DAILY VITAMIN

- Is Anger Really A Sin?

"Be ye Angry, and sin not..." (Ephesians 4:26)

Anger; is it a sin? This is one of the most debateable premise in most church meetings about the subject. So, here's my take: Anger is not a sin. Yes you heard that right; it isn't, rather it is the acttions of anger that is considered sin.

Don't worry, I'll explain.

As the theme scripture says, it is normal to get angry at times, but when sin comes in then it becomes something evil. So, it's not a matter of how often we get angry, but one of how we channel that anger. Let's consider cain. After God rejected his offering, scripture says he was angry as most people are when rejected, yet notice what God said "...if thou does not well, sin lieth at the door." (Gen 4:7). Thus, while it is not untrue that sin sneaks behind the angry, it is what he or she does that gives it the leeway it needs to thrive. And what did cain do? He went ahead and slew Abel, and as a result sinned.

Next consider Jesus. He was angry a lot of times, so angry in fact at one point He whipped some disrespecters of the Holy Temple out, yet it is said He never sinned (Heb 4:15). You see, anger is a natural response to displeasure. Even God is said to be angry with wickedness daily (Psalm 7:11). In fact, sometimes the scripture refer to the wrath of God. But if anger on its own, as a lone emotion, is a sin and God possesses it most days, then is it safe to say that God is a sinner? 

No. 

That's where definitions come to place. To understand what things really are, we have to understand why God made them and what possibilities can come alive through them--whether good or bad.

So, in this case, anger can be likened to money. Money isn't evil, but evil things can be done with it, just as good. It is a neutral commodity, and only the users can be blamed for what it achieves. Same with anger. For instance, when Jesus grew angry with the leaders of the synangogue who didn't want the man with the withered hand to be healed, what did he do? He went ahead and healed him. he did because he was angry with their lack of empathy and compassion (Mark 3:1-5) the same way He was at the depravity He witnessed at the Temple the other time. 

Therefore, don't feel bad when you catch yourself getting upset when people indulge in morally unaccepted things. Don't let the unscriptural teaching that all feelings of anger is sinful weigh you down. In fact, there'd be something wrong with you if you didn't get angry. Light has no acceptance for darkness, nor righteousness for sin. So, not anger, but the rash afterthoughts and acts of anger, is sin.