A Look at Anger

"Be ye angry, and sin not" Ephesians 4:26

I cannot think of many times when I have been angry and did not sin. But this verse in Ephesians tells us directly to not sin when we are angry. How is this possible? Let's look at Jesus and see...

This is what happened when Jesus discovered the temple taken over by money changers and such -- "And found in the temple those that sold oxen and sheep and doves, and the changers of money sitting: 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; And said unto them that sold doves, Take these things hence; make not my Father's house an house of merchandise." John 2: 14-16

Was Jesus angry? Yes. But what kind of anger was it? Let's look at how anger is defined. Anger is, "a strong feeling of displeasure." But there are different categories of anger that relate the intensity of the emotion. It is at this point that we see the different stages at which anger becomes a sin. Anger is a sin when it is manifested in the forms of rage, fury, or wrath. The dictionary is attentive to point out that, "anger, the most general term, names the reaction but in itself conveys nothing about intensity or justification or manifestation of the emotional state"

The anger that Jesus experienced is what the dictionary refers to as indignation. Or, what we could call "righteous indignation." Take a look at what indignation is..."Indignation stresses righteous anger at what one considers unfair, mean, or shameful."

The words righteous anger tell us everything we need to know. There is no sin in anger that is based out of righteous indignation. We can be angry about injustices and wrongs without falling into sin. However, anger is often hard to control and must be attended to with all diligence and the help of the Holy Spirit lest not we fall into rage, fury, or wrath and find ourselves in sin.

--- Studying Biblical anger has been enlightening to me. I am glad that God has given us the emotion of indignation because we live in a fallen world where sin and injustice occur. However, the enemy can use anger against us because it is such a powerful emotion that can create such a reaction within us. Give me your thoughts on this if you have a chance today. ---