Be angry and do not sin
Please help me as we review our current Memory Scripture:
Psalm 1:1-2
“Blessed is the man who has not walked in the counsel of wicked men, nor been in the way of sinners, nor has he sat in the chair of scoffers. But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night.”
And our “refreshment” Scripture memory verse is:
1 Timothy 2:5-6
“For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself a ransom for all men; this has now been testified in due time of him. ”
Today we will be reading Ephesians 4:17-32
In the main Scripture that we will look at today, the apostle Paul is giving us instructions for the Christian life.
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The reason this Scripture caught my attention is that there is a quote from a preacher from the past named Leonard Ravenhill. And the quote goes like this: “If you attend church, you will doubtless hear a thousand sermons on ‘Be filled with the Spirit’ (Ephesians 5:18) for every sermon you hear preached on ‘Be angry, and sin not.'” (Ephesians 4:26).
Well, that last phrase “Anger, and sin not” is found in Ephesians 4:26 KJV and if you cut the verse down a bit more, you get a singular command to “Anger!”
Now, we know that there is great danger when you take a verse out of its context and even more danger when you take a single fragment of a verse that is taken out of its larger context.
So, let’s take a look and see if we’re really supposed to be a gang of angry Christians! Ephesians 4:17-32
(Prayer asking for help)
As we read through the verses, I hope you have noticed that in the most recent translations it does not say, “be angry.” but he says, “in your anger.”
In verses 17-24 the Holy Spirit through the apostle Paul is making a comparison between the lives of the unsaved and those who are saved.
This is how Paul describes those who do not know Jesus as their Savior: “They are darkened in their understanding and separated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them because of the hardness of their hearts. Having lost all sensitivity, they have given themselves over to sensuality to indulge in all kinds of impurities, and they are full of greed.” Ephesians 4:18-19
On the other hand, we, the followers of Jesus, were “taught…to be renewed in the attitude of your mind; and put on the new man, created in the likeness of God in true justice and holiness.” Ephesians 4:22-24
Now, right in the middle of this section, we see the verse that Leonard Ravenhill was referring to, which says, “Be angry, and sin not,” or, “In your anger sin not.”
Why would the people in the church at Ephesus be angry?
Why would people in any church be angry with each other?
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Could it be that they were living like the unsaved? Could it be that they had not completely left behind their previous way of life and that they were not renewing themselves in the attitude of their minds?
Here are some excerpts from verses 25-32 with instructions on how Christians SHOULD behave.
Stop lying
stop stealing
Work and do something useful with your hands
Stop gossiping and running over others
Get rid of bitterness, anger and wrath, bickering and slander and malice which is the desire to cause pain, harm or distress to another
When someone lies about us it can cause damage to our reputation or it can damage our relationship with another person or it can cause a business to fail. There are many ways that a lie about us could negatively affect our lives.
It might even make us angry!
“In your anger do not sin…”
But… wouldn’t it feel so good to go and tell that liar?
Wouldn’t it feel so good to find everyone who would listen and tell them about this person’s lie? she had talked about you just so everyone would know what a liar that person is?
Wouldn’t it feel so good to tell an even bigger lie about THEM?
Wouldn’t it feel so good to plot and plot and find a way to get back at that person so that sometime, somehow, when you least expect it; When they are most vulnerable could you take revenge?
Wouldn’t that feel great?
Well, it could be… for a while…
But what would be the result?
Perhaps it would end in a lifelong feud.
Perhaps it would divide a family or even a church.
Maybe it would be a sin… no, maybe not, it WOULD be a sin and in that case in our anger we would have sinned in disobedience to the Holy Word of God.
That is why the believers in Ephesus were instructed with this admonition: “In your anger, sin not; do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, and do not give place to the devil.” Ephesians 4:26-27
The second part of God’s admonition goes like this: “Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry.”
When He says this, He is not telling us to “just get over it.”
He is telling us that persistent anger is a spiritual danger.
Persistent and unresolved anger would allow the evil one to gain a “foothold” in our hearts.
Have you ever seen a video of a rock climber scaling a steep cliff?
They look for the smallest imperfection in the rock. They are looking for the smallest crack or outcropping that they can grab on to or use to grab on to.
And, if they’re not free climbing, they’ll stick a piton into the crack and tie a rope. to the.
When we have anger that is not dealt with by the grace of God, the devil will try to use that spiritual crack as an anchor point and without the help of Jesus you will not be able to shake it.
From that moment on, the joy in your life will diminish or disappear completely.
Your prayers will be hindered.
Your adoration with being flat.
Your desire for the Word of God will be insipid.
And, that is exactly why Ephesians 4:26-27 says, “In your anger sin not; Don’t let the sun go down while you’re still angry, and don’t give the devil any place.”
What else besides a lie could make us angry and sin?
People stealing from you?
Working hard while others are lazy?
People gossiping and mistreating each other?
People trying to call a fight with you or slander you?
Someone who has a desire to cause you pain, harm, or distress?
All of this could make you angry and the list could go on.
Jesus tells us how to avoid living a life of anger that gives the devil a foothold. He tells us this in what is called “The Sermon on the Mount” found in Matthew.
In Matthew 5:38-48 Jesus says:
“You have heard that it was said: “An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth”. But I tell you, don’t resist a bad person. If someone slaps you on the right cheek, turn the other cheek to him as well. And if someone wants to sue you and take your shirt off, give them your coat too. If someone forces you to walk a mile, go with them two miles. To the one who asks you, give, and to the one who wants to borrow from you, do not turn your back on him.
“You have heard that it was said: ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be children of your Father who is in heaven. He makes the sun rise from him on the bad and the good, and he sends rain on the just and the unjust. If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Not even the tax collectors are doing that? And if you greet only your own people, what are you doing more than others? Don’t even pagans do that? Be perfect, then, as your heavenly Father is perfect.”
Today we will be observing communion.
The act of taking communion or observing the Lord’s Supper was being abused in the church at Corinth.
There were many things that could and did cause anger among the worshipers in Corinth. One of the main problems was how communion was observed.
Just listen to what was happening as described in
1 Corinthians 11:20-22…
“When you come together, it is not the Lord’s Supper that you eat, because when you are eating, some of you go ahead with your own private dinners. As a result, one person is left hungry, and another is drunk. Have you no houses to eat and drink? Or do you despise the church of God humiliating those who have nothing? What will I tell you? Do I praise you? Certainly not in this matter!”
Do you think that would make some of the people in the church in Corinth angry?
They did not have individual portions representing the body and blood of Jesus prepared for each person.
Apparently each person brought their own food and drink if they could afford it. And others, who were rich, would bring a large quantity and feast and get drunk while the poor looked on, hungry and thirsty.
Do you think this might have caused some anger and division within? the body of Christ, the church? Of course yes.
In John 13:34 Jesus is recorded as saying: “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another. As I have loved you, so you should love one another.”
This of course was not being followed and was divisive and was a sin.
It was a sin on the part of the rich who despised the poor among them and it was certainly a great temptation for the poor to get angry and sin in their hearts against the rich and this absolutely gave the devil a foothold in the church of Maroon.
And because of this blatantly sinful behavior, Paul gives this warning in 1 Corinthians 11:27-29 when he says:
“He who eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of sinning against the body and blood of the Lord. A man must examine himself before he eats the bread and drinks the cup. For whoever eats and drinks without discerning the body of Christ, he eats and drinks his own judgment.”
This is a pretty powerful warning.
Can you even imagine sinning against the body? and the blood of Jesus our Lord?
You see, these people were not eating or drinking in remembrance of the body of Jesus and the blood that was given for them at all.
So, since we come to the moment of communion, how does this apply to us?
What if we have anger in our hearts against a brother or sister in Christ that we have clung to and refuse to let go?
What if that unresolved anger has allowed the devil a foothold in your life?
Can you come to the Lord’s Table and receive communion while refusing to allow God’s grace to work in your heart to remove anger and bitterness?
1 Corinthians 11:28 says that,
“Each one should examine himself before eating the bread and drinking the cup.”
You see, communion is not about you and it’s not about me, it’s about remembering Jesus’ sacrifice for us. It’s all about Him!
THAT is where the grace of God comes to meet us in fellowship.
His grace comes to us when we remember that it is about Him.
It’s not about the bread or the juice, it’s about Him.
And we honor Him when we come to His Table with a clean heart…