Can we be angry and yet not sin ?

Can we be angry and yet not sin ? By Francis Chong

Types of Anger ? From Anger Defense.com • Behavioural Anger– This type of anger usually describes someone who is aggressive towards whatever triggered their anger… this can be another person • Passive Anger - People who use sarcasm or mockery as a way to hide their feelings, typically express this form of anger. They tend to avoid confrontations with people or situations. • Verbal Anger– Anger that’s expressed mostly through words and not actions. Eg. Verbal abuse. • Self-inflicted Anger– Anger that translates in causing harm to one’s own body. People who use this type of anger are acting out by punishing themselves for something they’ve done wrong. • Volatile Anger– This form of anger occurs in varying degrees. It can either explode or go unnoticed. It could even be expressed verbally or physically. • Chronic Anger– Ever come across someone that’s seemingly angry for no reason, or mad all the time?

Judgmental Anger – Putting other people down and making them feel bad about themselves is a form of judgmental anger. This person expresses their feelings by making those around them feel worthless. • Overwhelmed Anger– This person relieves stress by shouting, and flying off the handle, when they can’t take situations and things that are happening around them, anymore. • Retaliatory Anger– This is probably one of the most common, of the bunch. Retaliatory anger usually occurs as a direct response to someone else lashing out at you…... • Paranoid Anger– This anger comes about when someone feels jealousy towards others, because they feel other people have or want to take what’s rightfully theirs. Or they may act out because they feel intimidated by others. • Deliberate Anger– Using anger to gain power over a situation or person. A person expressing this form of anger may not start out angry, but will get angry when something does not turn out the way they wanted. Transference =Triggers that cause you to react in a certain way.

Irritability Quotient Tim Lahaye & Bob Philip’s Test • 0 - I would feel very little anger or no annoyance • 1 - I would feel a little irritated • 2 - I would feel moderately upset • 3 - I would feel quite angry • 4 - I would feel very angry

Irritability Quotient Measuring the amount of anger that you absorb • You unpack an appliance that you have just bought, plug it in and discover that it does not work. _____ • You are overcharged by a repairman, who has you in a bind. ___ • You are singled out for correction, when the actions of others go unnoticed. ____ • You get your car stuck in the mudor hit a nail ____ • You are talking to someone who doesn’t answer you. ____ • Someone who pretends to be something, he or she is not. ____ • While you are struggling to carry 4 cups of coffee to your table, someone bumps into you, spilling the coffee. ____ • You have hung up your clothes, but someone knocks them to the floor and fails to pick them up.____

You are hounded by a salesclerk from the moment you walk into the store.____ • You have made arrangements to go somewhere, but the person backs out the last minute and leaves you all alone. ____ • You are being joked about or teased. • Your car is stalled at the traffic lights, and the guy behind you keeps blowing his horn. ____ • You accidentally make the wrong turn in a parking lot. As you get out of the car, someone yells at you, `where did you learn to drive’. ? ____ • Someone makes a mistake and blames it at you.____ • You are trying to concentrate, but a person near you is tapping his or her foot. ____ • You lend someone an important book or tool, and he or she fails to return it. ____ • You’ve had a busy day, and the person you live with, complaints and nags that you forgot to do something that you have agreed to.

You are trying to discuss something important with your mate, who isn’t giving you a chance to express your feelings. ____ • You are in a discussion with someone who persists in arguing about a topic he or she knows very little about. ____ • Someone intrudes and interrupts an argument between you and someone else. ____ • You need to get to somewhere quickly, but the car in front of you is going at 40 KPH in a 90 KPH zone, and you can’t pass. ____ • You step on a wad of chewing gum or cow dung. ____ • You are mocked by a small group of people as you pass them. ____ • In a hurry to get to somewhere, you tear a good pair of slacks on a sharp object. ____ • You used you last coin/value to make a call, but you are disconnected before you finish dialing, and the coin/value is lost. ____

Score and Interpretation • 0 to 45 – The amount of anger and annoyance you generally experience is quite low. Only a percentage of the population will score this low on the test. • 46 to 55 – You are substantially more peaceful than the average person. • 56 to 75 – You respond to life annoyance with an average amount of anger. • 76 to 85 – You frequently react in an angry way to life’s many annoyance. You are substantially more irritable than the average guy. • 86 to 100 - You are a true anger champion and you are plagued by frequent intense reactions that do not quickly disappear.

Are we lawful when we have anger in us ? • (Colossians 3:8-10, NIV). "But now you must rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander and filthy language from your lips. Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator." • (James 1:20, NIV) "For the wrath of man does not produce the righteousness of God" • (Ephesians: 4:6 NIV) In your anger do not sin. Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry.

What is anger ? Seems that there are many definitions • Common areas agreed between authors and counselors • Most agree it’s an emotion • Others say it’s a strong feeling of annoyance, displeasure or hostility. • Not sure about the intrinsic value of anger • Uncontrolled anger can negatively affect social and physical well being.

What is anger ? according to the Bible Two Greek words are used in the New Testament for our English word “anger.” • ORGE • this described the settled, abiding condition of mind, with a view toward taking revenge. This is not a momentary "flash" of anger that immediately begins to subside. This is the slow-burning, smouldering anger, which refuses to be subdued. Like boiling. • THUMOS • fury – a state of intense anger, with the implication of passionate outbursts, ‘anger, fury, wrath, rage’ intense desire – an intense, passionate desire of an overwhelming and possible destructive character – ‘intense desire, overwhelming passion * Both words are used to describe anger that is seen in God and men

What is anger ? according to the Bible Ephesians: 4:6 In your anger do not sin. Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry. Emotion/ Feeling Behavior (non verbal behavior (55%), spoken words (7%) and tone of voice (38%) There are two portions, when we become angry

God’s Anger versus Man’s anger Looking closer we see a Distinct Difference God’s anger (Righteous anger) Man’s anger (soul ish anger) • From His nature. • Slow to Anger • Controlled, with purpose • Not with hatred, malice or resentment. • Not selfish but an expression of care. • As an expression of concern. • To correct or curtail destructive behavior – willful disobedience. • Not to break relationships. • Against injustice • From human nature. • Uncontrolled, without patience • Selfish and inward looking • To destroy or retaliate • As an expression of revenge. • To break relationships, to hurt • At violations of self • Focus on the person and not on the problem. • Self - justice/ righteous

Righteous Anger • So there is a type of anger of which the Bible approves, some called it “righteous indignation.” God is angry (Psalm 7:11). Biblically, anger is God-given energy intended to propel us to solve problems. • Examples of biblical anger include Paul’s confronting Peter because of his wrong example in Galatians 2:11-14, David’s being upset over hearing Nathan the prophet sharing an injustice (2 Samuel 12), and Jesus’ anger over how some of the Jews had defiled worship at God’s temple in Jerusalem (John 2:13-18). Notice that none of these examples of anger involved self-defense, but a defense of others or of a principle.

Human Anger associated with the Old Man Colossians 3: 8 - 10 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 manwho is renewed in knowledge according to the image of Him who created him, Ephesians 4:31 (NIV) Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. # Where does human anger resides ? # Is it lawful to have human anger ?

What happens when we have unGodly anger ? • Psalms 4:4 In your anger do not sin, when you are on your beds, search your hearts and be silent. Selah • Psalms 37:8 Refrain from Anger, turn from wrath, do not fret, it leads only to evil. • Proverbs 27:4 Anger is cruel and fury overwhelming but who can stand against jealousy. • James 1:20 (*) For man’s anger, does not bring about the righteous life that God desires. • Heb 12:14 Pursue peace with all men, and the sanctification without which no one will see the Lord

Where is the source of our human anger ? Our Internal treasures determines the output • Matt 15:18 (NASB) But the things that come out of the mouth, come from the heart, and these make a man unclean • Matt 12:34 (NASB) You brood of vipers, how can you being evil, speak what is good? For the mouth speaks out of that which fills the heart. • Luke 6:45 (KJV) A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is evil: for of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaketh). Heart = according to the Strong Concordance“ refer to the mind which is the seat of our thought & emotion. It is the inner self composed of the life, soul, mind & spirit,

Kingdom of Bitterness Violence & murder Devil wants to steal, kill and destroy John 10:10 Hatred Forgiveness Breaks The bondage Anger & wrath How a Bondage of bitterness is built (Henry Wright) The ultimate state of sin is death Romans 6:23 Retaliation Resentment Un forgiveness Roots of Bitterness

What can we do when we feel angry ? Some suggestions • Focus on the problem, not the person • Dismiss attacks and any action that is aim at the person. • Have a Kit Kat – Time out • Speak in tongues/ pray. • Physically remove yourself for a while. • Forgive if needed. • Communicate versus confront • Watch out for your behavior. • Take away the emotions and use the right dialogue. • Submit to God • Anger is sometimes the outward expression of not being in control – we go on an offensive to stay in control. • Deliverance & Inner healing • If anger is not just a feeling but a stronghold, we need to deal with It. • Set free.

Overcoming Anger – Deal with the Roots Life through the Spirit – Roman 8 • 5Those who live according to the sinful nature have their minds set on what that nature desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. 6The mind of sinful man is death, but the mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace; 7the sinful mindis hostile to God. It does not submit to God's law, nor can it do so. 8Those controlled by the sinful nature cannot please God. • 9You, however, are controlled not by the sinful nature but by the Spirit, if the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Christ. 10But if Christ is in you, your body is dead because of sin, yet your spirit is alive because of righteousness. 11And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit, who lives in you. • 12Therefore, brothers, we have an obligation—but it is not to the sinful nature, to live according to it. 13For if you live according to the sinful nature, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live, 14because those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. 15For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship.[g]And by him we cry, "Abba,[h] Father." 16The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God's children. 17Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.

Anyone can become angry. That is easy. But to be angry with the right person, to the right degree, at the right time, for the right purpose and in the right way..... that is not easy. Aristotle

Anyone can become angry. That is easy. But to be angry as how God is angry, that is not easy. Only by the renewal/ transformation of our minds and hearts can we become more and more like Him. Then to the right person, at the right degree, at the right time, for the right purpose and in the right way..... we will be angry as He is.

Proverbs 15:17 Better a dish of vegetables, with love, than the best beef served with hatred FOOD FOR THOUGHT

Ministry Time

The Power of a Declarative Prayer In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, in His authority, I cut off every curse that has been spoken against me to try to stop me from walking into God’s purpose for my life. In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, and in His authority, I cut off all bloodline and spiritual curses that any person or persons may have placed upon me, whether by their actions or by any form of verbal declaration at all, whatsoever.Through the authority of the Lord Jesus Christ, I pronounce that, in His name, all these things are null and void as of this moment. Nothing that is against His purpose for me shall flourish. Nothing, in the name of Jesus, that is anti what He has created me to become will flourish from this moment on. And therefore, in His name, I declare that:

my family will prosper,my children will prosper,my finances will prosper,my authority will prosper,my favor will prosper,my influence will prosper,my understanding of Scripture will prosper,my wisdom will prosper,my discernment and discretion will prosper.

The power of the Living God will flow in greater measure through me, unencumbered. It will increasingly become more unencumbered and flow at greater rates, greater speeds, to change people’s lives and advance the glorious Kingdom of the Lord Jesus Christ within me.I declare that God has determined the pre-appointed time for my life, the exact place that I would dwell, the exact time that I would be born, the exact location for my anointing. He has placed me where I am in order for me to touch and change that area, and that the enemy — the powers of darkness — would be broken because of the power of the Living God upon my shoulders.He has done this, so that I would grope for Him, and that I would seek Him, and that in hope I might find Him, for in Him I live and move and have my being. As Paul wrote, “We are all His offspring,” and therefore I declare that I am flesh of His flesh in the Kingdom of the glorious Lord Jesus Christ. I am bone of His bone. I was born for such a time as this. No matter what has happened in the past, or what has been happening in the present, I will walk in victory, and I will see the goodness of God in the land of the living! In Jesus’ name, amen.

Can we be angry and yet not sin ?