We typically think of anger as a work of the flesh that we need to put to death and flee from. And in most cases it certainly is, but there actually is a time and place to be angry. What are some of the things that are right to be angry about?
Many times we think of anger as selfish and a destructive emotion that should be eradicated from our lives altogether, but the fact is Jesus got angry when men were hard, when men were unbelieving, unfeeling, unsympathetic, and especially when they dishonored His Father. The Apostle Paul could say to the Galatians at a time when they were being duped by false teachers, “I wish those who unsettle you would emasculate themselves.” Emasculate? Brace yourselves. Thayer’s Greek Lexicon says, “cut off your privy parts.” You say, “well, I never!” Well, that’s right. You’ve never been stirred up like Paul has when somebody comes in with teaching and is trying to lead people away and possibly to their damnation. And he gets stirred! And he knew what that word meant. And he used it in mixed company. Why? Because he was angry. And he was stirred up. And when people came with false doctrine he got that way. And there are some things as Christians that are worth getting bent out of shape about and worth getting stirred up about. Unfeeling people are called calloused. Unfeeling people are Gentile-ish, not Christian. Passionless people, passionless Christians are pathetic Christians. There are things in this world worth getting stirred up about. There is darkness out there. There is wrong out there. There is evil out there. There are people taking advantage and there are devilish doctrines. And there are people trying to deceive our brothers and sisters and deceive your children. You know when you’ve seen Mormons and Jehovah’s Witnesses walking around your neighborhood. That’s worth getting bent out of shape about. On a regular basis, I come up there – Clark Street, right to Martin Luther King and I look across and on that wall is this Catholic picture. And I’m confronted by it all the time. And Mary is big. The “Queen of Heaven.” She’s got this little, pathetic infant in her arms. And Jesus is just emasculated of all of His majesty. And I think of the day – that day of mercy that we heard about – when Jesus Christ comes and all the idols come crashing down. That wall is going to come crashing down. And you ought to get stirred up about these things. And when Jesus Christ is dishonored, we ought to be, brethren. Do you feel a fire arise in your own self over sin? Brothers and sisters, you ought to be angry. Those of you that struggle with sexual sin, you ought to be angry over yourself. There’s things worth getting stirred up about. And Paul says be angry. And if we’re going to be like Christ, then let us be like Him. If we’re going to be like God and put on that new man, there should be things that make that fire arise within us. Now let’s talk about the bad anger…
The excerpt is taken from the full sermon, “Good and Bad Anger“.
