God’s Answers For Our Anger Series

God’s Answers for Our Anger

Ephesians 4:20-32

Sermon by Rick Crandall

Series: The Book of Ephesians

Grayson Baptist Church - Jan. 14, 2018

(Revised May 14, 2024)

BACKGROUND:

*Remember that in Ephesians 4:1 Paul wrote, "I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to have a walk worthy of the calling with which you were called." Paul used this same original word for "walk" over 30 times in his letters, including 8 times in this letter to the Ephesians.

*You see, the Christian life really is a spiritual walk with Jesus Christ. William Ritter explained, "I recently found 382 biblical references to various forms of the word 'walk.' There are a multitude of references that suggest how we are supposed to walk as Christians: Walk in love. Walk in wisdom. Walk in the light. Walk in the path. Walk in the Spirit. Walk in the law of the Lord. Walk in the way of the Lord. Walk in the fear of the Lord. Walk in the peace of the Lord. Walk honestly, forthrightly, courageously, worthily and humbly." (1)

*The Christian life is a spiritual walk with our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. But that's not all. It is also a walk together with other Christians in His Church, the spiritual Body of Jesus Christ. And God cares how we walk along the way. God cares how we treat one another in His Body. This means we have got to pay attention to what God says about our anger. Please think about this as we read Ephesians 4:20-32.

MESSAGE:

*In today's Scripture Paul was speaking to Christians, and one issue he addressed was anger. On some level, all of us have to face up to our anger. If you don’t believe it, take a bottle away from any happy baby, and in two seconds you will have a very angry person on your hands. (2)

*So, -- how long has it been since you lost your temper? Have you ever had a big blow up over something really small? Have you ever gotten mad, and said something you shouldn’t have said, something you didn’t mean, something you wish you could take back?

*Well, you’re not alone. Some of us struggle with our anger a lot more than others. But all of us have been there to one degree or another. And the good news is that God has the answers for our anger! Here’s what to do:

1. FIRST: WE NEED TO SEE THE UGLINESS OF OUR UNGODLY ANGER.

*God wants us to see the ugliness of our ungodly anger. But please remember that some anger is appropriate. In vs. 26, Paul tells Christians to "be angry and sin not." One reason why this is possible is because there is such a thing as good anger. We know this is true because God gets angry, and He never does anything wrong. Nave's Topical Bible lists over a hundred Scriptures for God's righteous wrath or anger, and that doesn't include my favorite example in Mark 3:1-5. There God's Word says this about Jesus:

1. And He entered the synagogue again, and a man was there who had a withered hand.

2. And they watched Him closely, whether He would heal him on the Sabbath, so that they might accuse Him.

3. Then He said to the man who had the withered hand, "Step forward.''

4. And He said to them, "Is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do evil, to save life or to kill?'' But they kept silent.

5. So when He had looked around at them with ANGER, being grieved by the hardness of their hearts, He said to the man, "Stretch out your hand.'' And he stretched it out, and his hand was restored as whole as the other.

*God gets angry, and at the right time, in the right way, for the right reason, our godly anger is good. But most of the time when we get angry, we do sin. That's the problem.

*James 1:16-20 helps us understand. There God’s Word says this to Christians:

16. Do not be deceived, my beloved brethren.

17. Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning.

18. Of His own will He brought us forth by the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of His creatures.

19. Therefore, 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.

*Our ungodly anger is an unrighteous, ugly thing, and it can cause terrible damage in our lives. That’s why in vs. 26 Paul said, "Be angry, and do not sin: do not let the sun go down on your wrath."