West Park Baptist Church

Loving God, Loving People, Impacting the World

Counsel for the Heart

Counsel for the Heart: Tools for Restoration (Gal. 6:1-5)

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It’s been very instructive for me to focus on the fruit of the Spirit. In the average daily struggle, calling to mind my Comforter and Counselor and Agent of true change has been such a help!

How has it been for you to study the spiritual fruit? We have one more time together today to dig into the practical method of walking by the Spirit, evidencing His fruit and applying it in the restoration of fellow believers.

Galatians 6:1–5

[1] Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted. [2] Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ. [3] For if anyone thinks he is something, when he is nothing, he deceives himself. [4] But let each one test his own work, and then his reason to boast will be in himself alone and not in his neighbor. [5] For each will have to bear his own load. (ESV)

Getting to the Heart:

We learned yesterday that the Lord Jesus is in the process of restoring each of us to His image. He is the absolute best at the work of restoration. He sees the finished product, and just as one house is different from another, so the Lord knows the uniqueness of every believer. As a Master carpenter, Jesus knows all about using tools, and his main tools in the people restoration projects are you and me! And He further counsels us about the tools we need to follow His plans for restoring one another. Yesterday we learned about Gentleness and Watchfulness. Today let’s dig in further to learn about the other two tools we need in our restoration kits.

  1. Gentleness.
  2. Watchfulness. (For these first two see the previous article in this series).
  3. Love – Paul says that restoration requires burden-bearing, and this fulfills the law of Christ. What law? Aren’t we free from the law now? Well, yes, but also no. The law of God is no threat to our security and freedom, but by the Spirit we are free to work out our salvation, and in this case it is the law of love for neighbor. Remember how Jesus bore the burden of our sin, all the way to the cross (see 1 Pet. 2:24)? This was love in action! We are called to enter the messiness of sin, not to partake in it but to rescue and restore someone. Even when we would cringe at entering a messy situation with someone, we can rejoice to identify with our Burden-bearer.
  4. Your backpack – Ok, this tool doesn’t seem to match the others, but it’s legitimately in these verses! Galatians 6:5 says “Each will have to bear his own load.” “Load” is not the same word as “burden” (6:2). It actually refers to a small pack that a traveler would wear, and the pack is essential and as personal as each individual. Another skill that Jesus wants His followers to have is the skill of honest self-assessment, and that’s what the text means by “each will have to bear his own load.” Each of us has unique skills, setbacks, strengths and weaknesses. We do no good by comparing ourselves with others, but there’s a humility that comes when we remember who we are and the growth God has worked out in us over time. Each of us has limitations in carrying out our spiritual responsibility, but that shouldn’t stop us from seeking to restore others! If anything an honest self-assessment provides us with two things (at least): 1) a healthy “boasting” in what God has done in our lives: a cause for rejoicing; 2) patience with others in their sin, especially not taking personally what they say or do. When someone may respond in anger we can rightly think, I don’t know what that brother may be facing today or what is in his backpack. Perhaps he’s farther along with the Lord than he was a year ago. Regardless, the Lord is at work! 

The bottom line: if we would apply gentleness, humility, love and a proper self-awareness to our ministry of restoration, we will do well, and others will come to know the love and support of our loving Lord Jesus Christ.

Let’s talk it over: 

  • What strengths has God equipped you with to help you minister to others?
  • What difficulties have you faced in your life that could help you to bear the burdens of others with gentleness and love?

Prayer:

Lord Jesus, You have loved us and sought us each time we’ve gone astray. You sacrificed Yourself for us so that we would see Your worth and have hope to return to You. Lord, please help us to grow in the ministry of restoring others. Help us to recall when you have restored us and help us grow in humility to be of use to You. Amen.

Worship in Song: 

His Forever

Memory Passage: Galatians 5:22–24

[22] But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, [23] gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. [24] And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. (ESV)

Counsel for the Heart: Restoration (Gal. 6:1-5)

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Who doesn’t like Fixer Upper?

That’s a rhetorical question. I’m arguing for the sake of point that men like to take a sledgehammer and demolish a non-load-bearing wall. Women love the same sometimes, and they get to add to it design, flowers, and happy family memory-making times.

The concept of home improvement shows revolves around finding an old home with good bones and putting in the time, money, love and effort to restore it.

Please know that those who claim the name of Christ are also in need of restoration. Each of us has been saved and secured by the work of Christ Jesus for us, but each of us falls into what the Bible calls “a trespass” now and again, and we need restoration. Let’s go back to Galatians for one more time in this series to read about the work of spiritual restoration.

Galatians 6:1–5

[1] Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted. [2] Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ. [3] For if anyone thinks he is something, when he is nothing, he deceives himself. [4] But let each one test his own work, and then his reason to boast will be in himself alone and not in his neighbor. [5] For each will have to bear his own load. (ESV)

Getting to the Heart:

No one restores broken-down saints like the Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus sees beyond the brokenness to what is true in the life of the sinful saint. He sees the full potential of what He has done and will yet do. His finished work in the fallen believer will be glorious, beautiful and someday perfect! In the mean-time, Jesus chooses to use every one of His followers in the restoration work of a brother caught in any trespass.

Yesterday I mentioned that this work is for the “spiritual” (6:1). Remember, that has nothing to do with a higher spiritual status. It refers to the “mature,” who know they are nothing without Jesus, and in humility depend on the Spirit to be of use to the Master in the lives of other people. After all, they know they have been loved by Jesus, and they want to love others like that.

Jesus equips you with tools for the restoration process of a broken brother. Today I’ll mention 2 and on Friday the rest.

  1. Gentleness – Where have we seen this before? In the fruit of the Spirit. We studied the meaning of gentleness in another post in this series. Let’s redefine it. Gentleness is essentially self-forgetfulness. It’s not self-deprecation or speaking ill of yourself. It’s the fruit of Christ that helps you put yourself aside so you can humbly focus on the needs of someone else. You and I need this when we restore someone, otherwise we will be mad at being inconvenienced by someone else’s sin or fearful that the problem will overwhelm us. Gentleness is a quality that we need the Spirit to produce in us. It’s love, patience, kindness, faithfulness and self-control in action.
  2. Watchfulness – Whenever I watch a Fixer Upper episode, there’s one unwritten law that always comes up: there are hidden problems that will come up and cost an extra thousand dollars, at least. There’s a hidden cost in spiritual restoration too: your own sin problems come up during times of spiritual restoration. Your problems will appear like a bee-hive inside a wall! When you are called on to consider another above yourself you won’t like it. You’ll be tempted to be short-tempered, anxious or even prone to fall into the same sin you are trying to help the other get out of. Watch yourself, and count on your own sin showing up.

Tomorrow we’ll look at the final tools, but for now…

Let’s talk it over:

  • Do you like to watch home improvement shows? How does a home improvement project compare to a spiritual restoration project?
  • When have you experienced the help of someone else to restore you? Alternatively, how has the Lord used you in the process of restoring someone else?

Prayer:

Sovereign Lord, You see the end from the beginning, and You ordain the means. Thank You for investing in us not only to rescue us from the penalty of sin but also to restore us from the presence of sin in our lives. You do not run from big projects, for Lord Jesus You bore our sin burdens on the cross. Help us in love to bear one another’s burdens and to fulfill Your law. Amen.

Worship in Song:

My Worth is Not in What I Own

Memory Passage: Galatians 5:22–24

[22] But the _____ of the _____ is _____, ____, _______, ________, ________, _________, ___________, [23] ____________, ____________; ______ such things there is no _____. [24] And those who __________ to ______ ______ have _______ the _____ with its _________ and __________. (ESV)

Counsel for the Heart: Relational Conflict (Gal. 5:26-6:1)

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Have you had a family game night recently?

Whenever my family sits down to play a board game or card game together we have fun. But, we also inevitably have conflict! We have a competitive one who does not like to lose. Playing those games often ends up turning into a counseling session for conflict management.

I think Paul must have played board games with the Galatians and dealt with some of the same things. Read our passage today and see what I mean.

Galatians 5:26–6:1

[26] Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another.

[1] Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted. (ESV)

Getting to the Heart:

Back on May 4th I wrote, “How would you describe the state of your relationships right now?” Would you describe them as tense? Peppered with conflict and arguing? Defensive postures and attacks with words? It’s inevitable that conflict comes, and sometimes it’s the board games that reveal it. How should we respond in times of relational conflict?

  1. Don’t be conceited (5:25). This word “conceited” actually means seeking after empty glory for yourself. Another way of saying this would be, “Don’t seek to fill up your insecurities by seeking the wrong things.” This type of glory-seeking hurts other people in two extreme ways: provoking and envying. The superior person who has beaten others or who is in a more stable life situation looks down on those lesser than him. Those who envy know they aren’t winning and want to drag down the one who is.  The best thing to do at this point is recognize this tendency in each of us to feel insecure and spot the ways we express it: looking down on those we perceive as “losers” and envying those we perceive as “winners.” There’s a much better way than this system.
  2. Let the spiritual restore their brothers with gentleness (6:1). What does it mean to be “spiritual”? Well, it doesn’t mean to be a special Christian, thinking of some category that a normal Christian can’t become. There aren’t Christian categories such as “special” or “normal.” No, this means those who walk by the Spirit. That means those who see their great need of Jesus and are every day humbled to follow Him. Those are people who can help others caught in the system of “winners” and “losers.” In fact, if we keep thinking in terms of “special” and “normal” Christians, we inadvertently continue living in the system of “winners” and “losers”! Each of gets caught in a trespass (these are the works of the flesh) from time to time and need a gentle reminder that the Spirit and Jesus are working for us and in us.

Let’s talk it over: 

  • Do you see how conceit can show itself in your life as either provoking or envying others? Which tends to show up most in your life: provoking or envying?
  • How could the two principles in the “Getting to the Heart” section help you with relational conflicts you experience? How would you apply them in a way of talking to yourself and others when conflict arises?

Prayer:

We thank You, Father, that You have provided a better way through Christ than to live as winners and losers in life, always provoking and envying. Thank You that our confidence is in You and what You determine about us, not in what we can establish by our own works or the worth we can get for ourselves by comparing to others. Please help us to keep in step with the Spirit, remembering Jesus our Lord, and seeking ways to love one another and so fulfill the law of Christ. Amen.

Worship in Song:

How Deep the Father’s Love For Us

Memory Passage: Galatians 5:22–24

[22] But the _____ of the _____ is _____, ____, _______, ________, ________, _________, ___________, [23] ____________, ____________; against such things there is no _____. [24] And those who __________ to Christ Jesus have _______ the flesh with its _________ and __________. (ESV)

Counsel for the Heart: Our Security (Gal. 5:23-24)

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Security: in a world full of threats we truly need it.

Each night I make my rounds to lock all doors, make sure the garage door is down and ensure our vehicles are locked. While these aren’t threat-proof measures to take, they help me and my family feel a little more secure at night.

We take measures to secure our money. Our children and grandchildren. Our health.

But what of our souls? What about the threats within?

As we’ve been examining the works of the flesh and the fruit of the Spirit, we’ve seen that there’s a true war happening within. How can we truly know the outcome? In the meantime, where does our security come from in the midst of the inner war? Let’s turn to our text today for the answer.

Galatians 5:22–24

[22] But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, [23] gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. [24] And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. (ESV)

Getting to the Heart:

Let’s consider the strong security we have in God by the following three points.

  • Freedom from the law. As you may have seen at the end of verse 23, we’re told that those who exhibit the fruit of the Spirit have no law against them. What does this mean? Well, the law of God is perfect and pure, and by the law God regulates our actions, determining what is right and wrong. But beyond this is the tendency that all human beings have to submit to laws in order to prove their worth or importance. The Holy Spirit has freed us from that treadmill of following laws to prove our worth to God, others or ourselves. We are free now to live life in the Spirit. But how can the Spirit do this?
  • We belong to the Christ Jesus. The Lord Jesus has taken on Himself all our record of sins, and He was punished for our sake. Further, every record of right and purity and good that He accomplished now belongs to us. Jesus has so identified with His people that everything He has belongs to them, and everything His people have and still experience is His and His experience too. We have a gracious Savior who took our wicked record and gave us His perfect record. That’s why no law can touch us – nothing may condemn us now.
  • We have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. On the one hand, this means that Jesus crucified on the cross dealt a death blow to our flesh. When someone believes this good news, it unites that person to Jesus, and their flesh is crucified once for all. On the other hand, this verb “have crucified” indicates an action that was done but that still has ongoing effects. That means each day we still have a responsibility to crucify our flesh, with particular focus on the passions (or controlling lusts we have) and desires (literally “over-desires,” things we want that are good but become defiling because we want them too much or in the wrong way).  This does not mean abusing or punishing your body! That would do no good. We daily crucify those passions and over-desires by asking “What is it I think I need in order to feel fulfilled?” “What is my reason for thinking I need that so badly?” Knowing that we are free in Jesus Christ, we can then confess our wrong desires with freedom to Jesus, confess our wrong motives for wanting that thing, and ask Him to help us see Him as the Lover of our souls no matter what, the great Delight of our hearts, the Superior Satisfaction over all passions and over-desires. Then walk in the Spirit, seeking ways to grow and please the Lord, trusting in the Spirit’s power to change us each day.

Let’s talk it over:

  • What steps do you take in everyday life to feel safe or secure?
  • Considering those three points of security that the Lord Jesus and the Holy Spirit provide us, how could you express them as personal statements to better help you meditate on and remember them? For example, “I belong to Jesus Christ now, and He belongs to me.“

Prayer:

Our gracious Lord and Savior, thank You for saving us and helping us in the daily battle against the flesh. You are so faithful to us, choosing to unite Yourself to us forever, even now in the midst of this battle of the Spirit vs. the flesh. Help us by Your Spirit to daily crucify our over-desires for things that otherwise are good but that we would in our flesh manipulate and twist. Help us to identify motives behind those desires so we may repent and turn again to see You in Your glory and beauty, remembering the fruit of the Spirit that is found fully in You. You are our delight and joy, Lover of our souls and best friend we have. Amen.

Worship in Song:

Jesus Paid it All

Counsel for the Heart: Bearing Spiritual Fruit (Gal. 5:22-23)

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Would you like to know a guaranteed way to glorify God?

The Lord told us in John 15:8 –

“By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples.”

We glorify God by bearing much fruit. Today we go back into Galatians 5:22-23 to examine more closely the fruit of the Spirit. By knowing what type of fruit the Holy Spirit produces we will grow in opportunities to glorify our Father. This is also our memory passage, so remember to meditate and memorize as you read today.

Galatians 5:22–23

[22] But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, [23] gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. (ESV)

Getting to the Heart:

One of the most helpful things we can do with this list of spiritual fruit is to understand what each part of the fruit means, what it replaces, and even what tends to be a counterfeit version of each part. I’ve been helped so much by the Bible study resource Galatians for You by Tim Keller1, and I’ve created a chart below based on his helpful explanation of the fruit of the Spirit.

Fruit  Definition Opposite Counterfeit
Love Love and care for a person based on their good, not on what they bring to you Self-protection; self-promotion Attraction for someone based on what they add to you or how they make you feel
Joy Happiness and delight in God for Who He is and what He does in the world Hopelessness; depression Happiness based on changing circumstances
Peace Confidence and rest in the sovereign wisdom and control of God Anxiety and fear Not caring about something; feeling indifferent
Patience The ability to stand up under the pressures of life without lashing out in anger toward God and others Resentment toward God and others Cynical lack of care
Kindness Motivation that serves others for their good in a practical way, out of a sense of complete inner security in Christ Envy; refusal to rejoice in another’s prosperity Serving others to ultimately manipulate them or prove to God or others our worth.
Goodness Also means integrity; being one person or the same person wherever you are Hypocrisy Speaking your mind and not holding back truth to make yourself feel better or look good
Faithfulness To be absolutely trustworthy and always true to your word Being a friend only in good times Being loving but never willing to confront when needed
Gentleness Humility, specifically self-forgetfulness, prioritizing others and responding calmly even when they are aggressive Attitude of superiority or self-absorption Spirit of inferiority, speaking ill about yourself
Self-control Ability to endure in hard times by focusing on the important not the urgent Impulsiveness or recklessness Willpower to endure difficulties to prove your worth or strength

Sometimes it’s necessary to slow down in our Bible reading and really dig in to specific words to better know the Lord’s message. This passage with this list is a case in point: we need to really understand these aspects of the Spirit’s fruit. It’s all so we can bear the fruit that brings joy and glory to our Father.

Today a group of men came to our home to cut down some trees that we had let grow over the years but that had become a nuisance. It is amazing how much more light, area to grow other things and even just to play in that the removal of those trees provided.

Walking in the Spirit is like that, I think. All of us have some motivating attitudes that are contrary to the fruit of the Spirit. Jesus came to deliver us from that ruling flesh that loves to assert self and sow destructive works. The Holy Spirit is the power to come in and chop those works down at their root level and open up your life to the light and freedom of God (Gal. 5:1).

Let’s talk it over:

  • Where are you seeing growth this week in the Spirit?
  • Do you see any opposites in your attitudes and actions?
  • Do you spot any counterfeits to the Spirit’s fruit?

Prayer:

Lord Jesus, we believe that it is for freedom that You came to set us free. That freedom is the love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control that the Spirit produces. This is the fruit we see in You, Lord. We love You because of who You are and how You shared that fruit with people all the time. There was never a time when You were not bearing fruit, and You are worthy of the greatest freedom and joy. Yet You took on our record of fleshly works and received the punishment for reckless, self-absorbed living that defied God and defiled our fellow man. Oh, we love and thank You for paying for those many many sins. But we love and thank You all the more that now You share Your Spirit with us so that we might walk with You and experience what You alone deserve. Help us to glorify our Father by bearing much fruit today. Amen.

Worship in Song:

His Mercy is More

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  1. Galatians for You resource by Tim Keller. Pages 141-142 used for the chart above.

Counsel for the Heart: the Spirit’s Fruit (Gal. 5:22-23)

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There’s something truly refreshing about a fresh fruit!

After the focus Wednesday on the works of the flesh (and a pause in writing yesterday as I attended to some other work), I need the refreshing view of the Spirit’s work in producing in us the fruit of Christlikeness.

I know you need that same focus today, so let’s get to the text.

Galatians 5:22–23

[22] But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, [23] gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. (ESV)

Getting to the Heart:

One of the first things to notice about the fruit of the Spirit is that the fruit is ethical, not about gifts or works. Why is that an important distinction?

Most of the time when we want to end a bad habit we figure out what to do to replace that habit with something good. If that’s all it took to stop doing the works of the flesh, then we wouldn’t need the Holy Spirit at all. Likewise we can’t expect to defeat the works of the flesh in our bodies by doing Christian service or engaging in more and more Christian activity. Don’t get me wrong: Christian service and activity (preaching, praying, Bible reading, serving others) is all good. The problem comes in thinking that engaging more in those activities will automatically equal growth. You may recall that King Saul, Balaam the prophet and Judas Iscariot all did miraculous things and spiritual works, but they were all equally void of the transforming presence of the Holy Spirit.

What else can we know about the Spirit’s fruit?

  • It concerns the development of heart character, and the Lord Jesus is the One who is represented as this character develops in us. Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control are all seen perfectly in the Lord Jesus. The Holy Spirit wants our hearts to be transformed to process life as Jesus did on earth: with all those qualities developing in us.
  • The fruit is singular in this passage, and that means all these qualities are growing in the Christian all the time. We can’t claim to be kind but also lack self-control, for example. The Spirit is battling the works of the flesh offensively by producing this fruit in all of its beautiful Christ-honoring qualities.
  • Fruit takes time to grow. I enjoy the challenge of gardening. I’m not so good at it, but I love to plant seeds and finally see them break through the ground. I’m also impatient. More than once I’ve had to remind myself not to dig up the seed to see if it had taken root! The seed produces the plant, and the plant produces the fruit. The Holy Spirit is doing that in our lives surely, over our entire lifetimes.
  • This fruit is from the Holy Spirit and not a result of natural human tendencies. For example, someone may be very diplomatic and know how to be a peacemaker and help others out of trouble, but that doesn’t mean the Spirit’s fruit of gentleness is there. You may be very quiet and can listen well, but that doesn’t necessarily indicate the Spirit’s fruit of patience is present. We can and must grow to discern when and where the Spirit is at work producing this fruit, both in our own lives an in others.

Next week I will continue to explore this passage with you by digging further into the meaning of each character quality of the fruit and talk about how to see those qualities develop in us. That’s what’s ahead. But for now…

Let’s talk it over:

  • Can you see how the fruit of the Spirit and gifts of the Spirit are not the same? The New Testament speaks more of the fruit than the Spirit’s gifts. Why do you suppose that is? Can you find places in the New Testament that speak of the fruit?
  • How are you currently seeing the Spirit’s fruit developed in your own life?

Prayer: 

Dear Holy Spirit, You are so faithful to us, and we don’t deserve that! We know the works of the flesh still war within us, and You are inside us with closeup access to our sins. Reveal to us those areas where the works of the flesh need to be crucified, and keep producing the fruit of Christlikeness in us! We depend on You for this work and are grateful that You are in our lives. In Jesus name, Amen.

Worship in Song:

Turn Your Eyes

“Jesus, to You we lift our eyes
Jesus, our glory and our prize
We adore You, behold You, our Savior ever true
Oh Jesus, we turn our eyes to You”

© 2019 Sovereign Grace Worship/ASCAP, Sovereign Grace Praise/BMI, Sovereign Grace Songs

The Anger Mandate

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by Pastor Al Cage

Anger is a complicated emotion that is often readily displayed but difficult to understand.  Yet, God intended anger to be used by believers for His glory and their good. After all, the Bible clearly teaches, “Be angry and do not sin” (Eph. 5:22).  This simple phrase frames the wonderful opportunity presented for believers to use anger to honor God.   

In a fallen world, sinners are easily disposed to display anger in ways that dishonor God and harm others.  To change this narrative, it is imperative to examine what the bible teaches on anger.  With straightforward clarity, the Apostle Paul breaks the anger mandate down into two components: a) “be” angry; and b) do not sin.  Paul’s exhortation is unnervingly clear in its meaning, yet it presents a slippery slope that is difficult to navigate in practice. Nevertheless, faithful obedience is required regardless of the difficult challenges inherent with complying to this mandate.

To assist in addressing the “Anger Mandate”, a good place to start is by addressing the “be angry” component.  Noted biblical author and seminary professor Robert Jones helps us to understand biblically what anger is by declaring,

“Anger in Scripture conveys emotion, spanning the spectrum from red-hot rage to icy-blue rejection. But it always involves beliefs and motives, perceptions and desires. And the Bible describes it in behavioral terms that are rich and graphic.  Yet the Bible does not slice the pie into neat analytic categories. Anger is more than mere emotion, volition, cognition, or behavior. Scripture resists simplistic schemes. Anger is complex. It comprises the whole person and encompasses our whole package of beliefs, feelings, actions, and desires.”[1] 

Jones accurately points that anger unfailingly engages the whole person.  Failing to recognize this feeds the tendency to compartmentalize anger as a means to control it.  Unfortunately, using this approach to manage anger often results in the script being flipped—instead of anger being controlled, it becomes the controller.  Under this scenario, anger manifests itself on one hand as a highly volatile eruption, i.e. “red-hot rage”, or on the other hand, it is displayed as cold-blooded indifference, i.e. “icy-blue rejection”.  The entire spectrum that is framed by these extremes is highly destructive and destroys the use of anger as a gift from God.

Now, let’s be clear, God intended for anger to spring out of strong intensity.  That is exactly what Jesus modeled when he tossed the money changers from the temple (Matt. 21:12-17).  Whenever God’s standards are violated, righteous indignation is appropriate.  That is the essence of “be angry”.  When God’s standards are set aside for any reason a whole person response is required.  But—and this is the important consideration—the righteous display of anger must always spring only from a violation of God’s standards. The latitude to “be angry” is very restrictive, and to stray from what angers God is to sin.  In other words, “don’t be angry” over anything that would NOT anger God.

So, if there is a clear mandate to “be angry”, what should “do not sin” look like?  David Powlison, a well-respected Biblical Counselor, offers this helpful insight on the issue,

“It’s hard to do anger right.  Your struggle with anger (and mine) will last a lifetime, but it can go somewhere good. We can learn to deal with anger differently. This book is not about “solving” anger problems. That word “solve” suggests that we can arrive. Give us some answers, change some behaviors, and—just like that—no more problems. It suggests that bad anger is simply a bad habit. But anger is not a problem to solve. It’s a human capacity—like sex, happiness, and sorrow. It is a complex human response to a complex world. And like all human capacities and responses, it sometimes works well, but too often goes bad. Anger creates problems. But having and expressing the right kind of anger in the right way is a good goal.”[2]

The ”Anger Mandate” requires us to not suppress anger, but rather to express it in a Godly manner.  First, distinguishing what kind of anger is boiling up inside (righteous – a violation of God’s standard; or unrighteous – a violation of your standard), the stage is set for what should occur next.  That expression may come through biblical discipline (Heb. 12:5-11).  At other times, grace and mercy should dominate (Eph. 4:31,32).  If the anger is unrighteous, do whatever it takes to dissipate the emotion.  Start by examining what is truly driving the anger, and if required, change an ungodly standard to align with biblical principles.

If anger results from violation of a biblical mandate, it is always best to proceed with caution.  Begin by asking the Lord for wisdom (James 1:5).  Next, remember that you are not immune from falling to the same kind of struggle (Gal. 6:7-10).  Consider if ignoring the issue would be the better approach (Prov. 19:11).  Finally, if displaying anger is best, do so with a spirit of love (Col. 3:13-23).  Always consider if the Lord would be better served by moving on and dissipating your anger.

Anger gets a bad rap and justifiably so.   Too often believers ignore the fact that anger is a gift from God to be used to serve his purposes over our own.  Are you able to “be angry and sin not”?  If there is any wavering at all to answering this question with a resounding “YES”, be very careful.  To dish out unrighteous anger is a great way for God’s indignation to fall on you.  And for that to occur, whatever perceived benefit you falsely thought you might receive by unleashing your unrighteous anger, anger is just not worth it.

 

[1] Jones, Robert D., Uprooting Anger: Biblical Help for a Common Problem (P&R Publishing, Kindle Locations 159-164).

[2] Powlison, David. Good and Angry: Redeeming Anger, Irritation, Complaining, and Bitterness (New Growth Press. Kindle Edition).

Counsel for the Heart: Works of the Flesh (Gal. 5:19-21)

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One reason we fall into various sins is because we just don’t think sin is a big deal.

Now, most of us wouldn’t say that! We know what the Bible says, and we believe that Jesus died because of our sins. Nevertheless, I still think that we lose fights against the flesh because in the practical day to day we don’t think sin is that big of a deal.

Until it becomes a big deal.

Paul continues in Galatians 5 to talk about the “works of the flesh,” and as dark as the picture is, it is necessary for us to look at these biblical descriptions so we can battle the flesh with humble reliance on God’s Spirit.

Galatians 5:19–21

[19] Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, [20] idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, [21] envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. (ESV)

Getting to the Heart:

Paul says the “works of the flesh are evident” (19). Two things here: the flesh doesn’t produce “fruit” like the Spirit does. The outworking of the desires of our flesh (seeking to gratify and exalt self) are works that go out of those desires to hurt others, not help them or nourish them like fruit. Second, Paul says these works are evident, meaning they are plain to see and are everywhere. He lists 16 of those works, but by writing “and things like these” he’s telling us that there seems to be no end to the creative ways our indwelling flesh can find to promote and gratify self.

While this list helps us name the sins, it must not cause us to think that some of these works of the flesh are more deadly or serious than others (for example drunkenness vs. envy). All of us wrestle against these works, and without Christ we’d have no hope to win. As a matter of fact, if we continually exhibit any of these works in an unrepented-of pattern, we will not inherit the kingdom of God. That’s a big deal.

How must we respond? By confessing our particular works of the flesh to God and others, ask for forgiveness, and walk by the Spirit.

Here’s how it happened in my experience just this morning.

I got up this morning and fixed breakfast for the kids. I also made coffee for me and my wife and went the extra step of steaming the milk and making it frothy, with a touch of vanilla. It was French-pressed, steamed milk perfection! I had determined that I needed to get to work, so I wasn’t planning to eat right then, but I carefully prepared my coffee just how I liked it and was eager to enjoy that steaming foamy cafe latte!

But one of my kids was bouncing a bouncy ball around the living room. Perhaps you know what happens next.

I left my coffee on the counter for just a minute as I turned to get something I needed for my work-at-home day, when all of a sudden the bouncy ball sailed through the air, bounced once on the kitchen floor then landed with a plop… in my steaming foamy cup of coffee.

A primal yell emerged from deep within me, “Ahhh!” “Why?!” I’d used up all the milk, and I didn’t want to brew more coffee just to drink it black, so I poured the coffee and bouncy ball out in the drain, and walked away with anger brewing in my heart.

A couple of minutes later I was convicted. That was a fit of anger that bubbled up out of my heart. Why? Because my motive was to enjoy the hot coffee as the fruit of my labor, and it was taken away from me. In that moment I wanted the pleasure of the coffee more than I wanted to love and show forbearance to the bouncer of the ball. I responded in that moment with an outburst of anger, “Ahhh!”

The Holy Spirit gave me insight into my motive and the work of the flesh that was evident. I went and confessed that sin of anger to the child who had bounced the ball, and I asked for forgiveness. The Spirit was kind and faithful to help us be reconciled.

My friends, be specific about the works of the flesh that are in your lives. Confess them specifically to God and others, ask for forgiveness, then continue to walk by the Spirit.

Let’s talk it over:

  • How have you seen the works of the flesh evident in your own life?
  • Are you seeing consistent growth by your ability to identify these works of flesh and put them to death by confession, repentance and walk by the Spirit?

Prayer:

Oh Holy Savior, Lord Jesus Christ, we are humbled by the weight of this list, especially since we have evidenced some of these very works of the flesh. The seriousness of sins is heavy upon us when we see the evident works of the flesh at work in us and in those around us. Especially during this Covid19 quarantine we see these works come out more. But we know You don’t mean us ill by revealing these works, and You never condemn us. We stand holy and cleansed by Your blood, Jesus, and we thank You and love You all the more when we experience Your cleansing and ongoing sanctifying now by Your Spirit. Help us, Lord, and make us continually like You. Amen.

Worship in Song:

Nothing but the Blood of Jesus

Memory Passage Reminder: Galatians 5:22-24