Sermon Info
Summary
Anger is a sin we all deal with. Sometimes anger and wrath manifest in outbursts and other times they simmer below the surface. If we don’t deal with anger, then it will destroy others, and even ourselves. Anger comes when we don’t get our way; therefore, we harbor bitterness, frustration, and resentment. Yet, as Christ-followers, we are called to love – to love God and to love others. This means when the anger comes, we have a responsibility to forgive and to offer grace. Will you deal with any deep-seeded anger and give it over to God today? Don’t let Satan get a foothold in your heart with anger. Delight yourself in God’s grace and trust in Him.
Content
What is Wrath?
In Matthew 5:22, during the Sermon on The Mount, Jesus said, “But I tell you that anyone who is angry with a brother or sister will be subject to judgment.” Wrath is another word for anger– especially uncontrolled anger which boils over into vengeful actions and causes us to sin. Proverbs 14:29 tells us, Whoever is patient has great understanding, but one who is quick-tempered displays folly. Physical violence aside, the scars that even our careless words can bring are lasting and damaging to those around us. When we allow ourselves to have a short fuse, we’re being unwise and we lead ourselves into all kinds of trouble.
A component of anger is passion: we care about how people are treated! Passion, when governed by biblical wisdom, is good! But when we allow rationality to fall away and become guided by our emotions, exercising that passion usually leads to sin. Why? Because we all have a sinful nature and are in desperate need of the grace Jesus provides.
So, what makes us angry? Answer that question for yourself. We might say that, generally speaking, people become angry when they feel someone has treated them unfairly. When we sense injustice against ourselves or against others, anger may begin to boil. It’s caused by our frustration with the disconnect between how things are and how we think they ought to be. Maybe we think our spouses should do something differently, or people of a different political party should think and vote differently, or that we shouldn’t be put on hold with the insurance company for so long.
But in truth, things aren’t that simple! Friends, between the event that bothers us and our wrathful response is the choice to process everything differently. We have hope in our struggles with anger because we need not be ruled by our emotions! If we grow in Christlikeness, we can begin to respond with astonishing grace.
The Real Reasons We Get Angry
Believe it or not, Jesus did get angry sometimes! But He never sinned – His anger was righteous. In the first several verses of Mark 3, the Pharisees in the synagogue plotted to trap Jesus by seeing if He would heal a man with a shriveled hand on the Sabbath. Then, He looked around at them in anger and, deeply distressed at their stubborn hearts, said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” He stretched it out, and his hand was completely restored. Our Lord Jesus had the authority to heal the man on the Sabbath, and He alone could exhibit totally righteous anger, because only He lived perfectly. James 1:20 reads: Human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires. We simply cannot measure up to Him!
You see, reasons do not equal rights. Even if we had a good reason to be angry about something, that doesn’t make it our right to accept the anger building in us or to act out in anger. Our God is perfect and just, and thankfully, He is merciful! We should not take that mercy for granted by responding in anger to our neighbors.
We’re sinful people, and our anger is often not even for righteous reasons. We tend to get angry because we feel entitled—but before God, we deserve nothing. Instead we ought to be sufficiently delighted in what we are undeservedly given anyway! Another reason is unmet expectations. We become so attached to a standard we may have experienced before but has since gone away, and we become bitter that we may have to make do with less. We cannot forget: our God has provided all we have, according to our needs! And finally, we simply lack better skills at handling our frustrations. We may have learned that our outbursts get us our way, failing to take into account the costs incurred to the work of being God’s hands and feet. We lack the spiritual disciplines necessary to more consistently respond with grace.
Choose Delight, Not Wrath
Our angry frustration really stems from our lack of satisfaction in Christ. So, what is the antidote? Love each other with genuine affection, and take delight in honoring each other (Romans 12:10). When we remember what Christ has done for us, we can soften our hearts against others. We glorify and love our God when we love His people, and showing them an uncharacteristic, awe-inspiring forgiveness is a great way to do just that. After all, little could make a person more likely to come in search of the knowledge and love of Christ more than seeing Him in the actions of the church.
Psalms 1:2-3 reads, But whose delight is in the law of the Lord, and who meditates on His law day and night. That person is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season. It is delight in our Lord which deepens our roots and ultimately bears fruit. Let’s all come to filter our interactions through the delight which we have in Christ at the forefront of our minds, and in doing so, learn to better handle our frustrations, avoid sin, and be a light to those around us.
