Can We Justify Our Anger?

Ephesians 4:26-27

SUBJECT: ANGER

THEME: Recognize anger in its various forms and root it and its destructive power out of your life.

INTRODUCTION:  The Scriptures admonish us clearly, “Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath: [27] Neither give place to the devil.” (Ephes. 4:26-27). Wrath is linked closely with the work of Satan in our lives.  Accordingly, we should speak truthfully, but free of wrath. Our anger should be restrained, short-lived, and used for righteous ends.

Distinguish Between Righteous Indignation and Ungodly Anger

Some people attempt to justify their anger under the banner of righteous indignation. They often point to the behavior of Jesus when He drove the money changers from the temple. They conclude, “I can be angry because Jesus was angry.”

A.  LOOK CAREFULLY AT THE EXAMPLES OF CHRIST.

  1.  It is True That Christ Expressed Anger on Occasions.

       A.  Christ’s Expressions of Anger Consistently Rejected Sinful Behavior in Others.

             — QUOTE:  “Jesus became angry with his disciples when they forbade children to be brought to him (Mark 10:14) and with the hardhearted member of the Capernaum synagogue (Mark 3:5). Similar expressions of anger were directed at the Saducees (Mark 12:24-27), the scribes and Pharisees (Matt 23:13-36), and Peter (Matt 16:23) and on each occasion represented his rejection of unrighteousness.”   — Evangelical Dictionary of Theology

       B.  Our Lord’s Actions in the Cleansing of the Temple on Two Different Occasions Were Expressions of Anger.  Let's look at that incident more closely.

             1.  Then Jesus went into the temple of God and drove out all those who bought and sold in the temple, and overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who sold doves. And He said to them, “It is written, ‘My house shall be called the house of prayer,’ but ye have made it a ‘den of thieves.’ ” And the blind and the lame came to Him in the temple, and He healed them (Matt. 21:12–14; see also Mark 11:15–17; Luke 19:45–46). 

             2.  Mark added in his account that Jesus would not allow anyone to carry wares through the temple (Mark 11:16). Immediately upon the removal of those who were buying and selling, Jesus engaged in a healing service.

             3.  His righteous indignation was completely without sin and without any diminishing of His spiritual anointing.

   2.  It is True That Christ Used a Whip to Drive People Out of the Temple (Jn. 2:13-17).

Jesus was in the Temple with a whip whirling and eyes blazing as He cleanses the temple. Jesus is obviously angry. But is it justified?

John 2:13-17,  And the Jews' passover was at hand, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem, [14] And found in the temple those that sold oxen and sheep and doves, and the changers of money sitting: [15] And when he had made a scourge of small cords, he drove them all out of the temple, and the sheep, and the oxen; and poured out the changers' money, and overthrew the tables; [16] And said unto them that sold doves, Take these things hence; make not my Father's house an house of merchandise. [17] And his disciples remembered that it was written, The zeal of thine house hath eaten me up.

       A.  Jesus did use a whip and his actions did overturn the tables of the money changers.

       B.  Throughout the incident, Jesus' actions were calculated and measured. No riot resulted. Nobody was out of control.

   3.  It is Not True that Jesus Actions Were Sinful.

Throughout the scene, Jesus' behavior was

      A.  Without Real Violence. We have no record of any person being hurt, but the Savior was forceful and assertive.

      B.  Without Resentment. For example, Jesus did not call upon His disciples to continue the behavior. Nor did He cite any past wrong done to Him as a reason for what He was doing.

      C.  Without Bitterness. Jesus had no heldover feelings against those who were cast from the temple. He never mentioned them again.

Jesus' action was vented not against the individuals themselves but against their actions, and against the system that allowed buying and selling in God's house of prayer. In every way, Jesus acted in accordance with righteous indignation–holy rejection of sin.  (See Eph. 4:26.)

   4.  Jesus Was Indignant or Angry in a Righteous Way.

He did not sin in what He did or the way He did it.

       A.  Righteous Indignation Is a Healthy Response to Evil.

It is an agitation in the spirit against something that is wrong in God's eyes, without any partiality toward or against the perpetrators of the wrong. The behavior or circumstance is wrong, apart from the personality of any person.

       B.  Righteous Indignation Is Expressed in a Measured and Calculated Way. It does not bring physical or emotional harm to another human being. It is thought through in a rational way, and it is behavior that has been pre-approved by God through prayer.

Throughout the Scriptures, we are admonished to speak God's truth boldly and to do so in love. I believe that is what Jesus was doing in the temple those occasions. His words bore great conviction because they were a statement of truth. When we speak the truth boldly, we can expect results, too.

       C.  When You Take an Action or Speak the Truth with Righteous Indignation, you must be prepared to reap the consequences that may be associated with the act. Jesus certainly did. The chief priests, scribes, and leaders of the people sought to destroy Jesus after He took this action in the temple. (See Luke 19:47–48.) God stayed their hand until Jesus' ministry among the people was complete, but very soon after, Jesus was arrested, tried, and crucified. Jesus was prepared to die for the good that He had done, including this act of cleansing the temple.

If you truly act in righteous indignation against evil, then you must be prepared to put your life on the line for what you believe and do. The angry person doesn't do this. To the contrary, an angry person tends to act in hopes of destroying the enemy and then to live with a sense of smugness at the victory. The angry person isn't at all interested in suffering or dying for the very person who has done wrong in his eyes.

B.  THINK ABOUT HOW WE CAN BE ANGRY WITHOUT SINNING.

Ephes. 4:26, Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath:

   1.  Anger Can Be a Holy Response to Sin.

Mark 3:5, And when he had looked round about on them with anger, being grieved for the hardness of their hearts, he saith unto the man, Stretch forth thine hand. And he stretched it out: and his hand was restored whole as the other. 

         A.  Jesus was angry about the Pharisees' uncaring attitudes. Anger itself is not wrong. It depends on what makes us angry and what we do with our anger. Too often we express our anger in selfish and harmful ways.

         B.  By contrast, Jesus expressed his anger by correcting a problem -- healing the man's hand. Use your anger to find constructive solutions rather than tear people down.

         C.  We may react to sin in the way that Christ did-in holiness and without desire for personal vengeance (Rom 12:19-21).

   2.  Anger Does Not Have to Lead to Sin.

Mark 11:17, And he taught, saying unto them, Is it not written, My house shall be called of all nations the house of prayer? but ye have made it a den of thieves.  

        A.  Jesus became angry, but he did not sin. There is a place for righteous indignation.

        B.  Christians are right to be upset about sin and injustice and should take a stand against them.

        C.  Unfortunately, believers are often passive about these important issues and instead get angry over personal insults and petty irritations. Make sure your anger is directed toward the right issues.

   3.  Anger Is a Danger Signal Though.

Matthew 5:22, But I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment: and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council: but whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire.

        A.  Moses said, "Thou shalt not kill [murder]" (Ex 20:13), Jesus taught us to avoid anger because it is committing murder in your heart. The Pharisees read this law and, not having murdered, felt righteous. Yet they were angry enough with Jesus that they would soon plot his murder, though they would not do the dirty work themselves.

        B.  Killing Is a Terrible Sin, but Anger Is a Great Sin Too Because it Also Violates God's Command to Love. Anger in this case refers to a seething, brooding bitterness against someone. It is a dangerous emotion that always threatens to leap out of control, leading to violence, emotional hurt, increased mental stress, and spiritual damage.

        C.  Anger keeps us from developing a spirit pleasing to God. Have you ever been glad that you didn't strike out and say what was really on your mind? Self-control is good, but Christ wants us to practice thought-control as well. Jesus said we will be held accountable even for our attitudes.

Trust the Lord to Overcome Sinful Anger

Unchecked anger acts as acid on the soul—eating away at your spirit and eventually destroying all feelings of love toward others. You must neutralize anger as soon as you are aware that you are experiencing it. (Stanley)

A.  TURN TO YOUR PASTOR OR A GODLY FRIEND FOR HELP.

If you don't, you may very well

   1.  Restrain or repress it, which is dangerous to you internally, both physically and emotionally.

   2.  Restrict or suppress it, which is like burying anger alive. It will erupt eventually.

   3.  Reveal or express it, generally in a way that is hurtful to others.

The Lord has capable servants available to you who understand how to help you overcome the anger and learn to love again. It is vital for you to understand that you are not alone. Victory over anger is more than possible in Christ.

B.  TRUST GOD TO HELP YOU CHANGE.

The alternative to repeating failures is God; He provides grace, strength, power, and the very real hope of positive changes. First there are some things you need to do. 

   1.  Confess Your Anger.
We turn to God immediately upon learning we have failed Him in some way. 

      A.  Admit to God that you are angry. Ask for His forgiveness, help, power, and healing. Denying your anger will only make things worst! 

      B.  If you have manifested your anger to another person, go to that person and confess that you have acted in a way contrary to God's plan and desire for your life. Ask the person's forgiveness. Realize they have been hurt deeply by your actions. 

      C.  Make certain that your confession to the other person does not turn into another bout of confrontation. The potential for further conflict is very high because hurting people tend to hurt others--they will lash out because they feel disrespected and violated. They may have become defensive or self protective in the wake of you angry actions. They may have difficulty trusting you for quite some time. Do not permit these developments to anger you further.          
      D.  The point of your confession is not self-justification. Do not make excuses or minimize what you said or did. Once you have confessed your sin to the person, walk away. Thank God for His forgiveness!

  
  2.  Choose to Trust God Fully.

Anger is one evidence that you aren't trusting God fully.

       A.  Many people who are angry with others are really angry with God for something they think God has done to them or has failed to do for them. If you are angry with God, you cannot trust God. The cycle is deadly, and the consequences may be eternal; deep anger at God can keep a person out of heaven.

       B.  Don't let that happen! Confess your anger to God, and ask Him to forgive you for it. Make a new commitment in your heart and mind to trust God with your entire life, and in following through on that commitment, ask the Holy Spirit daily to lead you, guide you, and protect you from all evil.

       C.  Also, go to God's Word and read every verse you can find that promises God's sure and ready help to His children.

Deut. 32:35-36, To me belongeth vengeance, and recompence; their foot shall slide in due time: for the day of their calamity is at hand, and the things that shall come upon them make haste. [36] For the Lord shall judge his people, and repent himself for his servants, when he seeth that their power is gone, and there is none shut up, or left.

Romans 12:19-21, Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord. [20] Therefore if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink: for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head. [21] Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.

Proverbs 22:8-9, He that soweth iniquity shall reap vanity: and the rod of his anger shall fail. [9] He that hath a bountiful eye shall be blessed; for he giveth of his bread to the poor.

No, we cannot use the Lord Jesus' example of righteous indignation as an excuse for our ungodly anger! Yes, there is a great difference between holy anger and unholy wrath. Jesus was burning hot with a high regard for the honor of His Father God. He moved intentionally and forcefully without losing control. He was entirely free of malice, resentment, and hatred.

Too often we get upset for entirely selfish or self-focused reasons. Our anger has nothing to do with righteousness, holy honor, or the injustices of  the helpless, weak, or oppressed. Many times we simply want to intimidate others or hide our insecurities. We have used our anger to manipulate and control people to get what we want. The alternative to trusting your ability to manipulate and control people is to trust God! Fully and deeply trust the Lord with your fears and anxieties. Trust Him with those issues that are really beyond your control. God says this is sinful behavior and we need to repent.

There is no excuse we can offer or reason we can present to justify ungodly wrath. No, God's solution is confession, repentance and making it right with those we have hurt. Get in the Word and allow the Spirit of God to change the way you think and behave. God will empower you to overcome wicked anger! Trust Him for victory.