“The Truth Concerning Anger!”

Ephesians 4:25-32

Truth Matters

Francis W. Dixon wrote in a periodical called

Keswick Week. One of the true stories she wrote in this publication tells of a lady who suddenly broke

out with a horrendous rash…Seeing her shake with anger as she said this, the doctor finally figured out what was happening. He said…

All expressions of anger, however, are not forbidden in the Bible. In fact, the Bible says a properly motivated and directed anger is a necessary part…

How can we be angry and yet not sin? The answer is found in the nature of

God’s anger…

Purpose:

to better understand the truth concerning holy anger

I Holy Anger is ESSENTIAL

What then is the difference between holy anger and unholy anger?

I Holy Anger is ESSENTIAL

A. The Origin of Anger

The sinner’s life/heart is self-centered…

Cain’s selfish jealousy resulted in murderous anger… (Genesis 4:3-8)

Saul’s jealousy of David led to anger the led

Saul to a ruined life… (1 Samuel 18:7-9)

Haman’s jealousy/self-centered anger resulted not in the death of Mordecai and the rest of the Jews; instead, it resulted in his, Haman’s

own hanging … (Esther 3:5)

Christians see things through God’s eyes and with God’s heart… our wrath is

stirred at what stirs God’s wrath… Being restored in the likeness of God, our anger

springs from different ground…

I Holy Anger is ESSENTIAL

A. The Origin of Anger

B. The Object of Anger

The sinner’s object of anger is always others done in the spirit of retaliation

and revenge…

II Holy Anger is TEMPERED

We see from our text that our anger is to always be under control – we are not to

blow our cool…

II Holy Anger is TEMPERED

A. Tempered With Kindness

Exodus 34:6-7“…The Lord, the Lord God,

compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in lovingkindness and truth; who keeps lovingkindness for

thousands, who forgives iniquity, transgression and sin; yet He will by no

means leave the guilty unpunished, visiting the iniquity of fathers on the children and

on the grand children to the third and fourth generations.”

God is a jealous god with a fiery wrath; yet, His wrath is always tempered with

lovingkindness…

II Holy Anger is TEMPERED

A. Tempered With Kindness

B. Tempered With Tender-Heartedness

Matthew 23:37

“O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, who kills the prophets and stones those who are

sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, the way

a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were unwilling.”

II Holy Anger is TEMPERED

A. Tempered With Kindness

B. Tempered With Tender-Heartedness

C. Tempered With Forgiveness

Jesus is able to forgive… Shouldn’t we do the same?

Two bull moose began fighting, their antlers locked, and they could not get

free. They died due to anger…

Conclusion and Summary:

Holy anger springs from the heart of a Christian, the heart remade in the likeness of God… How this ought to

show us the need to settle all disagreements readily. How this

ought to show us the truth concerning holy anger, tempered

with love.