Do you remember the last time you were angry at someone? Does it bring back warm feelings of love? Or does it begin with feelings of regret, sorrow, and possibly even shame?
Anger is defined as a strong feeling of being upset or annoyed because of something wrong or bad: the feeling that makes someone want to hurt other people, to shout, etc. And most of the time is evoked when someone does something to you or around you that you don’t like. Often it comes from selfish motives.
What does the Bible say about anger?
In Matthew 5:21-22 we read: 21 “You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not murder, and whoever murders will be in danger of the judgment.’ 22 But I say to you that whoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment. And whoever says to his brother, ‘Raca!’shall be in danger of the council. But whoever says, ‘You fool!’ shall be in danger of hell fire.
When talking about murder, Jesus shows how He calls His people to something higher. Not only are we not to murder, but even the anger in our hearts can be counted against us as murder.
Not every translation has “without a cause” in there. But does that change anything? We are called to compare scripture with scripture, so let's do that.
In Ephesians 4:26, we read: 26 “Be angry, and do not sin”: do not let the sun go down on your wrath,
This verse is not talking about murder but anger in general. Are these two verses giving us permission to be angry as long as we have a cause and don’t let the sun go down on our anger?
What else does the New Testament say about anger?
In Ephesians 4:31 it says: 31 Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice.
This says let all wrath and anger be put away from you. And when talking about our new nature we are commanded in
Colossians 3:5-11: 5 Therefore put to death your members which are on the earth: fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. 6 Because of these things the wrath of God is coming upon the sons of disobedience, 7 in which you yourselves once walked when you lived in them. 8 But now you yourselves are to put off all these: anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy language out of your mouth. 9 Do not lie to one another, since you have put off the old man with his deeds, 10 and have put on the new man who is renewed in knowledge according to the image of Him who created him, 11 where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcised nor uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave nor free, but Christ is all and in all.
Among this list of things that characterize the flesh and the old man before we were new in Christ, we see anger. What else is on this list? Wrath, malice, blasphemy, and filthy language.
Would anyone try to justify that when it says put away all blasphemy, filthy language, that there is a righteous way to do any of these? Of course not. When we are told to put away all anger, it means all anger.
And one more verse that speaks of how anger is not fitting for a believer in
Galatians 5:19-21: 19 Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, 20 idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, 21 envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.
Here, the Bible even goes so far as to say that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. So, from the scriptures themselves, we see so far that anger is not a trait a believer should have. But many will say, doesn’t God get angry? Didn’t Jesus get angry? Isn’t He, our example? Yes, God gets angry, and yes, Jesus got angry as well. But we are missing a few key things from the scripture if we stop there.
We read in James 1:19-20:19 So then, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath; 20 for the wrath of man does not produce the righteousness of God.
Can any of us say that we can love perfectly? How about being angry in a perfect way that has absolutely no bitterness, hate, or selfish motives? If we are honest, the answer is no.
And just because Jesus did something like have perfect anger doesn’t mean we can. We cannot die for the sins of the world, yet He did. Instead, we see all throughout that we are called to forgive. As James says, the anger of man does not achieve the righteousness of God. Here is something else to think about: if we are angry at someone, are we truly forgiving them?
Jesus said to Peter in Matthew 18:21-35, we read: 21 Then Peter came to Him and said, “Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Up to seven times?” 22 Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven. 23 Therefore the kingdom of heaven is like a certain king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants. 24 And when he had begun to settle accounts, one was brought to him who owed him ten thousand talents. 25 But as he was not able to pay, his master commanded that he be sold, with his wife and children and all that he had, and that payment be made. 26 The servant therefore fell down before him, saying, ‘Master, have patience with me, and I will pay you all.’ 27 Then the master of that servant was moved with compassion, released him, and forgave him the debt. 28 “But that servant went out and found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii; and he laid hands on him and took him by the throat, saying, ‘Pay me what you owe!’ 29 So his fellow servant fell down at his feet and begged him, saying, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you all.’ 30 And he would not, but went and threw him into prison till he should pay the debt. 31 So when his fellow servants saw what had been done, they were very grieved, and came and told their master all that had been done. 32 Then his master, after he had called him, said to him, ‘You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you begged me. 33 Should you not also have had compassion on your fellow servant, just as I had pity on you?’ 34 And his master was angry, and delivered him to the torturers until he should pay all that was due to him. 35 “So My heavenly Father also will do to you if each of you, from his heart, does not forgive his brother his trespasses.”
What a strong warning to us. God has forgiven us, adopted us as His children, and we have the audacity to hold unforgiveness towards others. But we have a God who is patient with us. He knows our frame that we are but dust, as the proverb says. He knows that we are going to get angry. But what do we do with that anger? Anger itself is not sin, but it can and will lead to it if we don’t deal with it.
If someone’s family is brutally murdered, they are going to be angry at the person who did it. This is a grave injustice that has happened. But God gives strength and grace that we can forgive through it, and yes, bring it back to God, even forgive us the same thing. Our sin put the Lord on the cross, a brutal and terrible death, yet He forgave us.
This is why we are told in previous verses Be angry and do not sin and don’t let the sun go down on your anger. It is not to give us a pass on being angry, but to say realistically, you will get angry at times. But deal with it before it destroys you and all around you.
All through Proverbs, we are warned about anger and being around an angry person.
Proverbs 16:32: 32 He who is slow to anger is better than the mighty, And he who rules his spirit than he who takes a city.
Proverbs 22:24-25: Make no friendship with an angry man, And with a furious man do not go, 25 Lest you learn his ways And set a snare for your soul.
God gives us warnings for a reason, and if we compare scripture with scripture, we will see that when we become angry, we are to deal with it and forgive right away and leave it in the hands of the Lord.
As the scripture says, Romans 12:17-19: 17 Repay no one evil for evil. Have[a] regard for good things in the sight of all men. 18 If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men. 19 Beloved, do not avenge yourselves, but rather give place to wrath; for it is written, “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,” says the Lord.
And in Luke 6:27-28: 27“But I say to you who hear: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, 28 bless those who curse you, and pray for those who spitefully use you.
This is the calling of the believer, not to be filled with any kind of anger. One last thing. Some will say, “What about righteous anger?” Mankind cannot have righteous anger. Just as James said, the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God. Instead of holding on to anger about the horrible things in this world, we need to drop to our knees and pray. Pray that the lost will repent and be saved. After all that, it could have been any one of us, but God saved us. Pray for them, and if you have the opportunity, come alongside them and minister to them. Show them the kindness of the Lord. For the Bible says the kindness of the Lord leads us to repentance.