Ephesians 4:25-32

The response of secular cultureReject It! (Resentment)

“Anger is an acid that can do more harm to the vessel in which it is stored than to anything on which it is poured.” Mark Twain

Release It! (Retaliation and Rage)“What makes anger so elusive and so incredibly dangerous

is that it flares suddenly, powerfully, and irrationally. It takes no counsel of the future. It takes no counsel of personal safety, even one’s own.” David Jeremiah, Slaying The Giants in Your Life

Repurpose It (Re-channel It!)

V.26- Be ANGRY! (PPIV)V.26- Anger

Parorgismos- “anger that is mixed with irritation, resentment, or bitterness”

V.31- WrathThumos- “an impassioned, wild rage. That which boils

up quickly but then quickly subsides.”V.31- Anger

Orge- “an abiding, settled habit of the mind that is aroused under certain conditions.”

V.26- Be angry, and yet DO NOT SINRealize the Source of our anger

• Genesis 4:3-7 So it came about in the course of time that Cain brought an offering to the LORD of the fruit of the ground. 4 Abel, on his part also brought of the firstlings of his flock and of their fat portions. And the LORD had regard for Abel and for his offering; 5 but for Cain and for his offering He had no regard. So Cain became very angry and his countenance fell. 6 Then the LORD said to Cain, "Why are you angry? And why has your countenance fallen? 7 "If you do well, will not your countenance be lifted up? And if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door; and its desire is for you, but you must master it."

Mark 3:1-5 He entered again into a synagogue; and a man was there whose hand was withered. 2 They were watching Him to see if He would heal him on the Sabbath, so that they might accuse Him. 3 He said to the man with the withered hand, "Get up and come forward!" 4 And He said to them, "Is it lawful to do good or to do harm on the Sabbath, to save a life or to kill?" But they kept silent. 5 After looking around at them with anger, [grieved at their hardness of heart],

V.26- Be angry, and yet DO NOT SINWhen guided by reason, anger is a right affection, so the

Scripture permits it, and not only permits, but on fit occasion demands it . . . there can be no more surer or sadder token of an utterly prostrate moral condition than the not being able to be angry with sin.

Unrighteous Anger (Cain)Self-centered, Self-serving

Righteous Anger (Christ)God-centered, God-serving

V.25- ThereforeV.17- you walk no longer as the Gentiles also walk

Futility of mindDarkened in understandingExcluded from the life of God

V.20 But youV.22- Lay aside the old self (former manner of life)

Strip offThat which is worn out and useless

Being corruptedV.24- Put on the new self

2 Corinthians 5:17 Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come. V.24- put on the new self which

V.23 is renewed in the spirit of your mindV.24 in the likeness of God has been

Created in righteousnessHoliness of truth

V.32- Be: kind to one anotherTender-hearted- a deeply felt empathy for the struggles of

othersForgiving each other

Romans 12:17-21 Never pay back evil for evil to anyone. Respect what is right in the sight of all men. 18 If possible, so far as it depends on you, be at peace with all men. 19 Never take your own revenge, beloved, but leave room for the wrath of God, for it is written, "VENGEANCE IS MINE, I WILL REPAY," says the Lord. 20 "BUT IF YOUR ENEMY IS HUNGRY, FEED HIM, AND IF HE IS THIRSTY, GIVE HIM A DRINK; FOR IN SO DOING YOU WILL HEAP BURNING COALS ON HIS HEAD." 21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

V.26- Do NotV.26- Sin (do not allow anger to control you)V.26- Let the sun go down on your anger (do not allow

anger to remain in you)V.27- Give the devil an opportunity ( do not allow anger to

become a tool of the devil)V.29- Let unwholesome words proceed from your mouth

(do not allow anger to choose your words)V.30- Grieve the Holy Spirit ( do not allow anger to rob you

of the joy of your salvation)

V.31- Put away ALL (APIV)Bitterness- A smoldering resentment: grudge-filled attitudeWrath (thumos)- wild, impassioned rageAnger (orge)- a deep, internal smoldering Clamor- public outburst that reveal a loss of controlSlander- defamation of someone that rises from a bitter

heartMalice- general term for evil

“The question invariably arises, it has before and it will again: “Rubin, are you bitter?” And in answer to that I will say, “After all that’s been said and done—the fact that the most productive years of my life, between the ages of twenty-nine and fifty, have been stolen; the fact that I was deprived of seeing my children grow up—wouldn’t you think I would have the right to be bitter. But that has never been in my nature, or my lot, to do things the easy way. If I have learned nothing else in my life, I’ve learned that bitterness only consumes the vessel that contains it. And for me to permit bitterness to control or to infect my life in anyway whatsoever would be to allow those who imprisoned me to take even more than the 22 years they’ve already taken. Now that would make me an accomplice to their crime.”