Anger is not a sin. It is a God-given emotion...part of the make-up of man, and as you know, we are made in the image of God!And Anger is right up there with Love, in that they are both multi-faceted.Love; whether friendship,family love,Eros, passionate love, or Agape Love, which is Love of God,or worshipful love.Anger too, has it's levels and stages. Naturally, the reason I compare the two emotions to one another, is because the most vivid expression of either,is when they are brought about when the other is involved.For instance, have you ever noticed that nothing and nobody will cause you to get hotter under the collar more than when your beloved spouse, or your darling child act in a manner that can only be described as a betrayal? When they do the one thing they absolutely know will send your blood pressure soaring into orbit? These tests of your patience, and your ability to look past their transgression,and love and forgive them are easier if you look at them as opportunities to grow. But through Christ's example, may I be so bold as to suggest that Christians,in the throws of righteous indignation,do NOT have to stand idly by, shaking with rage, their tongues nearly bitten in two, and their fists clenched until the knuckles are white. Most notably, the incident in the Temple, where Jesus actually seemed to lose his temper, and ejected the money-changers from the Temple,tossing money and birds and other creatures offered for sale as sacrifices, and even over-turning the tables,thereby spoiling most of their wares,saying" My Father's house was meant to a be a house of prayer!"
But yet, Christ also said, forgive, 70 times 7 times. For if you forgive not, neither will my Father in heaven forgive you.So even though he berated them, I am sure Christ forgave the money changers,loving the sinner,but hating the sin. How can I be so sure of that? Well, if he didn't forgive them, he might well have dusted off his hands,and said, "You know what? Just for that, I'm not going to redeem you all.Why should I go through all the agony that awaits me on the cross when you people don't know nor care how holy the Temple of my Father's is,or what I am about to do for you?
But, he didn't. No. He didn't hold a grudge. He went to the cross,and even while hanging on it, he said, "Forgive them Father, for they know not what they do." So, even in his Anger,he made the decision to forgive,even while the rage was still coursing through his veins, he still did not allow sin to have any place in him. See, emotion is not good, or bad, it is only an emotion. What counts is, what you do about it...How you respond decides whether or not you will sin.
OUI?
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