bible Reading & Meditation                                                 Reference:  Eph. 4:26-27

 

            Message of the verses:  “26 Be you angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down on your wrath: 27 Neither give place to the devil.”

 

            John MacArthur explains the word in the Greek for anger:  “Parorigismos (anger) is not momentary outward, boiling-over rage or inward, seething resentment, but rather a deep-seated determined and settled conviction.  As seen in this passage, its New Testament use can represent an emotion good or bad, depending on motive and purpose.

 

            “Paul’s command is to ‘be angry’ (from orgizo), with the qualification ‘and yet do not sin.’  In this statement he may be legitimatizing righteous indignation, anger at evil, at that which is done against the Person of the Lord and against His will and purpose.  It is the anger of the Lord’s people who hate evil (Ps. 69:9).  It is the anger that abhors injustice, immorality, and ungodliness of every sort.  It is the anger of which the great English preacher F. W. Robertson wrote in one of his letters.  When he once met a certain man who was trying to lure a young girl into prostitution, he became so angry that he bit his lip until it bled.”

 

            In our last SD we spoke about the fact that Jesus became angry, righteous anger against the Pharisees who resented His healing of the man with the withered hand on the Sabbath as seen in Mark 3:5.  Now even though we don’t see this word in the gospel accounts according to what John MacArthur writes, the result of what this word means is seen in the life of our Lord, especially when He drove the money changers out of the temple on two different occasions, (Matthew 21:12 and John 2:15).”  MacArthur adds “Jesus was always angered when the Father was maligned or when others were mistreated, but He was never selfishly angry at what was done against Him.  That is the measure of righteous anger.”

 

            When is anger sin?  It is anger that is self-defensive and self-serving, that is resentful of what is done against one self.  It is the anger that leads to murder and to God’s judgment which is seen in Matthew 5:21-22.

 

            The kind of anger that is selfish, undisciplined, and also vindictive is sinful and this kind of anger has no place in a believer’s life.  However the anger that is unselfish and is based on love for the Lord and also concerns for others is not only permissible but commanded.  Genuine love cannot help being angered at that which injures the object of that love.

 

            The problem with this as we spoke of in our last SD is that this genuine godly anger can turn into bitterness, resentment, and self-righteousness and this certainly can be a problem.  Paul tries to cause people to think about this when he writes “do not let the sun go down on your anger, and do not give the devil an opportunity.”   I think that it could be said to settle all accounts with anger before one goes to bed.  If anger is prolonged, one may begin to seek vengeance and thereby violate the principle that is taught in Romans 12:17-21:

“17 Never pay back evil for evil to anyone. Respect what is right in the sight of all men. 18 If possible, so far as it depends on you, be at peace with all men. 19 Never take your own revenge, beloved, but leave room for the wrath of God, for it is written, "VENGEANCE IS MINE, I WILL REPAY," says the Lord. 20 “BUT IF YOUR ENEMY IS HUNGRY, FEED HIM, AND IF HE IS THIRSTY, GIVE HIM A DRINK; FOR IN SO DOING YOU WILL HEAP BURNING COALS ON HIS HEAD." 21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.”

 

            MacArthur concludes this section by writing:  “In any case of anger, whether legitimate or not, if it is courted, ‘advantage [will] be taken of us by Satan’ (2 Cor. 2:11), and he will feed our anger with every other sort of selfish sin and violation of God’s holy will.”

 

            Spiritual meaning for my life today:  As stated in our last SD it is best for me to avoid anger altogether.

 

My Steps of Faith for Today:  Being humble means that I trust the Lord in all circumstances, knowing that He will do what is best for me in order that my life will bring honor and glory to the Lord.

 

Today’s quotation is from Winston Churchill who says “Success is never final; failure is never fatal; it is courage that counts.”

 

5/10/2019 9:44 AM