Anger, Without Sin

Bill Brinkworth

Each person shows their anger differently, but everyone gets angry. For some the emotion boils and stews inside of them, and for others it results in fists through the sheetrock.

These emotions of displeasure are part of how we are created. It is part of our design. Anger was never intended, however, to turn to sin or to control our lives.

Since we are created in the image of God, we have many attributes that our Creator has. Anger is one of them, although He would never sin with His anger.

God got angry with:

Even Jesus was angry enough to throw the corrupt moneychangers out of the temple:
“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 ;”
John 2:15

God’s chosen men got angry, including:

In all the situations that God was angry, never was sin involved. Anger is not sin when it is directed towards the things God gets angry at. It is not sin if you find yourself angry at unrighteousness in government, the death of millions of aborted babies, or the theft of property. Angriness is sin when it is for prideful or selfish reasons.

Needless to say, we should not want to get angry and should avoid it at all costs. It should be a last measure in handling a situation. Some biblical reasons for not getting angry are:

Controlling anger is easier said than done. For some, an angry reaction comes upon them so fast that it turns to sinful anger before it can be stopped. The Bible does give suggestions and warnings so it does not turn into sin. They include:

Anger can be ‘put off’ when the heart is changed at the time of salvation. Although we will still have the potential for anger, we can have a changed heart where angriness does not rule and reign. We all know angry people that do many damaging and hurtful things to others and themselves because of their unforgiveness of someone’s deed to them. When the Holy Spirit comes into one’s life and is obeyed, the underlying causes of angriness may not seem so important any more, resulting in less need for being angry.

A man being angry at women because of not having a father in his life and blaming all his hardships on the only one near him, his mother, may stop his bitterness when he forgives his father for leaving when he was small. A woman angry with men for what one man did to her, may cease to be angry when she can forgive her attacker. When the Holy Spirit comes into one’s life, all feelings can be changed and anger against others can change. As the child’s song goes, “The things I used to do, I don’t do them anymore,” should be the nature of the new creature in Christ. All things should be changed in the believer, and the handling of one’s anger can be part of the change.
“Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.” 2 Corinthians 5:17

As impossible as it sounds, anger can be reduced in one’s life. If it were not possible God, would not have commanded us to eliminate anger from our life. As in all difficulties we face in this life, prayer, finding God’s instructions by reading His Word, and obedience to what He shows us in the scripture will help us to overcome sinful anger.
“Cease from anger, and forsake wrath: fret not thyself in any wise to do evil.” Psalm 37:8

 “An angry man is again angry with himself when he returns to reason.” — Publcius Syrus

 

This lesson was featured in The Bible View #160. 

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