OceanSide church of Christ
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Anger
by: Dalton Gilreath
I. Introduction
A. Anger is something that can cause a lot of devastation
i. That is true of self and others around
ii. Anger is hard on one physically and spiritually
B. Physically, anger has been proven to be unhealthy
i. It causes decreased blood flow
ii. It causes issues in the brain’s production of neurons
iii. It lowers our life span
C. Spiritually, anger can be devastating as well
i. However, is all anger sinful?
II. Anger is NOT a sin
A. Anger is not an action, or decision, it is an emotion
i. Emotions are not something we can fully control
1. For example, we cannot turn sorrow on or off at will
2. We can’t control an initial lust for something either but we can control what we do when that emotion begins
ii. Anger is another emotion that can be provoked (Deut 4:25)
B. God feels anger
i. God cannot sin but He can get angry (Deut 4:25)
ii. Our Lord was angry at times as well (Mark 3:5, 11:15)
1. He was anger for a righteous reason though, sin
2. Moses is another example of anger at sin (Ex 32:19)
C. The Bible makes it clear in Ephesians 4:26
i. Paul tells us we can be angry and not sin
ii. He adds a warning though to avoid holding on to that anger for too long
III. Anger can lead to sin
A. James tells us not to be quick to anger (1:19-20)
i. He is not referencing how fast you get angry but how often
ii. One who is quick tempered gets angry often over many things
iii. He also mentions being slow to speak in connection with this
1. When we are slow to speak we think before reacting
2. With anger we need to slow down and not burst out
B. Solomon says to be slow to anger to avoid folly (Ecc 7:9, Prov 14:17, 29)
i. When we lash out in anger we do or say something foolish
1. How often do we end up regretting our choices in a rage?
ii. Cain is a good example of foolish anger
1. All he had to do was obey God to be accepted (Gen 4:5-8)
2. Instead, he bottled his anger and killed Abel
C. That leads us to the next point, bottling anger
i. David says to get rid of anger instead of holding on to it (Psa 37:8)
ii. Anger is like a balloon getting more and more air and not being released
1. In time it explodes as we can if we do not release the “air”
D. Anger can damage ourselves as well as those around us
i. Solomon’s wisdom is to avoid angry people (Prov 22:24-25)
ii. Anger can rub off on others
1. Therefore, avoid being a bad example
2. Avoid being around someone who will be a poor example
IV. Conclusion
A. I want to conclude with a quote and questions to ask yourself
i. Being angry is all about the cause and how we handle it (Matt 5:22)
ii. Some said, “A person who is angry on the right grounds, against the right persons, in the right manner, at the right moment, and for the right length of time deserves great praise”
B. Ask yourself these questions next time you are angry
i. Why am I angry?
ii. Who am I angry at?
iii. How am I handling this anger?
iv. Is this the right time?
v. How long have I been or will I be angry?