Anger is not an Excuse for Sin (Ephesians 4:26-27)

Anger is not an Excuse for Sin (Ephesians 4:26-27)

We continue looking at what we must lay aside and what we must put on.
Sinful Anger
As Christians we must discard all instances of sinful anger. We can be angry for sinful reasons like selfishness, jealousy, pride, etc. These instances of anger must be discarded. We must ask ourselves the question that God asked Cain, “Why are you angry?” (Genesis 4:6) God asks Jonah a similar question in Jonah 4:4. In other words, I must ask myself is my anger a right emotion to have in these circumstances?
Righteous Anger
There is such a things as righteous anger. God is angry, and part of us bearing His image is the ability to be angry. The main question we must ask is whether this anger is righteous or sinful. Righteous anger is a good emotion that arises from us witnessing all manner of sin such as injustice, blasphemy, abuse, etc.
Be angry and sin not
We can deceive ourselves and use our righteous anger as an excuse for sinful behavior. Anger has been used as an excuse for virtually every sin imaginable. God makes it clear that not only should sinful anger be discarded, but sinful behavior that arises from righteous anger must be discarded as well. Anger is not a justification for sin no matter how righteous that anger may be.
Dissipate anger quickly
Although we may be justified in our anger, we must seek to dissipate that anger quickly. Christians are to be a forgiving people who are characterized by love, peace, gentleness, goodness, and joy. Our anger may flare up and may even be righteous anger, but we must actively put the anger to rest in order to exercise a Christ-like response to the situation before us.
Don’t open the door for the devil
We are told that prolonged anger is giving the devil an opening in our lives. The longer we are angry the less clearly we will think and the less self-control we will have. We will begin to give into ungodly thoughts of hatred, revenge, etc. Satan has used these opening for centuries to destroy people, marriages, and churches.
The Gospel
We are to be like God the Father, the very definition of true holiness. Although God is righteous and His anger pure, God does not burn with anger towards us. Instead He has sent Jesus to bear His wrath so that we might be forgiven. God does not continually burn with anger towards His people; He makes a way for everything to be reconciled.
Application:
Will you repent of sinful anger? Will you repent of using anger as a justification for sin? Will you seek God’s grace to dissipate your anger quickly? Will you look to Jesus for victory over your temper?

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