Just Causes for Anger and Lessons from the Lord
Because the Lord works all things to the counsel of His will.
Mat 5:21 Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not kill; and whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of the judgment:
Mat 5:22 But I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment: and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council: but whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire.
Mat 5:23 Therefore if thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath ought against thee;
Mat 5:24 Leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift.
The Lord raises the bar of righteousness under the law of faith in many ways. Hating someone in our hearts is killing them in the Lord’s eyes, and our disobedience brings the wrath of God’s judgment upon us. The Lord commands us not to be angry without cause, meaning there are righteous or just causes for anger. The way of Christ is narrow, and most of the causes of man’s anger are not good causes. Let’s first address the just causes of anger.
Our measuring rod for knowing how to react is always the Commandments. We, who are spiritual, judge all things, and that by the Commandments. The only righteous or just cause of anger is when the Commandments are not being obeyed. Our anger is channeled back through love, our obedience that we speak and show as a faithful witness for Christ. We leave the vengeance to the Lord and overcome evil by doing good. There is no railing for railing as we are dead to the world and rather receive the blessing of God.
1Pe 3:8 Finally, be ye all of one mind, having compassion one of another, love as brethren, be pitiful, be courteous:
1Pe 3:9 Not rendering evil for evil, or railing for railing: but contrariwise blessing; knowing that ye are thereunto called, that ye should inherit a blessing.
Christ had cause when He got angry and cleaned out His Father’s Temple in obedience, as an example for all of us to have the same zeal and take the same care and action to keep ourselves and our gatherings together pure and undefiled.
Joh 2:14 And found in the temple those that sold oxen and sheep and doves, and the changers of money sitting:
Joh 2:15 And when he had made a scourge of small cords, he drove them all out of the temple, and the sheep, and the oxen; and poured out the changers’ money, and overthrew the tables;
Joh 2:16 And said unto them that sold doves, Take these things hence; make not my Father’s house an house of merchandise.
The anger of the Lord brings needed correction and chastening. It is the fiery grace of the Commandments we see by His mercy that reveals our disobedience. The anger of the Lord is also the wrath of the Lord, and it is only for a moment, only for the time needed to bring about the desired purposes of God, which is salvation. This is righteous anger, anger with a good purpose.
Psa 30:5 For his anger endureth but a moment; in his favour is life: weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.
We are not appointed to wrath [God’s anger], but enduring wrath is how we are chastened and corrected to obey the Lord. There is no other way to be saved from our sin.
1Th 5:9 For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ,
We strive to obey and turn the Lord’s anger from us in the same way we do with natural parents who discipline us by teaching right from wrong. Obedience turns away the anger of the Lord and our natural parents. When we are shown our sin, we pray for mercy, that is, the opening of our eyes, to see the Commandments more clearly, which brings repentance, leading to salvation and an end to the Lord’s anger.
Psa 85:4 Turn us, O God of our salvation, and cause thine anger toward us to cease.
Psa 85:5 Wilt thou be angry with us for ever? wilt thou draw out thine anger to all generations?
Psa 85:6 Wilt thou not revive us again: that thy people may rejoice in thee?
Psa 85:7 Shew us thy mercy, O LORD, and grant us thy salvation.
We have many examples of Israel provoking the Lord’s anger with the provocation, always being Israel, not obeying the Commandments. Disobedience provokes the righteous anger of God in the Day of the Lord, our day of judgment. This repeated verse from the Book of Judges sums up how it works.
Jdg 2:20 And the anger of the LORD was hot against Israel; and he said, Because that this people hath transgressed my covenant which I commanded their fathers, and have not hearkened unto my voice;
The Lord is a jealous God, and His fierce anger is what destroys sinners out of the Promised Land and stops us from worshipping other gods, which are the idols of our hearts.
Isa 13:9 Behold, the day of the LORD cometh, cruel both with wrath and fierce anger, to lay the land desolate: and he shall destroy the sinners thereof out of it.
Isa 66:15 For, behold, the LORD will come with fire, and with his chariots like a whirlwind, to render his anger with fury, and his rebuke with flames of fire.
We learn the fear of the Lord through our experiences with the Lord’s righteous anger. Thus, we are caused in due time to obey His Commandments, and thus the mystery of salvation is manifest in the saints.
Rom 1:18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness;
Christ is a just judge, and so are we as Christ, who rules and reigns with Him over our earth and the tribes of Israel. When we see open disobedience and wickedness to the Commandments, we are righteously angry and act according to the Commandments. We do something. We rebuke, we admonish, we correct within the Body and ourselves to keep the temple of God pure and undefiled. As He is sent, so He sends us to do the same.
Psa 7:11 God is a just judge, And God is angry with the wicked every day
Getting angry and acting in obedience to the Commandments and cleaning our defiled temple and houses of worship is judging righteous judgment.
1Co 5:13 But them that are without God judgeth. Therefore put away from among yourselves that wicked person.
We are angry when we are wronged, but we sin not by controlling our tongue, and quickly forgive all who trespass against us, as our Father also forgives us. We do not let the light of the Commandments go down in our moments of anger, but rather take heed to ensure the devil is not given a place to hold us in bondage.
Eph 4:26 Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath:
Eph 4:27 Neither give place to the devil.
Staying angry and letting our carnal mind take control, we are in danger of the torment and condemnation of abiding in hellfire, being subject to the councils of men. This speaks to the bondage of the accusing and excusing mindset that we have been set free from and do not again become entangled in. We do not engage in the same thoughts and reasonings of their councils, nor do we speak evil of another, symbolizing saying Raca.
We are always slow to anger and slow to speak. Take the time to judge the matter with the Commandments, and do not be hasty to seek retribution, as the wrath [anger] of man works not the righteousness of God.
Jas 1:19 Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath:
Jas 1:20 For the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God.
Ecc 7:9 Be not hasty in thy spirit to be angry: for anger resteth in the bosom of fools.
As Christ, we are in control and ruling over our flesh when the Commandments dwell upon us and in us. We give no place for anger without a cause.
Pro 16:32 He that is slow to anger is better than the mighty; and he that ruleth his spirit than he that taketh a city.
Col 3:8 But now ye also put off all these; anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication out of your mouth.
Christ gets angry and is grieved by those who oppose Him. Yet Christ as our example, opened not His mouth nor took the bait of their temptations but rather stayed focused on doing the works of God and bringing healing through the Gospel. Thus, we have our example of getting angry without sinning by bringing our emotions and thoughts under subjection.
Mar 3:5 And when Christ had looked round about on them with anger, being grieved for the hardness of their hearts, he saith unto the man, Stretch forth thine hand. And he stretched it out: and his hand was restored whole as the other.
Those who do not believe and obey the Gospel, which is all of us before we are compelled to come to the wedding feast, have the wrath of God abiding on them. Christ is angry at those who reject the invitation to come to the feast and embrace the Commandments. Yet vengeance belongs to the Lord and comes in His timing which is not often immediate. We do not concern ourselves, but we do separate and move on from those who reject Christ. We go to the lost sheep of the house of Israel, preaching the Gospel and waiting for the Lord to bring those near He has prepared.
Luk 14:21 So that servant came, and shewed his lord these things. Then the master of the house being angry said to his servant, Go out quickly into the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in hither the poor, and the maimed, and the halt, and the blind.
Once faith comes, the Lord is angry with us when we disobey His Commandments, and thus righteous judgment and indignation, wrath, come upon us to turn our hearts back to the right way. As His Christ, we rule with a rod of iron also, judging righteous judgment, rebuking, and admonishing those in error, to save some from the fire. The Commandments do the work; it is through them that we rule, and the flesh is consumed in the fire of the Living Commandments.
Psa 2:12 Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and ye perish from the way, when his wrath is kindled but a little. Blessed are all they that put their trust in him.
Rev 14:10 The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his anger [indignation]; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb:
When we are angry for a cause, the Commandment is to quickly put away our anger by dealing with the issue and letting the Lord have vengeance. We are ministers of reconciliation as Christ in the world, and we strive to keep the unity in the bond of peace, in love.
Col 3:12 Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering;
Col 3:13 Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye.
Col 3:14 And above all these things put on charity, which is the bond of perfectness.
Col 3:15 And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful.
If we know a brother has something against us, we leave our gift at the altar, reconcile with the brother first, and then come and offer our gift. Above all, we serve and minister to one another, putting the needs of others before our own. Thus, the Commandments to quickly address anger and differences with brethren are key to be ministers of Jesus Christ and keep peace in the Lord’s house.
Php 2:4 Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others.
Php 2:5 Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:
Luk 6:31 And as ye would that men should do to you, do ye also to them likewise.
Our gifts are our spiritual sacrifices, as we lay down our lives in service to others. We seek every man’s wealth and not our own, doing unto our neighbor as we would have them do unto us. This is why we go to our brother first and seek reconciliation, and only then return to the altar and offer our gift.
1Co 10:23 All things are lawful for me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but all things edify not.
1Co 10:24 Let no man seek his own, but every man another’s wealth.
Seeing a brother hungry, naked, bound in prison, these all being spiritual words, we are commanded to help them. Doing it to them is doing it to Christ. Faith without these accompanying works of obedience is dead.
Lastly, it is also important to note that reconciliation is not always given, as the Lord hardens the hearts of those He hardens. As Christ, we try to reconcile and snatch brothers from the fire, but if they do not hear our words, then we move on, as they are not of God, and we obey all of the Commandments.
1Jn 4:6 We are of God: he that knoweth God heareth us; he that is not of God heareth not us. Hereby know we the spirit of truth, and the spirit of error.
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