In David Powlison’s book Good and Angry, he has a chapter entitled, “Do You Have an Anger Problem?” It’s very clever, because the chapter is only one word long: “Yes.” That’s all it says. And rightly so. You and I have an anger problem. And if we don’t get it under control, we may be in danger of hell.
As Jesus shows in the Sermon on the Mount, the sixth commandment not only prohibits violent acts of murder but all violent emotions and intentions of the heart (Matt. 5:21–26). You and I can be 100 percent murder free but still face the wrath of God if our lives are marked by anger, bitterness, invective, insult, and rage.
And that’s not all Jesus says about anger. He gives two illustrations—one about going to the temple and one about going to court—and neither is about our anger. Jesus says that anger is so serious that we should not only do what we can to eliminate it in our heart, but also do what we can to prevent and alleviate it in others. The sixth commandment positively enjoins us to seek reconciliation. By condemning envy, hatred, and anger, the Heidelberg catechism says that God tells us to love our neighbors as ourselves, to be patient, peace loving, gentle, merciful, and friendly to them.
Click here to read more.
Source: Christianity Today
BCNN1 WP 