Is there a time when God permits anger?

Does the Bible provide examples to the above question? Yes. There are many examples of what is called righteous indignation. We should be angry about what the Lord is angry about. Unfortunately, we are often laughing and making light of what God hates. We can attribute that to our fallen sinful nature.

We are so desensitized to sin that things that are heinous in the sight of God are pleasurable to us. 

Jesus said in John 3:19b, "Men loved darkness rather than light because their deeds were (and are) evil".

Yes, this is one of those articles that will step on toes, mine included. And by me writing this article, it makes me even more culpable for my actions - something the natural man hates to admit. 

Phineas

Phineas was a priest during the time of Moses. He was the son of Eleazar who was the son of Aaron, the first High Priest of Israel. Aaron and Moses were brothers.  Aaron was dead by this time and his son Eleazar was installed as High Priest after him (Num 20:28-29). 

In Numbers 25 we read of Israel committing gross sin. They are intermarrying with the Moabites, sacrificing and worshiping their gods - idolatry. This violates the first two commandments inExodus 20:2-6).  This angers the Lord so He commands Moses to kill all the perpetrators. Phineas sees a Hebrew man bring a foreign woman to his tent so he grabs a spear and kills them both, through the man's back, and through the woman's stomach. 

  

Why would Phineas commit this seemingly gross act of murder? We discover as a result of Israel's sin, God sent a plague of death through the land. Phineas was angry for the Lord's sake. Killing the Hebrew man and woman was an act of righteousness that ended the plague, not before it claimed the lives of 24,000 people (Num 25:9). God commended Phineas for this and promised him a covenant of peace (Num 25:12).

Samuel 

The Amalekites were enemies of Israel for around 350 years during the time of the Prophet Samuel. The Lord promised that He would blot out the name of Amalek from under heaven during the time of the Exodus (Ex 17:14-15). A short history of the Amalekites: Amalek was the grandson of Esau the twin brother of Jacob (Gen 36:12). God commanded Samuel to give word to King Saul to destroy the Amalekites. Saul did not obey the Lord's command. He saved the best animals. He also spared their king, a man by the name of Agag. Samuel obeyed the word of the Lord and hacked Agag in pieces (I Samuel 15:33). 

Again, this was Samuel executing divine judgment on behalf of the Lord's wrath. It had to be done. This occasion was the perfect time to be angry because it was divine justice. Agag was an evil man and was doomed to destruction. Samuel being a righteous man was grieved by Saul's disobedience. The disobedience led to Saul's throne being taken away and given to David (I Sam 15:28).

The Corinthians 

In I Corinthians 5 we read of a man having a sexual relationship with his father's wife - his step mother. This sin was so gross that Paul said that the heathen would not engage in it (vs. 1). What made this even worse was that it was happening among professing Christians! Paul was outraged, but the Corinthian church was not. Rather they were arrogant. What should have happened is that the sinning member should have been removed from their assembly until he repented. Since it was not done there, Paul tells them to "put out that wicked person" (vs. 13).

There should have been grief over his sin instead of apathy among the congregation. It is important to remove the evil person before their ways influence others to commit sin as well. If allowed to remain in the bosom of the church the person believes there is no divine retribution for their sinful behavior and others will follow their evil ways deceiving themselves into thinking one can live anyway they want and God not chasten them for it (Heb 12:5-11).

Paul said later in this same letter that, "Do not be deceived, bad company corrupts good morals" (I Cor 15:33).

What do these accounts teach us? There is a time to be angry - when God is angry. In each instance God commanded his servants to take action. To ignore the righteous anger of God is sin, and will be met with retribution on those who ignore His divine command to execute justice.

Please understand the last account is in regard to the Church, the people of God. God judges the outside world (I Cor 5:12).

Here is the balance we must have, "Be angry and do not sin; do not let the son go down on your anger, and do not give the devil an opportunity" (Eph:26-27).

We are commanded  to be angry against evil for it will manifest the righteousness of God and show the sinner their sin clearly. This can drive them to godly repentance and ultimately salvation.

Who or what is the Church?

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Will one be sent to hell for calling someone a fool?

We all use the word fool every day. It's part of our daily vocabulary. We call people fools when someone does something we do not like, and we use it often times in jest toward one another. Are there times when we should not call someone a fool?

I would like to examine that in this article.

The word fool has several meanings. One Hebrew word is nabal. This is a person who is a deviant in their behavior, who is ungodly and plots evil. In the Proverbs, the fool is primarily described as one who lacks wisdom because they despise instruction - they act without thinking. This Hebrew word is ewil. Another Hebrew word is kesil. This person is obstinate, arrogant, has no desire for wisdom, Godly wisdom - they not only commit evil, they enjoy wickedness. They also refuse rebuke.  That type of person is a wrecking ball and should be avoided. They are incorrigible. 

In Matthew 5:21-22 we read, "You have heard that the ancients were told, "You shall not commit murder, and whoever commits murder shall be liable to the court.' But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother shall be guilty before the court, and whoever says to his brother, "You good-for-nothing', shall be guilty before the supreme court, and whoever says, 'You fool', shall be guilty enough to go into the fiery hell. The word fool here is the Greek word moros - where we get our English word moron.

Jesus is the one speaking in these verses. Why is his language here so severe? To get the import of the meaning, we must understand the context.

Jesus began by saying one that is angry with his brother shall be guilty before the court. Committing murder violated the sixth commandment (Ex 20:13) and was punishable by death (Ex 21:12). Here, Jesus said if one is angry with his brother shall be guilty (italics mine) before the court. Jesus is equating anger with murder - not just any anger, but a murderous anger based on an internal hatred. Remember murder is the context in these verses. 

Jesus takes it a step further. He says if one calls his brother. "you good-for-nothing" (or "Raca") shall be guilty before the counsel or the supreme court. If you call your brother a moron, your guilt is at its worst because your hatred of your brother is wicked enough to send you to hell. That person has exceeded the court of men and has caught the attention of God Almighty.

 I do not know about you, but to me that warning is terrifying! And anyone that knows me well know I do not scare easily. 

When one calls someone a moron in this sense,  we are insulting a person at the lowest possible level. We are calling them a worthless, stupid person. It's the worst character assassination. Jesus sees this type of verbal abuse against one's brother morally repugnant.

      Why?

The problem is not just the words, but the attitude behind the words. If it were just the words, that brought condemnation, then Jesus would be guilty as well - for he called the Scribes and Pharisees hypocrites and blind fools (Matt 23).

Paul also rebuked the Galatians and called them foolish. Why? Because they became duped into believing their justification was by the works of the law rather than the law of faith (Gal 3). They knew better for Paul had taught them their salvation came as a result of the atoning work of Christ and their belief in that work and not by their own efforts.  So, in these two instances, it was justified and actually loving for both Christ and Paul to rebuke their audience and explain to them why they were foolish. Turning away from being a fool and embracing Godly wisdom will save your soul.

But, when one has venomous hatred against another human being without a cause, that evil Jesus regards as bad as the act of murder itself, and if someone does not repent of it, could lead to actual murder. Do you understand what Jesus was teaching to his audience? He not only taught the written law, but he amplified its meaning on a level far more revelatory than Moses could have done. For in this context he tells us a man's anger based on an internal hatred is as if he committed homicide! Why? Because of the wickedness in the person.  This is clearly a loving and severe warning from our Lord how we are not to treat one another.

Another point that I must make is when one maligns a fellow human being, it is an attack on God himself. How? All men no matter how scandalous their character are made in the image of God (James 3;8-9).

In 1 John 3;15 we read these sobering words, "Everyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him."

It cannot be made any clearer than that.

Listen to the command of the Lord through Paul, "If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all men (Rom 12:18)."

Finally, let's examine our attitudes and our tongues toward all.

Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer (Rom 12:12).

What is Universalism?

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What is foreknowledge?

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The Rapture

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Why death couldn't hold Jesus in the grave

   Some would look at the title of this message as a question and it would be okay to look at it that way. Everyone else that has ever lived has died and has remained dead. Even those who Jesus raised from the dead like Lazarus eventually died again (John 11:43).  Why do we die? Because of sin. 

   Romans 6:23 declares, "The wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." This verse has a negative and a positive. The morbid truth is we all die because of sin, but the wonderful contrast is that eternal life is given to all freely who believe in the Lord Jesus Christ for their soul salvation. 

    Here's a question that MUST be answered, since Jesus never committed any sin, why did he have to die? The Bible answers that question for us; to be a propitiation for mankind's sins. What in the world does propitiation mean? It is the Greek word hilasmos. This means Christ's sacrifice was the means by which a person can have their sins removed from them forever when they believe. Christ had to die in order to appease the Father's anger against him for being made sin although he personally knew no sin because he never committed any sin (2 Cor 5:21).

   Sin always has to be judged and punished. The only one worthy to accept the punishment for all of the mankind's sins and eradicate it was Jesus alone. Imagine how terrible it would be if every person that will ever live had to pay for their own sins! What that would mean is God would be exercising his justice with no mercy and everyone would go to hell!  And get this, he would be totally righteous in doing so! We all deserve God's wrath.

 Getting back to the original statement, Christ HAD to die because of our sins, and get this, he HAD to raise from the dead because he has no sin! Both scenarios had to play out in the one person, Christ Jesus. A sinless divine and human being had to die in order to appease the Father's wrath against sin, and only a sinless divine human being can raise himself from the dead (John 10:18)! Sinful mankind could never pull that off. Death cannot hold a perfect man in the grave. That is why Jesus rose in three days like he declared (Matt 16:21). 

 In Acts 2:23-24 we read, "this Jesus delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men. God raised up, loosing the pangs of death because it was not possible (emphasis added) for him to be held by it."

  Here's the wonderful news for believers, we will be raised from death like Christ. Here's the proof, "who will transform our body of our humble state into conformity with the body of his glory..."(Phil 3:21).