Proverbs 19:19. A man of great wrath will pay the penalty, for if you deliver him, you will only have to do it again.
We all know that anger (wrath) is one of the most dangerous things you can harbor inside of you. There is anger that comes and goes depending on our circumstances, but then there is deep seated anger that we carry around with us. That is the anger today’s proverb is describing here. We might call it having a temper. But whatever we call it, the person with uncontrolled anger is heading for disaster.
The proverb doesn’t say exactly what the penalty will be for the angry person, but we can use our imaginations. Angry people tend to destroy their relationships. They end up isolated from others that they love because their anger has alienated everyone. No one wants to be around an angry, wrathful, person. Such people are often unpredictable. And the truth is that their anger is addictive. This is why if you deliver them you will only have to do it again. Again, we are not talking about a person who occasionally gets angry; we all do that. We are talking about the person who lives in and from their anger. Anger is their path. Their way of life. The warning of the proverb is that bailing out the angry person without dealing with the source of their anger is an exercise in futility.
When Paul talks about anger in the New Testament he lists it among the worst of evils.
Ephesians 4:31-32. 31Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. 32Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.
Quick-tempered anger is not just unproductive, it is wicked. Wrath is not just a character flaw, it is sin. It is to be put away and replaced with the kindness of Christ.
Easier said than done? Of course. But it can be done. In Christ we have everything that we need for life and godliness. Even the godliness that puts away bitterness, wrath, and anger. But how? How do we put away anger? The same way we put away every sin. By faith. Faith in the finished work of Christ and faith in the ongoing work of Christ.
The finished work of Christ has set us free from the power of sin – sin’s condemnation and control. Because of the cross, God is no longer angry with me. His wrath has been satisfied. All the pressure is off. We are free to be who God made us to be. Why do we get angry? Our anger flows from our loves. We get angry because something we love is being threatened. But in Christ nothing is ever threatened.
The ongoing work of Christ is a work that he will complete in you. One day you will never be angry again. One day all of your wrath will be satisfied by the very presence of Jesus. The question is, can we fight our anger today knowing that one day there will be no more need for anger?
The Holy Spirit in you says that you can. In fact, he believes that you can be kind, tender-hearted and forgiving instead. Just like Christ. Just like Christ in you.
You: Are you angry? Does your wrath repeat itself over and over?
You in Christ: How can trusting that God is no angry with you allow you to put off your own anger?
Christ in you: How can you replace anger with kindness today? Be specific.
Pray: Father, your righteous wrath toward my sin has been satisfied in Christ. Let my wrath be satisfied in Christ too. Amen.
To Live is Christ 