There is such a thing as righteous anger, but we are rarely angry in a righteous way. Most of the time, human anger is unrighteous, selfish anger. This sinful anger creates a host of problems in our lives and hinders the work of the Holy Spirit in us. As James 1:19-20 says, “Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath: For the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God.”

The devastating effects of sinful anger are vividly demonstrated in the story of Cain and Abel in Genesis 4. God accepted Abel’s sacrifice and not Cain’s because Abel’s sacrifice followed God’s pattern. Instead of taking responsibility for his mistake, Cain became “wroth, and his countenance fell.” God lovingly rebuked Cain for this response, but still he would not repent. Soon, Cain murdered his brother in anger.

 

When confronted again by God, Cain still refused to accept responsibility for what he had done, and was consequently judged by God. Cain’s sinful anger was, at its core, a rebellious refusal to take responsibility for his actions. We do not like to admit fault. Our pride is hurt when our failures are pointed out. It causes us to become upset, which in turn changes our mood and appearance. Instead of owning up to our mistakes, we shift the blame. We double down, become harsh and hurtful. We deny the diagnosis and lash out, attacking the messenger, even if the messenger was only providing the contrast that revealed our deficiencies.

The danger of anger is that if we never take responsibility for our sins, we will continually experience the judgment that sin brings. The answer is to humble ourselves, admit our faults, confess our sin, and receive God’s mercy. When your faults are pointed out, humble yourself and accept responsibility. Do not let anger destroy your relationship with God and others.

Do you look forward to the day when you will see God in person? If you are saved, then you should. What we see on earth so often leads to frustration and disappointment. King David experiences this, as oftentimes his enemies seemed to be enjoying life while he was struggling along. He had to remind himself that while the wicked may enjoy brief pleasures on earth, the righteous will enjoy the Lord for eternity. He wrote in Psalm 17:15, “As for me, I will behold thy face in righteousness: I shall be satisfied, when I awake, with thy likeness.”

There is coming a day when all who have been saved from their sin will see God in perfect righteousness. On that day, we will be changed to be like Him, just as we were originally created to be. That is something great to look forward to!

But we do not have to wait until heaven to experience some of the joy and satisfaction that God’s likeness brings. We can see God now if our hearts are right with him, and as we behold God’s likeness, we are changed into that image. This progressive sanctification into the image of God brings more and more fulfillment, joy, and peace.

Most people live for instant gratification, but as God’s people, we should live for the satisfaction that the beholding of God’s likeness and becoming more like Him brings. Though the final installment of that satisfaction will not come until we get to heaven, it is an eternal satisfaction that will never fade away.

In Luke 10:25-37, Jesus' Parable of the Good Samaritan answers a lawyer's question, "and who is my neighbor?" A man, beaten, robbed, and left half dead, is passed by those expected to help-a priest and a Levite. Yet a Samaritan, despised by many, saw his desperate need, stopped, and sacrificed time and resources to save him. Jesus shows the lawyer and us our spiritual brokenness and the hopelessness of those around us. As the ultimate Good Samaritan, Jesus declared, "For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost" (Luke 19:10). Being a neighbor means seeing the spiritual lost, stopping to act, and showing Christ-like love through mercy. Will you reflect His compassion by reaching those in physical and spiritual need? The call is clear: see the broken, stop to help, and show love through sacrifice. Be a real hero in a hurting world, mirroring the Savior who sought and saved us.

Most people don’t like to stand out from the crowd. Something in our nature urges us to go along with what appears to be the popular opinion of the moment. Perhaps it is our desire to be accepted or to feel validated, but whatever the cause, we are all susceptible to being swept along with the culture's current.
Nowhere is this more vividly illustrated than in the rapid change in the public opinion of Jesus the week before His crucifixion. He rode into town at the beginning of the week to shouts of “Hosanna to the Son of David: Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord; Hosanna in the highest.” (Matthew 21:9) The week ended with those same crowds screaming, “Away with him, away with him, crucify him,” and “We have no king but Caesar.” (John 19:15)
What changed? Certain agitators, the chief priests and elders, took advantage of the fickleness of human nature and the propensity of people to follow the crowd and turned the people against Jesus. “But the chief priests and elders persuaded the multitude that they should ask Barabbas, and destroy Jesus.” (Matthew 27:20)
Many of the people who proclaimed Jesus’ praise one day demanded his punishment seven days later. They were not true followers of Jesus. They were cultural Christians. Sadly, many “Christians” today are no different. They will identify with Jesus as long as it is popular, but when the mood around them shifts, they abandon Him. They call themselves Christian because their family is Christian or their community is predominately Christian, but in their heart, they are following the crowd, not Christ. When it is no longer convenient to follow Christ, they walk away. Don’t be a “Cultural Christian.” Be a committed Christian who follows Christ no matter what the crowd does.