Angry Christians
It hurts my heart to run into people who claim to be Christians who are angry people, or who are angry about a particular situation, and they are holding onto their anger. The truth in each case is that they are justifying their anger and even their angry actions to get back at people. They are a contradiction, and they don't see it. God is love, and they are not loving. They are using their anger as a reason to hate someone or to hurt someone. I do not believe this is ever right for any believer.
Often, they use the time when Jesus cleansed the Temple as their justification, but that won't wash. The Bible does not say that Jesus did that in anger. He did it in zeal for His Father's house, but not in anger. In fact, Jesus is love, so He ultimately did it in love, even though He was upset with the business being done in the Temple. He wanted those people to know the right way.
The Bible is clear on this subject. There is no justification for staying angry. Ephesians 4:26 commands us as believers to not let the sun go down on our anger. In other words, we are to deal with the source of the anger immediately, and get rid of our anger. Then, Ephesians 4:31-32 states God's perfect will. He commands us to put away all anger, wrath, and malice, so that we are kind and forgiving as Christ has forgiven us. That is what God wants from believers. I pray that we will never try to justify anger against other people. I pray that we will be truly forgiving people, so people can see Jesus in us.
Tomorrow, I intend to read Numbers 9-11 and Mark 5:1-20.
Often, they use the time when Jesus cleansed the Temple as their justification, but that won't wash. The Bible does not say that Jesus did that in anger. He did it in zeal for His Father's house, but not in anger. In fact, Jesus is love, so He ultimately did it in love, even though He was upset with the business being done in the Temple. He wanted those people to know the right way.
The Bible is clear on this subject. There is no justification for staying angry. Ephesians 4:26 commands us as believers to not let the sun go down on our anger. In other words, we are to deal with the source of the anger immediately, and get rid of our anger. Then, Ephesians 4:31-32 states God's perfect will. He commands us to put away all anger, wrath, and malice, so that we are kind and forgiving as Christ has forgiven us. That is what God wants from believers. I pray that we will never try to justify anger against other people. I pray that we will be truly forgiving people, so people can see Jesus in us.
Tomorrow, I intend to read Numbers 9-11 and Mark 5:1-20.