Good anger and bad anger don’t mix. It is important to recognize that not all bad that happens is a direct result of God’s anger. By that, I mean that God isn’t on duty looking for people to zap out of anger for their injustices. Neither can we lay the responsibility for all bad things at His feet. There are laws at work that make this a livable planet for us to enjoy. Some person or group of persons can defy those laws and pay a dear price for it. It would not be appropriate to say “God in His anger zapped that person or group of people for some wrong doing. The tragedy of 9/11 is an example. He didn’t command us to build tall buildings we call “skyscrapers” or to devise airplanes to fly like birds. He allows us to do such things but all his laws are still working. Gasoline explodes; gravity pulls planes and buildings down; people choose to follow the wrong god, etc. The people who lost their lives in that horrible event were not on some divine hate list that God keeps. Many of them went to heaven because they loved God and followed Jesus. It was still a bad thing that came about because of evil devised by those who serve a god who is no god at all (Isaiah 45:5).
Yes, it is true, “Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows” (James 1:7). So in one sense every good thing done has at its root, God. But please don’t let that overshadow the reality that Pastor Steve has mentioned on more than one occasion, there are good people who do good things who are not intentionally following God’s way in Jesus Christ. Good happens!
There is room for his anger for specific wrong-doing that defies spiritual laws and violates other’s well-being. A person’s evil may get to a place beyond repentance that God moves in with wrath like He did with Sodom and Gomorrah. Bad anger and God’s anger don’t mix because God’s anger annihilates the bad.
I would also want you to remember that “good” anger is desired when in the presence of injustices. Ephesians 4:26 tells us anger is appropriate but do not let it become sinful by turning into bitterness and revenge. It is not only appropriate but necessary to get angry over child molesters and other evils. In other words, God isn’t the only one who has good anger and He isn’t the only one who does good.
In summary, try to maintain clarity about how God is involved in the affairs of mankind. -David Corts
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1 comment:
I really appreciate your explanation of this topic, David. It is one of the most clear and concise answers to a very important question that I think most of us struggle with from time to time.
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