Anger and the Glory of God

Tomorrow, we are continuing our Sunday morning series in Ephesians. We come to yet another specific Pauline imperative: "BE ANGRY, AND yet DO NOT SIN; do not let the sun go down on your anger, and do not give the devil an opportunity" (Ephesians 4:26-27, NASB-95). In this whole section (4:25-32), Paul is calling us to live like Christians, to live out grace, to enhance the unity of the body and to promote the glory of God, in six specific areas of the Christian life. Last week, in v. 25, he emphasized that we were to promote the unity of the body of Christ and bear witness to the glory of God in the church through our truth-telling. This week, the issue is anger. Talk about stepping on toes!

Well, at any rate, while preparing for the message, I came across this excellent quote and thought from John Stott (who has got to be one of the kindest human beings I've ever met - which makes the content of this quote all the more striking!):

"There is a great need in the contemporary world for more Christian anger. We human beings compromise with sin in a way which God never does. In the face of blatant evil we should be indignant not tolerant, angry not apathetic. If God hates sin, his people should hate it too. If evil arouses his anger, it should arouse ours also. 'Hot indignation seizes me because of the wicked, who foraske the law' (Psalm 119:53). What other reaction can wickedness be expected to provoke in those who love God?" (John Stott, God's New Society, Ephesians, BST, 186)

That's not really where I'm going with the message in morning, but it was too good to pass up passing it along to you.