“Righteous anger bears redemptive fruit. In righteous anger, we join God in anger toward evil. It is an anger we feel with God, not at God. This kind of anger moves us toward acts of faith and love and true justice. Righteous anger feels grief (Mark 3:5), and because it is actually an expression of love–a deep displeasure over the way evil defames God and destroys people–it is not arrogant or rude or stubborn or resentful (1 Corinthians 13:4-5). It does not, in reality or fantasy, want revenge (Romans 12:19-20). And since we join God in this love-induced displeasure, it moves toward prayer.  But sinful anger does not bear redemptive fruit. Rather, it leaves us with a grey, burned-over barrenness of exasperated frustration. It produces a sour feeling in the pit of our gut. Sinful anger alienates us from God. It does not move us toward   acts of faith and love and true justice, but rather toward acts of selfishness like sullen withdrawal, irritability, and grief of self-pity, not godly grief over evil. And it produces the cancer of cynicism that eats away at faith, eroding our desire to pray.

This post is from John Piper’ website “Desiring God” written by  Jon Bloom, How to Kill Sinful Anger

“The anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God.” (James 1:20)

 

How can we know if our anger is not righteous?  •  Weekly Spiritual Checkup • April 24, 2016

 

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