Is Anger A Sin?

Hate is a strong word.  “I hate this weather.  I hate tacos.  I hate flip flops.”  Seriously?  Can you really hate Mexican food in the same way you hate child abuse?  Hate is a strong word that is overused and generalized.  Hate is a sin.  “But wait pastor, should you not hate sin, the devil, injustice, and abuse?”  Absolutely!  But that isn’t where we use or hear the word “hate” predominately used.  The word “hate” is almost always used in reference to being mad, angry, or furious at someone in how they have wronged you.  Being wronged can upset you – I’ve been there.  I hear everyday how someone hates another person because of what they have done to them. 

“I may hate them but I would never act on it or kill anyone over it?”  Really?  One of the Ten Commandments is “Thou shall not murder.”  “Easy”, you say. “I would never take the life of another human.  I may be angry in my heart with them but that isn’t as bad as acting on that hate.  I can control my anger.  Didn’t Jesus say I could get angry and not sin?”  Actually that was Paul (Ephesians 4:26) and he wasn’t saying it’s OK to get angry but if you do get angry run from it so you don’t sin.  Paul then said don’t let the sun go down on your anger, which means to handle your anger properly and quickly before it leads to sin. “Well, didn’t Jesus get angry?”

Let’s see how Jesus showed anger a few times in Scripture.  He was angry at the sin of hypocrisy  in the Pharisees (Matthew 23).  He was angry with Peter for acting like the Devil (Matthew 16:23), angry at the hardness of hearts of people (Mark 3:5), angry with the actions of those who kept children away from Him (Mark 10:14), and angry with the actions of those defiling the temple by robbing people in it (Mark 11:15-18).  These are all examples of righteous anger which is being angry at sin.  Jesus loved people, and was angry at their sin.  There is a difference.

Jesus expanded the sin of anger when he preached His Sermon on the Mount.  Matthew 5:21-22 tells being angry with someone in your heart (not acting on it in any way) makes you guilty to judgment like you committed murder.  Jesus wasn’t saying it was wrong to murder here – that was understood.  He was saying it was wrong to hate – which is murder in your heart.  You know when you hate someone – you can’t stand to be around them, when they walk into a room you get anxious and your blood pressure rises, and a myriad of bad thoughts take you captive at the mention of their name.  This type of hate is destroying and paralyzing you.  You need to repent to God, forgive that person, and stop letting the sin of hate hold you captive. 

“But they wronged me!”  Maybe that’s true.  But Scripture tells us to “get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander, as well as all types of evil behavior.  Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you” (Ephesians 4:31-32).  Are you an Ephesians 4:31 person or and Ephesians 4:32 person?  Maybe you would never literally kill them but you’ve killed them 1,000 times in your head and heart.  Jesus said to love your enemies and pray for those who do you harm so that you will be children of God (Matthew 5:43-45).  Maybe what you should be hating is hate itself and sin instead of people who are not our enemies (Ephesians 6:12)?  

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Is Abortion Right or Wrong?

I was horrified by the gruesome scenes while watching the story of Kermit Gosnell, abortionist doctor from Philadelphia. Watch about it here.  It caused me to think about abortion and the precious life God has given us all.  Think about the following: 

What if I told you I had thoughts of killing my kids?  I’m not talking about being mad as a parent and speaking in hyperbole.  I mean real thoughts of murdering them.  The sane person would instantly begin to attempt to discern my intentions while they stayed with me to ensure the safety of my children.  They would also, regardless of relationship, report me to local authorities who would in turn launch an investigation into my psychological condition and most likely take necessary measures to place my children in a background checked, well-trained, certified safe environment like foster care or appropriate relatives.  I would be subject to constant evaluation of my personal sanity and parental ability.  Petitions and actions would be taken by those who love and don't even know my kids to terminate my parental rights.

I would be labeled unstable, crazy, horrible, monster, and deemed unfit to be a parent.  Sure I would be given opportunity to receive help and healing from my inappropriate and gruesome mental status but still unfit I would be termed.   This reaction was spurred by concerned, loving citizens all from mere thoughts and, up this point, is free from actions or signs of abuse.  Love for my children stepped in certainly before death but even before minor harm like bruises, scrapes, and other non-life-threatening injuries could occur.  Those who stepped in would be heralded by society as heroes and I the villain.  Who wouldn’t protect innocent children from potential danger?  Now my children would be viewed as having a safe environment and a second chance at making the most of their limitless futures.  They would be free from the tyranny of a troubled dad bent on causing them potential harm.

Now what if I told you I wanted to abort my children?  Abort my daughter, whose brain and spinal cord developed during the first month.   Who would be able to walk away without punishment from damaging the brain and spinal cord of anyone already born?  Abort my son, whose fingers and toes, ears and organs have all formed during his second month.  Who would be able to escape the legality of mutilating those parts of those already born? Abort my daughter, whose heart is now beating at week 8 and is opening her mouth, squinting her eyes, flexing her fingers, and stretching her limbs – all while about the size of a grape.  Surely, I’d be arrested and face stiff penalties for harming these rights of those already born.  Surely my son and daughters are alive at this point and deserving of life?  What would be the reaction if I merely told you of my thoughts to abort? 

Some would advise against abortion but no law would be concerned about my thought of it.  Some would encourage me to take action upon my Constitutional freedom to choose abortion.   But was it me who actually chose to start their lives in the first place?  No matter – my freedom to choose freedom is what is really at stake.  Democracy, they say - exercising my rights as an American citizen, is the real issue – not life.  Men have died on battlefields to obtain the right for me to kill my children in the womb and they also died to imprison me if even attempted murder outside of the womb.    

God is good though.  I’m glad He gave my wife and I His love, wisdom, and compassion to chose life for our children – as if we could elevate ourselves to the position of God to choose otherwise.  I believe murder is sin - inside and outside the womb.  Abortion is just a fancy word for murder in the womb like affair is a fancy word for adultery.  Both attempting to scale down the seriousness of sin.  Children are a blessing from the Lord – a reward.  We are blessed to have them and they will never be put to shame (Psalm 127:3-5).   I’m humbled God would trust me with precious lives to shape, lead, and nurture.  I’m proud to be a dad who isn’t perfect but empowered by a God who is.   I’m thankful the Lord knit my family together in our mother’s wombs and saw our yet unformed wonderfully made bodies (Psalm 139:13-16).   Before we were born, He called us (Isaiah 49:1).  Before He formed my family He knew us (Jeremiah 1:4-5).  Thank you for giving us life and entrusting us with the joy of parenting.  Thank you for grace, mercy, forgiveness, love, healing and restoration in our worst sins.  Thank you for those same life-giving attributes accessible to others when they have wrongly chosen to end the beautiful lives You have created inside and outside the womb.   You died to give us life abundantly (John 10:10) – all of us. 

Don't Rush Love

You will never be fulfilled with sex outside of marriage. What most people are looking for in sex is love. Still others are only looking for lust. Our culture will lie to you about what love really is and how you obtain it. Don’t think culture lies? Remember bellbottoms and parachute pants? What about fanny packs and leisure suits? Culture lied to us and said they were stylish. Kidding aside, if we look to culture or television to find real love, we will be disappointed. The pseudo love that dominates the airwaves and mainstream media will leave you unfulfilled and full of regret.

There is a hole in your heart that neither you nor any other person will be able to fill. John 4 tells about a woman who had a myriad of relationships-gone-bad. She already had five failed marriages and was living with a guy. What she needed, and Jesus gave it to her, was “living water.” Moving in together, premarital sex, relationship hopping, and the world’s way of dating will not fulfill you. Neither will a marriage apart from Christ. Only a relationship with Jesus will sustain and enrich your life and allow you to have fruitful relationships. If you have had one bad relationship after another then what you need is the Lord first and foremost. He will never leave you nor turn His back on you.

If you are single, don’t be obsessed with trying to find the right person. Sometimes people settle for whoever comes along just so they won’t be lonely. Doing so may compromise discovering God’s best. God will bring the right person to you at the right time. He took the initiative to bring Eve to Adam to complete Him (Genesis 2). Start seeking the Lord’s righteousness and Kingdom first and then He will give you the desires of your heart (Matthew 6:33).

What do you need in a mate? First is inner beauty. That only comes through a surrendered life to Christ. For the Christian, you should look for someone who is already serving the Lord and faithful to His church. A woman or man whom God is changing is a magnetic and beautiful thing. Get your eyes off outward beauty. The more media influences you the more unsatisfied you will be with your body and that of your mate. Why? Spend more time in prayer and in the Bible than you do working out or looking in a mirror. Beauty is fleeting but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised (Proverbs 31:30).

Don’t rush your relationship. Love that is genuine will last. In Genesis 29:20 Jacob worked for Rachel’s father seven years before he could marry her. 1 Corinthians 13 reminds us that love is patient. “Agape” is the unconditional, sacrificial, covenantal love that doesn’t seek its own or desire anything in return. “Eros” (where we get the word erotic) is merely physical attraction where you want something from someone. “Phileo” is friend and family love but also desires something in return. You must base your relationship, especially marriage, on agape. Sex is a good thing. God created it, but for His context. That is where it brings blessing and fulfillment.

God has the master plan for your life. Look to Him for it and don’t rush. Rushing anything usually leads to pain and destruction. Live a life fully devoted to Him and He will direct your path. Let Him fill that emptiness in your heart. Afterwards, everything He adds to it will bring a blessing.

Is Tolerance Biblical?

“…in the last days scoffers will come, mocking the truth and following their own desires. - 2 Peter 3:3

Today more than ever tolerance has come to mean everyone must accept anything, especially sin. Sin the Bible speaks directly against such as adultery, abortion, divorce, fornication, homosexuality, sorcery, idolatry, lying, and many others are today considered morally good in certain circles. Satan convinces the world by manipulation, lies, and deception so it will tolerate what God does not. John 3:16 used to be the most quoted verse but it seems to be replaced by “judge not lest ye be judged", although most people have no idea where it is in the Bible or in what context it was written. Tolerance has been redefined. It is no longer treating people with respect and kindness even if we believe they are wrong. It now means no one can hold any absolute truths except that there are no absolutes.

Many people consider themselves to be “spiritual”. This usually means they are not into “organized religion” and pick and choose what they believe, creating their own belief system. G.K. Chesterton said, “Tolerance is the virtue of men who don’t believe in anything.” Today’s definition of tolerance puts the power to determine right or wrong in the hands of people rather than God. Once a local college professor told me, “All roads lead to God.” I agreed with him, and it shocked him. I said, “Yes, all roads lead to God, but not all roads lead to Heaven.” Scripture is clear that all will stand before God one day (Hebrews 9:27; Romans 2:16) but not everyone will enter (Matthew 7:13-14, 21; Revelation 21:8) because a relationship Jesus is the only way to get there (John 3:16; John 14:6).

Usually the most intolerant people are those who talk the most about tolerance. It seems that one cannot take a stand on anything today except tolerance. Christians are labeled intolerant but it is not true about those who truly follow Scripture and Jesus’ example. Jesus was tolerant of the Samaritan woman (whom the Jews had nothing to do with in that day) but lovingly exposed her sin and took time with her to explain eternal life (John 4:7-27). He did the same with Zacchaeus, the rich young ruler, and everyone He came in contact with. Christians shouldn’t try to force their beliefs on anyone but should lovingly attempt to persuade those in need of Christ through love and compassion in their talk and actions (Luke 6:27-28).

Tolerating sin is not a spiritual gift. It is relativism and pluralism. Can every man have an opinion? Sure. Is every man right? How can they be? Proverbs 14:12, “There is a way which seems right unto a man, but the end leads to death.” Absolute truth, while only 52% believe in it, is still truth. Just because you don’t believe in something doesn’t make it false and just because you believe in something doesn’t make it true. Truth is what it is. God’s Word is 100% true and it will set you free (John 8:32).

Absolute truth has become politically incorrect these days. Today’s culture has declared war on Biblical standards and God’s morality. Compromise to Scripture has become the virtue and those devoted to truth of Scripture are seen as offensive and irrelevant. Scripture is plain in areas some define as gray. Christians must embrace truth and morality in black and white terms as defined by Scripture in a loving yet unapologetic manner. God’s truth may not be what people want to hear but it is truth nonetheless.