LEARNING TO LIVE

Lesson No. 12: What Does The Bible Teach About Anger? Can a Christian Ever Be Angry and Not Sin?            

COMMENT:  Anger is the opposite of meekness, gentleness and patience.  It is impossible to have anger and have the other three characteristics in your life.  A person who allows anger to control him for the moment is deeply hurting himself and possibly someone else.  Anger, wrath, malice all have a terrible effect on our spirit, soul and body.  Much of our sicknesses arise because our body defenses have been weakened by emotional stress.  Read Ephesians 4:26.  Does this teach that we have the right go get angry at least some of the time?  Let's look at this subject from God's Word.

1. What is the Lord's own attitude about the use of His own anger? 
Nehemiah 9:17  They refused to obey and did not recall your miracles that you had performed among them. Instead, they rebelled and appointed a leader to return to their bondage in Egypt. But you are a God of forgiveness, merciful and compassionate, slow to get angry and unfailing in your loyal love. You did not abandon them,
Nah 1:3  The Lord is slow to anger but great in power; the Lord will certainly not allow the wicked to go unpunished.

 

 2. What 5 things does Psalm 86:15 teach about almighty God?
Psalm 86:15  But you, O sovereign Master, are a compassionate and merciful God. You are patient and demonstrate great loyal love and faithfulness. 

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3. What did the Lord Jesus Christ teach about those who might hurt you deeply? 
Mat 5:44  But I say to you, love your enemy and pray for those who persecute you,

 

4. How beautifully the Savior practiced what He preached!  What did He do for those who persecuted Him at the cross? 
Luke 23:34  [But Jesus said, "Father, forgive them, for they don't know what they are doing."] Then they threw dice to divide his clothes.

 

5. According to I Peter 2:21, what did Christ leave for you?
1Peter 2:21  For to this you were called, since Christ also suffered for you, leaving an example for you to follow in his steps.

 

6. What was that example? 
1Peter 2:23  When he was maligned, he did not answer back; when he suffered, he threatened no retaliation, but committed himself to God who judges justly.

 

COMMENT:  The Lord has the only right to be angry because He Knows the heart of men and con tell when they are unreachable.  The Lord is never immediately angry over a matter (see Psalm 86:15).  The Lord Jesus taught us by example that even though He had the power to hurt a person who had hurt Him, He did not do it.  There were occasions that He did become angry but we must always remember it was after much long-suffering and He did know their hearts because He is God the Son.

7. What should my response be to someone who hurts me with his words or actions?
Romans 12:19-21  Do not avenge yourselves, dear friends, but give place to God's wrath, for it is written, "Vengeance is mine, I will repay," says the Lord.  (20)  Rather, if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him a drink; for in doing this you will be heaping burning coals on his head. (21)  Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. 

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8. Rather than becoming angry, what should you do?
Luke 6:36  Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.

 

9. Do I have a right to get angry when a person continues and continues to hurt me?  What should I do, according to Matthew 18:21-22?
Matthew 18:21-22  Then Peter came to him and said, "Lord, how many times must I forgive my brother who sins against me? As many as seven times?"  (22)  Jesus said to him, "Not seven times, I tell you, but seventy-seven times!

 

10. When is anger a sin?  When it will hurt the other party offending you and when you hurt yourself with a wrong attitude.  Anger never demonstrated the Christ-life living through you, but what does? 
John 13:35  Everyone will know by this that you are my disciples — if you have love for one another."

 

11. What are you asked to do in I John 4:21?
1John 4:21  And the commandment we have from him is this: that the one who loves God should love his fellow Christian too.

 

12. In the very same chapter, where it states that you can get angry if you do not sin, it also states something else about anger.  What is it?
Ephesians 4:31  You must put away every kind of bitterness, anger, wrath, quarreling, and evil, slanderous talk.

 

13. What does Ephesians 4:32 ask you to do?
Ephesians 4:32  Instead, be kind to one another, compassionate, forgiving one another, just as God in Christ also forgave you.

 

14. When, then, can a person get angry and not sin?  When you are hurt and the immediate impulse is that of anger - that is temptation.  The temptation of anger or impulse to anger is not wrong, but you must immediately have the anger impulse done away with and in its place put the following verses:
John 15:10  If you obey my commandments, you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father's commandments and remain in his love.

 

Jude 1:21  maintain yourselves in the love of God, while anticipating the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ that brings eternal life.

 

2Corinthians 5:1  For we know that if our earthly house, the tent we live in, is dismantled, we have a building from God, a house not built by human hands, that is eternal in the heavens.

 

Romans 13:10  Love does no wrong to a neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.

 

Colossians 3:15  Let the peace of Christ be in control in your heart (for you were in fact called as one body to this peace), and be thankful.

 

You can be angry at sin but never at a person!!!

15. What spiritual advantage is there in being meek? 
Isaiah 29:19  The downtrodden will again rejoice in the Lord; the poor among mankind will take delight in the sovereign king of Israel.
1Peter 3:4  but the inner person of the heart, the lasting beauty of a gentle and tranquil spirit, which is precious in God's sight.

 

What was Christ's example? 
Matthew 11:29  Take my yoke on you and learn from me, because I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.

 

16. Yours will be the joy if you have the mind of Christ.  What was it?
Philippians 2:5-8  You should have the same attitude toward one another that Christ Jesus had, (6)   who though he existed in the form of God  did not regard equality with God as something to be grasped,  (7)  but emptied himself by taking on the form of a slave, by looking like other men, and by sharing in human nature. (8)  He humbled himself,  by becoming obedient to the point of death  — even death on a cross!

 

COMMENT: Angry situations can be used to show the reality of  Christ in our lives to those who are lost and those who are weak Christians.  Weak Christians need an example to see that they might realize the power of Christ to control a life.  Don't get mad, just __________________ (Luke 21:9  And when you hear of wars and rebellions, do not be afraid. For these things must happen first, but the end will not come at once.").