November 20, 2024 • 25 mins
Can you imagine a life where sinful anger no longer controls your actions or disrupts your spiritual journey? In our final episode of the "Uprooting Anger" series, we promise to equip you with the tools and insights needed to address this pervasive issue from a biblical perspective. Drawing wisdom from Robert D. Jones's book, we unravel why dealing with anger is imperative for followers of Christ. We dive into the heart of the matter, exploring the comprehensive and often self-centered roots of anger, as well as the profound impact it has on our relationship with God and our testimony to others. By understanding anger as a moral judgment that affects our thoughts, will, and behavior, you will be better prepared to uproot it with God's grace.
Join us as we dissect the spiritual ramifications of harboring anger, bitterness, and malice, and explore how these emotions can grieve the Holy Spirit and distort our witness. Through scriptural reflections from Ephesians and James, we delve into how surrendering our anger to God allows us to reflect His righteousness and embody His love and peace. This episode encourages a journey of self-reflection, repentance, and a renewed commitment to living in holiness, urging us to confront sinful anger with love and reverence for God. As we wrap up this transformative series, we invite you to embrace the grace of the gospel and re-align your life with the peace and patience that God commands.
Join us as we dissect the spiritual ramifications of harboring anger, bitterness, and malice, and explore how these emotions can grieve the Holy Spirit and distort our witness. Through scriptural reflections from Ephesians and James, we delve into how surrendering our anger to God allows us to reflect His righteousness and embody His love and peace. This episode encourages a journey of self-reflection, repentance, and a renewed commitment to living in holiness, urging us to confront sinful anger with love and reverence for God. As we wrap up this transformative series, we invite you to embrace the grace of the gospel and re-align your life with the peace and patience that God commands.
ABOUT JAMES and LESSONS FOR LIFE
Are you seeking hope, wisdom, and practical solutions to life’s challenges? Dr. James Long, Jr., pastor, counselor, and professor with over 30 years of experience, helps people discover God’s solutions to emotional, relational, and spiritual challenges. Each episode of Lessons for Life points you to the peace and freedom found in Jesus Christ.
Resources and Next Steps
- Join the free Navigator Level of the Lessons for Life Community: https://jameslongjr.org/community
- Explore full membership and coaching options: https://www.drjameslongjr.com/signup
Listen and Subscribe: Find Lessons for Life with James Long, Jr., wherever you listen to podcasts
Connect
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drjameslongjr/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/drjameslongjr
- YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@LessonsforLifeCommunity
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:26):
Hello everyone, it's James Long and welcome back to
our final session.
I can't believe this our finalsession in Uprooting Anger.
It's been an incredible journeyover the past several weeks as
we've tackled this crucial issuefrom a biblical perspective.
Today we gather for lessonnumber nine, which is amazing.
We're going to finish strong bydiving into the most important
(00:49):
issue why we must deal withsinful anger.
It's not optional for us asfollowers of Christ, and this is
where we'll wrap up everythingthat we've learned into
actionable steps.
So this is going to be soimportant.
So, as we move into this lastlesson, I want you to take a
look at the theme for today whyyou must deal with sinful anger.
We're wrapping up this.
(01:09):
Robert D Jones, study thisexcellent book Uprooting Anger.
Hopefully you've purchased itand we've been providing.
It's been providing us abiblical framework for
understanding anger andaddressing anger in a biblical
way.
Now this last lesson emphasizesthe urgency of dealing with
anger that is sinful in ourlives, and it's not just about
(01:31):
personal peace, but it's for thesake of the gospel, it's for
the sake of the person and workof the Lord Jesus Christ.
We reflect him in this world.
So I want you to open yourhearts and your minds today as
we grow and align our lives withGod's wisdom and purpose.
I'm so glad that you're here aswe conclude this series, and
(01:51):
I'm so glad you're here to learnand grow with us.
Let's jump into the lesson here.
And before we do that, whydon't we dive into trying to
think about where we've been inthe past?
Now I want you to think aboutwhere we've been in these
studies.
Now, if you think about all thethings that we've learned over
the weeks that we've beentogether.
(02:12):
I've given you a series of keypoints and maybe this will be
helpful.
These are foundational indealing with this issue in a
biblical way.
First, we learned that anger isa whole person, negative
reaction of a moral judgmentagainst received wrong.
Now, anger is not merely anemotion.
It engages our thoughts, ourwills and our behavior.
(02:33):
The second thing we've learnedis that we need to recognize
that everyone has an angerproblem.
Now it may show up for you indifferent forms, whether it's
explosive outbursts or simmeringbitterness or quiet resentment.
None of us is immune to it.
That led us to the third thingthat we've seen is that God
(02:53):
calls us to uproot anger fromour hearts.
It's not something, simply,that we do in our own strength,
but it's in full dependence onHis forgiving grace and His
empowering grace.
These are so essential.
The fourth thing I hopefullyyou've learned through this
study is that we've discoveredthat there are specific
strategies for change and thatwe address both the root causes
(03:15):
of anger and its outwardexpressions.
So many counseling strategiesfocus only on the outward
expressions.
The Bible tells us that ourchange is deeply rooted in the
heart, and it's also deeplyrooted in scripture, and it is
guided by the wisdom of God.
That leads us to.
The final thing I want you tothink about is this, and this is
probably the most importantthat we have this marvelous and
(03:38):
wonderful Redeemer, and wedesperately need Him, and it's
only through Christ that we canever experience a heart of
transformation, and it requiresus to truly overcome sin by
resting in Him.
Now we need to hold on to thesetruths as we move forward today
, because what they do is theyprovide a powerful foundation of
why we must deal with sinfulanger and how we can do so with
(04:01):
God's help.
Now let's transition today intoday's lesson, and build on
these foundational truths, andlet's think about why we must
deal with our sinful anger,which is so important.
This is an important piece ofthe puzzle and as we move into
this lesson, it's crucial tounderstand that dealing with
sinful anger is not optional.
(04:21):
I want you to explore themotivations behind this, and
it's a command from God.
The first, in a broad andsweeping sense we must deal with
sinful anger because Godcommands us to.
We've seen this passage multipletimes in our study, but in
Ephesians, chapter 4, verses 22through 24 and verse 31,.
If you remember, paul isexhorting us to put off our old
(04:46):
sinful anger.
Remember, he wants us to putall bitterness and wrath and
anger and to put on a new selfthat reflects the likeness of
Christ.
And similarly, in Colossians,chapter 3, verses 5 through 8,
we're called to put to death thethings that are earthly within
us, and it was anger and rageand malice.
These are commands and theyshow us that sinful anger is not
(05:07):
just something that we cantolerate or excuse.
It is a direct affront to theholiness of God and he calls us
to decisively and intentionallydeal with it.
We got to go against it.
That leads to the second thingthat God doesn't leave us
unequipped for this task.
Now, in Christ, he provides usall that we need to overcome
(05:29):
sinful anger.
It is through his spirit andhis word that God equips us with
the tools necessary for lastingtransformation.
You remember this passage.
We've used it multiple times aswell in Colossians, chapter 2,
verse 9 through 10.
It reminds us that in Christ wehave been made complete and
that he's the source of all ourwisdom and all our power.
And another passage we've usedpreviously is in 2 Timothy,
(05:51):
chapter 3, verse 16 through 17.
And it urges us and it alsoassures us that scripture is
sufficient for teaching, forrebuking, for correcting and
training in righteousness.
And I love this passage in 2Peter, chapter 1, verse 3.
It reminds us that his divinenature, his divine power, has
given us everything that we needfor life and godliness.
It's through the knowledge ofhim.
(06:13):
And so these truths, veryhonestly, should motivate us to
take action against the sinfulanger that we have, not out of
fear, but out of love, out ofreverence for God.
And when we address sinfulanger, we are obeying him,
obeying his commandments, we'rerelying on his provision, but
we're also trusting that he'sthe source of our strength and
(06:35):
he's the sustainer of ourtransformation.
So let's keep these motivationsin mind as we explore practical
ways for dealing with anger inour lives that go out of
alignment of God's will, and howwe can get back into alignment.
Now God supplies us withcompelling motives to deal with
our anger, and so, as we diveinto this, I want you to think
(06:58):
about these three compellingmotives.
They give us what God hasinspired us.
He wants to inspire real,lasting change in your life, and
the reasons aren't justtheoretical.
They touch the core of our verylives our physical and
spiritual health, ourrelationships and our walk with
God.
That God, in his word, providesus with wisdom and clear
(07:18):
direction for dealing with anger.
Now, these reasons give us boththe motivation and the
practical understanding forapproaching anger in a way that
promotes peace and promotesgrowth and promotes obedience.
Now, over the next severalslides, we'll be breaking down
these three reasons even morefurther and in deeper ways, and
it will help us to understandthe importance of how we are to
(07:40):
apply these daily truths in ourlives.
And as we examine these reasons, I encourage you to reflect on
how anger has impacted you inthese areas of your life and how
, god's grace, is a better pathforward.
So let's begin with the veryfirst of these and the very
first of these is that we arecalled to avoid injury and to
promote well-being and ourphysical and spiritual health.
(08:03):
I want you to see those.
So this is a compelling reason.
It's essential.
We need to avoid the injuries,we need to avoid the struggles
in our lives and we need to befocusing on well-being, both for
our physical and spiritual life.
Let's talk physically Now.
We cannot ignore and we'vetalked about this the toll that
anger does on our bodiesphysically Proverbs.
(08:26):
Chapter 14, verse 29 through 30says this whoever pull that up,
whoever is slow to anger, hasgreat understanding, but he who
has hasty temper exalts folly.
A tranquil heart gives life tothe flesh, but envy makes the
bones rot.
Now, I love this passagebecause what it does is it's a
(08:50):
passage that highlights thelife-giving impact of
self-control and destructivepower, unchecked emotions in our
lives.
Anger can lead to physicalmanifestations of stress,
headaches, high blood pressureand even more severe medical
conditions.
And when we allow anger todominate our lives, it invites
these physical harms to our body.
(09:12):
Here's the second thingspiritual life.
So just as anger affects usphysically, spiritual life.
So just as anger affects usphysically, it can also affect
us spiritually.
In Psalm 66, verse 18, it saysthis If I have cherished
iniquity in my heart, the Lordwould not have listened.
Wow, harboring anger disruptsour fellowship with God,
(09:39):
blocking the blessings of avibrant relationship with Him.
Additionally, in Matthew,chapter 5, verses 21 through 22,
it challenges us to considerthat spiritual consequences are
there of anger that was not beendealt with.
Remember, it says you've heardthat it was said from those of
old that you shall not murderand whoever murders will be
liable to the judgment.
But I say to you that everyonewho is angry with his brother is
liable to the judgment.
Now, I say to you that everyonewho is angry with his brother
is liable to the judgment.
(10:00):
Now, what this does is it showsthat anger isn't just about a
surface level issue.
It's about a heart issue thatimpacts a wall with God.
By addressing anger, we takeactive steps towards this
holistic health, caring for bothour physical bodies but also
nurturing our spiritualconnection with God, and this
dual focus helps us to glorifyGod in all aspects of our lives,
(10:24):
both physically and spiritually.
That moves us to the secondreason that the Bible gives us
and that the study gives us isthis that avoiding damage to and
promoting growth in ourinterpersonal relationships.
This is a powerful reason.
The second reason is soimportant.
Relationships are the centralto how we live this life, and
(10:48):
relationships are so vital.
God has called us to be inrelationship with him and also
relationship with others.
Relationships are the centralof how we live at our faith and
how we fulfill God'scommandments.
Anger, when it's left unchecked,has the potential to cause
significant damage in ourrelationships and connections
with others, and what it does isthat if we don't address it, it
(11:09):
creates problems, but byaddressing it biblically, it
promotes growth and healing inour lives and our relationships.
The second thing is thatavoiding damage.
In Ephesians, chapter 4, whichwe already talked about in 26
and 27, and then again in verse31, you remember it says be
angry and do not sin.
Do not let the sun go down onyour anger.
But then you remember what itsays Do not give the devil an
(11:32):
opportunity.
And in Ephesians 4, verse 31,it goes on to say all bitterness
, wrath and anger and clamor andslander be put away from you,
along with all malice.
What we find is that anger,when it is left unchecked,
creates an opportunity for theenemy, the devil, to sow discord
and bitterness and division.
And the longer we hold on toanger, the the deeper it wounds
(11:55):
our relationships, be it withour family or friends or members
of our community.
Now, the third thing we seehere is it promotes growth right
On the positive side.
Anger addressing anger in godlyways, can foster growth and
harmony in our relationships.
And we see that in Colossians.
It tells us to be part of a newlife, a new life in Christ, and
(12:16):
when we do that, we're activelypursuing reconciliation.
We a new life in Christ, andwhen we do that we're actively
pursuing reconciliation.
We're choosing to extend grace,and when we do that, what it
does is it mirrors the characterof God and it creates an
environment where trust and lovecan flourish.
Now I want you to imagine howmuch healthier our families, our
friendships, our churchcommunities would be if we
(12:37):
practiced these principlesregularly, and how often would
things change so radically?
And when we take the time todeal with anger biblically,
we're not only able to preventfurther harm, but we're also
strengthening the bonds thatmatter most.
They reflect on how God canactively protect and nurture
relationships with him and alsorelationships with others.
(13:00):
Well, let's move on to the thirdreason.
The third reason is alsoimportant it avoids God's
displeasure and brings honor anddelight to him.
This is so important becausethis is the third reason why, at
its core, anger that is leftunchecked displeases God because
what it does is itmisrepresents his character, it
(13:21):
misrepresents him and we fallshort of his design for our
lives.
However, as we address anger,we overcome sinful anger, we
honor him and we delight in himand we reflect his grace, we
reflect his righteousness in theworld.
Well, let's look first atavoiding displeasing God.
We've already seen it inEphesians, chapter 4, verse 30.
(13:42):
We've seen this in our study.
It reminds us of the weight ofour actions in our relationship
to God.
It says Do not grieve the HolySpirit by whom you were sealed
on the day of redemption.
So when we harbor anger, whenwe harbor bitterness or malice,
we grieve the holy spirit.
Our attitudes, our behaviorscan disrupt our fellowship with
(14:02):
god and as we do these things,it goes contrary to his nature
of of love, of patience, ofpeace.
In james, chapter 1, it furtheremphasizes this.
It tells us that.
I know this, my, my belovedbrother, let anyone be quick to
hear, slow to speak and slow tobecome angry, for the anger of
man does not achieve therighteousness of God One of the
(14:25):
first verses I memorized when Imemorized this book.
And our human anger often arisesfrom a self-centered motive and
it rarely accomplishes God'spurposes.
Instead, when we allow anger tofester, we allow this to become
almost cancerous in ourrelationships.
We're called to reflect Hisrighteousness.
We're called to reflect Hislove, his patience, his goodness
(14:47):
in our responses.
Now that brings us to bringingHim honor and delight.
On the positive side, dealingwith our anger biblically honors
God and it delightsights Himand it aligns our hearts with
His will.
In 1 Timothy 2, verse 8, it saysI desire then that every place
that men should pray, lifting upholy hands without anger or
(15:11):
quarreling.
So it's lifting up those holyhands that have been blessed by
God and doing that without angeror quarreling in our lives.
Now, when we do that, we'rechoosing to release anger and to
pursue godly responses and webecome vessels through which he
can show his love and his peaceand that can flow out of us.
(15:32):
I often say God wants to workin you and then he wants to work
through you, and this not onlypleases him, but it also serves
as a witness to others.
And every time we surrender ouranger to God, we declare our
trust in his sovereignty and ourwillingness to follow his ways.
It brings him delight becausewe're committing our lives to
(15:53):
living as his children.
We're guided by his word andspirit, and it affects our
relationships with others.
So I want you to take a momentto reflect.
Are there areas in your lifewhere unresolved anger might be
grieving the spirit, and how canyou honor God today by
surrendering that anger todayand choosing to respond with a
(16:14):
way that reflects his character,his character of love and grace
and peace?
Now, as we move towardswrapping this lesson up, let's
revisit the key motivations andstrategies for dealing with
anger.
Each of these steps that we'vediscussed help us to live a life
that is more fully aligned withGod's will, experiencing the
freedom and the joy that heoffers us.
(16:36):
So I want you to consider thisquote here that, as we consider
addressing sinful anger, I wantyou to see this that this point
drives home the gravity of theimpact that sinful anger can
have in our lives.
It dishonors God, it displeasesHim and it offends Him.
(16:57):
I know that this is not easy tosee.
It's not easy to read either,but this is not a small issue
when we give in to sinful anger,we step outside of God's will
and we misrepresent hischaracter.
God, in his holiness, calls usto be ambassadors of his love
and his peace and his grace, butwhen we allow anger to control
(17:19):
us instead, we're reflecting adistorted picture of who he is
to those around us.
Let's look at each one of thesestatements dishonoring the Lord
.
Sinful anger dishonors the Lordbecause it prioritizes our
desires, our frustrations, ouremotions above his commands and
his character.
And when we allow anger todictate our words and our
(17:40):
actions, we're essentiallysaying that our way, our will,
our justice take precedence overGod's sovereignty and
righteousness.
And then what you think aboutdispleasing the Lord?
We've already seen this that inEphesians, chapter 4, verse 30,
we're grieving the Holy Spirit.
Our unrestrained angerdispleases God because it
(18:00):
disrupts our fellowship with Himand it stands in direct
opposition to His character.
The Lord is slow to anger andabounding in steadfast love, and
he calls us to reflect thosesame traits and characteristics
in our relationships.
And probably the worst of allis that last phrase.
At worst, it is offending theLord.
We're directly challengingGod's authority and his holiness
(18:23):
.
It's an offense against the onewho has created us for his
glory, because it reveals aheart that is not fully
surrendered to him and, insteadof submitting to his will,
sinful anger clings to our pride, our selfishness, our lack of
trust in his justice.
But you see the cross here.
The cross reminds us of what isat stake that Jesus bore the
(18:43):
penalty for our sins and thatincludes our sinful anger so
that we can live lives ofholiness and peace.
And every time we dishonor himthrough our anger, we lose sight
of his grace, we lose sight ofthe cross, the grace that he's
extended to us through thegospel.
And as we reflect on this truth, let us ask ourselves these
(19:03):
questions Is there anger in ourlives that dishonor God?
I want you to really thinkabout that.
Is there anger there in yourlife that is clearly not
representing Him?
Or have I allowed, or have weallowed, our emotions to take
precedent over calls to glorifyHim?
See, today we can take theopportunity to turn back to God,
(19:25):
to repent of that.
We can seek his help in a waythat brings honor to his name.
So, as we close this finalsession, I want you to think
about uprooting anger and I wantyou to take a moment to reflect
on the journey that we've beenon together Over these past
several weeks.
We've examined anger from everyangle its root, its expression,
its consequences, but, moreimportantly, the path to freedom
(19:48):
through the person and work ofChrist and through the gospel of
the Lord Jesus Christ.
Anger, as we've seen it, is notjust a passing emotion, it's
whole person, do you remember?
It's a reaction of our mind,our hearts, our wills to the
perceived wrong.
Now, while anger itself can berighteous when it aligns with
God's purposes, sinful angeremerges when it is driven by our
(20:11):
own desires or pride or unmetexpectations.
And the beauty of the gospel isthis that it provides us both
the opportunity to diagnose thatsinful anger.
But it also points us to thecure, his grace.
And through this series we'veuncovered a number of biblical
truths.
These biblical truths, I hope,have guided you and helped you.
(20:35):
We've seen the importance ofrecognizing that anger is at its
root and there are some causesthat are there.
It's not just the surfacethings that we do and that we've
also explored, that God callsus to replace simple anger with
words and actions that honor Him.
And we've also seen how God'sSpirit and His Word can equip us
(20:58):
to live lives that are markedby peace and grace and
Christlike love.
But, as we conclude, let meremind you of this this is not
the end of our journey.
Uprooting anger is not just aone-time event, but it's a daily
commitment to surrender ourhearts to God, relying on His
Spirit and trusting in Histransformative power.
(21:18):
And as you move forward, Iencourage you to reflect on the
lessons that we've learned andthat we've uncovered, and I want
you to revisit the scripturesthat we've spoken about in our
heart.
Now, when you do that, I wantyou to also think about seeking
accountability in yourrelationships, inviting a
trusted friend or a familymember to walk alongside you in
this journey and, above all,remember that victory over anger
(21:42):
is not about striving in yourown strength, but what it is is
about relying and leaning on thesufficiency of Christ's grace.
As we conclude our sessiontoday, I want you to wrap up
this transformative series onuprooting anger.
I want you to think about thisthis is a journey, and this
journey is one that has beguntoday and it will continue for
(22:04):
the rest of your lives.
I want to sincerely thank youfor joining us on this journey.
Over the last 10 weeks and overthe past weeks, we've explored
the root, the effect and thesolutions of anger, and we've
seen it through the lens of thiswonderful book by Robert D
Jones.
So now I want you to thinkabout this.
I want you to consider that ifyou haven't been to my website,
(22:29):
jameslongjrorg, you've missed alot of resources.
Actually, at the last count, Ibelieve I have almost a thousand
pieces of resources on thewebsite, all for yours,
completely free.
I would love it if you would goto the website jameslongjrorg
to explore more resourcesarticles, videos.
We even have courses there.
Those will be charged, though,and there are opportunities to
(22:53):
understand and to apply God'sword.
Now, if you want to join ourmembership or coaching program,
which I've talked about before,you can gain a wealth of tools
and a supportive community, butyou also can get coaching with
us.
There is jameslongjrorg, andthen you just hit slash join now
.
So, whether you're looking forweekly coaching or a
(23:15):
comprehensive program like ourTime for Change course, our
membership levels are designedto meet you where you are
spiritually and to help you growpersonally.
So, once again, if you want toexplore those options, I would
consider asking you to go tojameslongjrorg slash join now.
I thank you for being a part ofthis study.
(23:35):
May God bless you as you workthrough these things.
I want to see how God works inyour life and through your life.
Let me pray for you as we closetoday.
So, lord, I thank you for allthat you are and all that you do
.
I thank you for your son, theLord Jesus Christ.
We thank you for the amazingblessing that he is.
I thank you for the fact thatyou show us our sinful anger.
(23:58):
You point us to the diagnosisof it, but then you point us to
the cure.
It's not about us, it's aboutyour son, that it's in his work
on the cross that we areforgiven.
It's in his work on the crossthat we are set free from sin.
It's in his work on the crossthat we are given a family in
Christ and it's in his work onthe cross that we have a future.
(24:19):
I thank you for the empty tomb.
That provides us hope thatyou've accepted his payment.
Thank you for his ascension andthe fact that he's enthroned.
He's in heaven right nowpraying for us.
So I pray that that would be anamazing thing that transforms
our hearts and our minds.
So bless us and keep us, Lord,make your face to shine upon us
(24:40):
and be gracious to us, lift upyour countenance upon us and
grant us your peace In Jesus'matchless, holy and powerful
name.
We pray Amen.
Well, thank you again for beingwith us.
I pray that you would live alife of purpose, live for his
grace and live for his glory.
Take time to worship.
Well, I pray that you have awonderful Thanksgiving with
(25:03):
family and friends.
Remind yourself of what Christhas done for you.
Take care Until next time.
Be blessed.
Hello everyone, it's James Long and welcome back to
our final session.
I can't believe this our finalsession in Uprooting Anger.
It's been an incredible journeyover the past several weeks as
we've tackled this crucial issuefrom a biblical perspective.
Today we gather for lessonnumber nine, which is amazing.
We're going to finish strong bydiving into the most important
(00:49):
issue why we must deal withsinful anger.
It's not optional for us asfollowers of Christ, and this is
where we'll wrap up everythingthat we've learned into
actionable steps.
So this is going to be soimportant.
So, as we move into this lastlesson, I want you to take a
look at the theme for today whyyou must deal with sinful anger.
We're wrapping up this.
(01:09):
Robert D Jones, study thisexcellent book Uprooting Anger.
Hopefully you've purchased itand we've been providing.
It's been providing us abiblical framework for
understanding anger andaddressing anger in a biblical
way.
Now this last lesson emphasizesthe urgency of dealing with
anger that is sinful in ourlives, and it's not just about
(01:31):
personal peace, but it's for thesake of the gospel, it's for
the sake of the person and workof the Lord Jesus Christ.
We reflect him in this world.
So I want you to open yourhearts and your minds today as
we grow and align our lives withGod's wisdom and purpose.
I'm so glad that you're here aswe conclude this series, and
(01:51):
I'm so glad you're here to learnand grow with us.
Let's jump into the lesson here.
And before we do that, whydon't we dive into trying to
think about where we've been inthe past?
Now I want you to think aboutwhere we've been in these
studies.
Now, if you think about all thethings that we've learned over
the weeks that we've beentogether.
(02:12):
I've given you a series of keypoints and maybe this will be
helpful.
These are foundational indealing with this issue in a
biblical way.
First, we learned that anger isa whole person, negative
reaction of a moral judgmentagainst received wrong.
Now, anger is not merely anemotion.
It engages our thoughts, ourwills and our behavior.
(02:33):
The second thing we've learnedis that we need to recognize
that everyone has an angerproblem.
Now it may show up for you indifferent forms, whether it's
explosive outbursts or simmeringbitterness or quiet resentment.
None of us is immune to it.
That led us to the third thingthat we've seen is that God
(02:53):
calls us to uproot anger fromour hearts.
It's not something, simply,that we do in our own strength,
but it's in full dependence onHis forgiving grace and His
empowering grace.
These are so essential.
The fourth thing I hopefullyyou've learned through this
study is that we've discoveredthat there are specific
strategies for change and thatwe address both the root causes
(03:15):
of anger and its outwardexpressions.
So many counseling strategiesfocus only on the outward
expressions.
The Bible tells us that ourchange is deeply rooted in the
heart, and it's also deeplyrooted in scripture, and it is
guided by the wisdom of God.
That leads us to.
The final thing I want you tothink about is this, and this is
probably the most importantthat we have this marvelous and
(03:38):
wonderful Redeemer, and wedesperately need Him, and it's
only through Christ that we canever experience a heart of
transformation, and it requiresus to truly overcome sin by
resting in Him.
Now we need to hold on to thesetruths as we move forward today
, because what they do is theyprovide a powerful foundation of
why we must deal with sinfulanger and how we can do so with
(04:01):
God's help.
Now let's transition today intoday's lesson, and build on
these foundational truths, andlet's think about why we must
deal with our sinful anger,which is so important.
This is an important piece ofthe puzzle and as we move into
this lesson, it's crucial tounderstand that dealing with
sinful anger is not optional.
(04:21):
I want you to explore themotivations behind this, and
it's a command from God.
The first, in a broad andsweeping sense we must deal with
sinful anger because Godcommands us to.
We've seen this passage multipletimes in our study, but in
Ephesians, chapter 4, verses 22through 24 and verse 31,.
If you remember, paul isexhorting us to put off our old
(04:46):
sinful anger.
Remember, he wants us to putall bitterness and wrath and
anger and to put on a new selfthat reflects the likeness of
Christ.
And similarly, in Colossians,chapter 3, verses 5 through 8,
we're called to put to death thethings that are earthly within
us, and it was anger and rageand malice.
These are commands and theyshow us that sinful anger is not
(05:07):
just something that we cantolerate or excuse.
It is a direct affront to theholiness of God and he calls us
to decisively and intentionallydeal with it.
We got to go against it.
That leads to the second thingthat God doesn't leave us
unequipped for this task.
Now, in Christ, he provides usall that we need to overcome
(05:29):
sinful anger.
It is through his spirit andhis word that God equips us with
the tools necessary for lastingtransformation.
You remember this passage.
We've used it multiple times aswell in Colossians, chapter 2,
verse 9 through 10.
It reminds us that in Christ wehave been made complete and
that he's the source of all ourwisdom and all our power.
And another passage we've usedpreviously is in 2 Timothy,
(05:51):
chapter 3, verse 16 through 17.
And it urges us and it alsoassures us that scripture is
sufficient for teaching, forrebuking, for correcting and
training in righteousness.
And I love this passage in 2Peter, chapter 1, verse 3.
It reminds us that his divinenature, his divine power, has
given us everything that we needfor life and godliness.
It's through the knowledge ofhim.
(06:13):
And so these truths, veryhonestly, should motivate us to
take action against the sinfulanger that we have, not out of
fear, but out of love, out ofreverence for God.
And when we address sinfulanger, we are obeying him,
obeying his commandments, we'rerelying on his provision, but
we're also trusting that he'sthe source of our strength and
(06:35):
he's the sustainer of ourtransformation.
So let's keep these motivationsin mind as we explore practical
ways for dealing with anger inour lives that go out of
alignment of God's will, and howwe can get back into alignment.
Now God supplies us withcompelling motives to deal with
our anger, and so, as we diveinto this, I want you to think
(06:58):
about these three compellingmotives.
They give us what God hasinspired us.
He wants to inspire real,lasting change in your life, and
the reasons aren't justtheoretical.
They touch the core of our verylives our physical and
spiritual health, ourrelationships and our walk with
God.
That God, in his word, providesus with wisdom and clear
(07:18):
direction for dealing with anger.
Now, these reasons give us boththe motivation and the
practical understanding forapproaching anger in a way that
promotes peace and promotesgrowth and promotes obedience.
Now, over the next severalslides, we'll be breaking down
these three reasons even morefurther and in deeper ways, and
it will help us to understandthe importance of how we are to
(07:40):
apply these daily truths in ourlives.
And as we examine these reasons, I encourage you to reflect on
how anger has impacted you inthese areas of your life and how
, god's grace, is a better pathforward.
So let's begin with the veryfirst of these and the very
first of these is that we arecalled to avoid injury and to
promote well-being and ourphysical and spiritual health.
(08:03):
I want you to see those.
So this is a compelling reason.
It's essential.
We need to avoid the injuries,we need to avoid the struggles
in our lives and we need to befocusing on well-being, both for
our physical and spiritual life.
Let's talk physically Now.
We cannot ignore and we'vetalked about this the toll that
anger does on our bodiesphysically Proverbs.
(08:26):
Chapter 14, verse 29 through 30says this whoever pull that up,
whoever is slow to anger, hasgreat understanding, but he who
has hasty temper exalts folly.
A tranquil heart gives life tothe flesh, but envy makes the
bones rot.
Now, I love this passagebecause what it does is it's a
(08:50):
passage that highlights thelife-giving impact of
self-control and destructivepower, unchecked emotions in our
lives.
Anger can lead to physicalmanifestations of stress,
headaches, high blood pressureand even more severe medical
conditions.
And when we allow anger todominate our lives, it invites
these physical harms to our body.
(09:12):
Here's the second thingspiritual life.
So just as anger affects usphysically, spiritual life.
So just as anger affects usphysically, it can also affect
us spiritually.
In Psalm 66, verse 18, it saysthis If I have cherished
iniquity in my heart, the Lordwould not have listened.
Wow, harboring anger disruptsour fellowship with God,
(09:39):
blocking the blessings of avibrant relationship with Him.
Additionally, in Matthew,chapter 5, verses 21 through 22,
it challenges us to considerthat spiritual consequences are
there of anger that was not beendealt with.
Remember, it says you've heardthat it was said from those of
old that you shall not murderand whoever murders will be
liable to the judgment.
But I say to you that everyonewho is angry with his brother is
liable to the judgment.
Now, I say to you that everyonewho is angry with his brother
is liable to the judgment.
(10:00):
Now, what this does is it showsthat anger isn't just about a
surface level issue.
It's about a heart issue thatimpacts a wall with God.
By addressing anger, we takeactive steps towards this
holistic health, caring for bothour physical bodies but also
nurturing our spiritualconnection with God, and this
dual focus helps us to glorifyGod in all aspects of our lives,
(10:24):
both physically and spiritually.
That moves us to the secondreason that the Bible gives us
and that the study gives us isthis that avoiding damage to and
promoting growth in ourinterpersonal relationships.
This is a powerful reason.
The second reason is soimportant.
Relationships are the centralto how we live this life, and
(10:48):
relationships are so vital.
God has called us to be inrelationship with him and also
relationship with others.
Relationships are the centralof how we live at our faith and
how we fulfill God'scommandments.
Anger, when it's left unchecked,has the potential to cause
significant damage in ourrelationships and connections
with others, and what it does isthat if we don't address it, it
(11:09):
creates problems, but byaddressing it biblically, it
promotes growth and healing inour lives and our relationships.
The second thing is thatavoiding damage.
In Ephesians, chapter 4, whichwe already talked about in 26
and 27, and then again in verse31, you remember it says be
angry and do not sin.
Do not let the sun go down onyour anger.
But then you remember what itsays Do not give the devil an
(11:32):
opportunity.
And in Ephesians 4, verse 31,it goes on to say all bitterness
, wrath and anger and clamor andslander be put away from you,
along with all malice.
What we find is that anger,when it is left unchecked,
creates an opportunity for theenemy, the devil, to sow discord
and bitterness and division.
And the longer we hold on toanger, the the deeper it wounds
(11:55):
our relationships, be it withour family or friends or members
of our community.
Now, the third thing we seehere is it promotes growth right
On the positive side.
Anger addressing anger in godlyways, can foster growth and
harmony in our relationships.
And we see that in Colossians.
It tells us to be part of a newlife, a new life in Christ, and
(12:16):
when we do that, we're activelypursuing reconciliation.
We a new life in Christ, andwhen we do that we're actively
pursuing reconciliation.
We're choosing to extend grace,and when we do that, what it
does is it mirrors the characterof God and it creates an
environment where trust and lovecan flourish.
Now I want you to imagine howmuch healthier our families, our
friendships, our churchcommunities would be if we
(12:37):
practiced these principlesregularly, and how often would
things change so radically?
And when we take the time todeal with anger biblically,
we're not only able to preventfurther harm, but we're also
strengthening the bonds thatmatter most.
They reflect on how God canactively protect and nurture
relationships with him and alsorelationships with others.
(13:00):
Well, let's move on to the thirdreason.
The third reason is alsoimportant it avoids God's
displeasure and brings honor anddelight to him.
This is so important becausethis is the third reason why, at
its core, anger that is leftunchecked displeases God because
what it does is itmisrepresents his character, it
(13:21):
misrepresents him and we fallshort of his design for our
lives.
However, as we address anger,we overcome sinful anger, we
honor him and we delight in himand we reflect his grace, we
reflect his righteousness in theworld.
Well, let's look first atavoiding displeasing God.
We've already seen it inEphesians, chapter 4, verse 30.
(13:42):
We've seen this in our study.
It reminds us of the weight ofour actions in our relationship
to God.
It says Do not grieve the HolySpirit by whom you were sealed
on the day of redemption.
So when we harbor anger, whenwe harbor bitterness or malice,
we grieve the holy spirit.
Our attitudes, our behaviorscan disrupt our fellowship with
(14:02):
god and as we do these things,it goes contrary to his nature
of of love, of patience, ofpeace.
In james, chapter 1, it furtheremphasizes this.
It tells us that.
I know this, my, my belovedbrother, let anyone be quick to
hear, slow to speak and slow tobecome angry, for the anger of
man does not achieve therighteousness of God One of the
(14:25):
first verses I memorized when Imemorized this book.
And our human anger often arisesfrom a self-centered motive and
it rarely accomplishes God'spurposes.
Instead, when we allow anger tofester, we allow this to become
almost cancerous in ourrelationships.
We're called to reflect Hisrighteousness.
We're called to reflect Hislove, his patience, his goodness
(14:47):
in our responses.
Now that brings us to bringingHim honor and delight.
On the positive side, dealingwith our anger biblically honors
God and it delightsights Himand it aligns our hearts with
His will.
In 1 Timothy 2, verse 8, it saysI desire then that every place
that men should pray, lifting upholy hands without anger or
(15:11):
quarreling.
So it's lifting up those holyhands that have been blessed by
God and doing that without angeror quarreling in our lives.
Now, when we do that, we'rechoosing to release anger and to
pursue godly responses and webecome vessels through which he
can show his love and his peaceand that can flow out of us.
(15:32):
I often say God wants to workin you and then he wants to work
through you, and this not onlypleases him, but it also serves
as a witness to others.
And every time we surrender ouranger to God, we declare our
trust in his sovereignty and ourwillingness to follow his ways.
It brings him delight becausewe're committing our lives to
(15:53):
living as his children.
We're guided by his word andspirit, and it affects our
relationships with others.
So I want you to take a momentto reflect.
Are there areas in your lifewhere unresolved anger might be
grieving the spirit, and how canyou honor God today by
surrendering that anger todayand choosing to respond with a
(16:14):
way that reflects his character,his character of love and grace
and peace?
Now, as we move towardswrapping this lesson up, let's
revisit the key motivations andstrategies for dealing with
anger.
Each of these steps that we'vediscussed help us to live a life
that is more fully aligned withGod's will, experiencing the
freedom and the joy that heoffers us.
(16:36):
So I want you to consider thisquote here that, as we consider
addressing sinful anger, I wantyou to see this that this point
drives home the gravity of theimpact that sinful anger can
have in our lives.
It dishonors God, it displeasesHim and it offends Him.
(16:57):
I know that this is not easy tosee.
It's not easy to read either,but this is not a small issue
when we give in to sinful anger,we step outside of God's will
and we misrepresent hischaracter.
God, in his holiness, calls usto be ambassadors of his love
and his peace and his grace, butwhen we allow anger to control
(17:19):
us instead, we're reflecting adistorted picture of who he is
to those around us.
Let's look at each one of thesestatements dishonoring the Lord
.
Sinful anger dishonors the Lordbecause it prioritizes our
desires, our frustrations, ouremotions above his commands and
his character.
And when we allow anger todictate our words and our
(17:40):
actions, we're essentiallysaying that our way, our will,
our justice take precedence overGod's sovereignty and
righteousness.
And then what you think aboutdispleasing the Lord?
We've already seen this that inEphesians, chapter 4, verse 30,
we're grieving the Holy Spirit.
Our unrestrained angerdispleases God because it
(18:00):
disrupts our fellowship with Himand it stands in direct
opposition to His character.
The Lord is slow to anger andabounding in steadfast love, and
he calls us to reflect thosesame traits and characteristics
in our relationships.
And probably the worst of allis that last phrase.
At worst, it is offending theLord.
We're directly challengingGod's authority and his holiness
(18:23):
.
It's an offense against the onewho has created us for his
glory, because it reveals aheart that is not fully
surrendered to him and, insteadof submitting to his will,
sinful anger clings to our pride, our selfishness, our lack of
trust in his justice.
But you see the cross here.
The cross reminds us of what isat stake that Jesus bore the
(18:43):
penalty for our sins and thatincludes our sinful anger so
that we can live lives ofholiness and peace.
And every time we dishonor himthrough our anger, we lose sight
of his grace, we lose sight ofthe cross, the grace that he's
extended to us through thegospel.
And as we reflect on this truth, let us ask ourselves these
(19:03):
questions Is there anger in ourlives that dishonor God?
I want you to really thinkabout that.
Is there anger there in yourlife that is clearly not
representing Him?
Or have I allowed, or have weallowed, our emotions to take
precedent over calls to glorifyHim?
See, today we can take theopportunity to turn back to God,
(19:25):
to repent of that.
We can seek his help in a waythat brings honor to his name.
So, as we close this finalsession, I want you to think
about uprooting anger and I wantyou to take a moment to reflect
on the journey that we've beenon together Over these past
several weeks.
We've examined anger from everyangle its root, its expression,
its consequences, but, moreimportantly, the path to freedom
(19:48):
through the person and work ofChrist and through the gospel of
the Lord Jesus Christ.
Anger, as we've seen it, is notjust a passing emotion, it's
whole person, do you remember?
It's a reaction of our mind,our hearts, our wills to the
perceived wrong.
Now, while anger itself can berighteous when it aligns with
God's purposes, sinful angeremerges when it is driven by our
(20:11):
own desires or pride or unmetexpectations.
And the beauty of the gospel isthis that it provides us both
the opportunity to diagnose thatsinful anger.
But it also points us to thecure, his grace.
And through this series we'veuncovered a number of biblical
truths.
These biblical truths, I hope,have guided you and helped you.
(20:35):
We've seen the importance ofrecognizing that anger is at its
root and there are some causesthat are there.
It's not just the surfacethings that we do and that we've
also explored, that God callsus to replace simple anger with
words and actions that honor Him.
And we've also seen how God'sSpirit and His Word can equip us
(20:58):
to live lives that are markedby peace and grace and
Christlike love.
But, as we conclude, let meremind you of this this is not
the end of our journey.
Uprooting anger is not just aone-time event, but it's a daily
commitment to surrender ourhearts to God, relying on His
Spirit and trusting in Histransformative power.
(21:18):
And as you move forward, Iencourage you to reflect on the
lessons that we've learned andthat we've uncovered, and I want
you to revisit the scripturesthat we've spoken about in our
heart.
Now, when you do that, I wantyou to also think about seeking
accountability in yourrelationships, inviting a
trusted friend or a familymember to walk alongside you in
this journey and, above all,remember that victory over anger
(21:42):
is not about striving in yourown strength, but what it is is
about relying and leaning on thesufficiency of Christ's grace.
As we conclude our sessiontoday, I want you to wrap up
this transformative series onuprooting anger.
I want you to think about thisthis is a journey, and this
journey is one that has beguntoday and it will continue for
(22:04):
the rest of your lives.
I want to sincerely thank youfor joining us on this journey.
Over the last 10 weeks and overthe past weeks, we've explored
the root, the effect and thesolutions of anger, and we've
seen it through the lens of thiswonderful book by Robert D
Jones.
So now I want you to thinkabout this.
I want you to consider that ifyou haven't been to my website,
(22:29):
jameslongjrorg, you've missed alot of resources.
Actually, at the last count, Ibelieve I have almost a thousand
pieces of resources on thewebsite, all for yours,
completely free.
I would love it if you would goto the website jameslongjrorg
to explore more resourcesarticles, videos.
We even have courses there.
Those will be charged, though,and there are opportunities to
(22:53):
understand and to apply God'sword.
Now, if you want to join ourmembership or coaching program,
which I've talked about before,you can gain a wealth of tools
and a supportive community, butyou also can get coaching with
us.
There is jameslongjrorg, andthen you just hit slash join now
.
So, whether you're looking forweekly coaching or a
(23:15):
comprehensive program like ourTime for Change course, our
membership levels are designedto meet you where you are
spiritually and to help you growpersonally.
So, once again, if you want toexplore those options, I would
consider asking you to go tojameslongjrorg slash join now.
I thank you for being a part ofthis study.
(23:35):
May God bless you as you workthrough these things.
I want to see how God works inyour life and through your life.
Let me pray for you as we closetoday.
So, lord, I thank you for allthat you are and all that you do
.
I thank you for your son, theLord Jesus Christ.
We thank you for the amazingblessing that he is.
I thank you for the fact thatyou show us our sinful anger.
(23:58):
You point us to the diagnosisof it, but then you point us to
the cure.
It's not about us, it's aboutyour son, that it's in his work
on the cross that we areforgiven.
It's in his work on the crossthat we are set free from sin.
It's in his work on the crossthat we are given a family in
Christ and it's in his work onthe cross that we have a future.
(24:19):
I thank you for the empty tomb.
That provides us hope thatyou've accepted his payment.
Thank you for his ascension andthe fact that he's enthroned.
He's in heaven right nowpraying for us.
So I pray that that would be anamazing thing that transforms
our hearts and our minds.
So bless us and keep us, Lord,make your face to shine upon us
(24:40):
and be gracious to us, lift upyour countenance upon us and
grant us your peace In Jesus'matchless, holy and powerful
name.
We pray Amen.
Well, thank you again for beingwith us.
I pray that you would live alife of purpose, live for his
grace and live for his glory.
Take time to worship.
Well, I pray that you have awonderful Thanksgiving with
(25:03):
family and friends.
Remind yourself of what Christhas done for you.
Take care Until next time.
Be blessed.
Popular Podcasts
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com
The Bobby Bones Show
Listen to 'The Bobby Bones Show' by downloading the daily full replay.