“When excited against sin, it is lawful. God is angry with the wicked, Psalm 7:11. Jesus looked on the hypocritical Pharisees with anger, Mark 3:5. So it is said, "Be ye angry, and sin not, Ephesians 4:26. This anger, or indignation against sin, is not what our Saviour speaks of here. What he condemns here is anger without a cause; that is, unjustly, rashly, hastily, where no offence has been given or intended. In that case it is evil; and it is a violation of the sixth commandment, because "he that hateth his brother, is a murderer," 1 John 3:15. He has a feeling which would lead him to commit murder, if it were fully acted out. The word "brother" here refers not merely to one to whom we are nearly related, having the same parent or parents, as the word is commonly used, but includes also a neighbor, or perhaps anyone with whom we may be associated. As all people are descended from one Father and are all the creatures of the same God, so they are all brethren: and so every man should be regarded and treated as a brother, Hebrews 11:16.” ~ Barnes Notes on Matthew 5:22
There’s absolutely nothing sinful or wrong about getting angry at someone who has misjudged your character or has publically slandered you without actually knowing you on a personal basis.
Notice in Matthew 5:22 Jesus says that “whosoever is angry with his brother WITHOUT A CAUSE,” shall be in danger of the judgment.” If you slander my character, falsely judge me or place me in a stereotypical group upon any basis or for the exception of a few lines I wrote in a facebook post, then I have the full right and justification from God’s Word (Eph. 4:26) that says I am allowed to be angry (righteous indignation) with you.
Let me reiterate, anger is NOT a sin. It only becomes a sin when it is expressed out of malice or unjustly for absolutely no reason except to hate, “where no offence has been given or intended.”
If getting angry at someone was a sin or evil, then God would be guilty Himself. It is recorded that Jesus got angry many times in his ministry and God, the Father in Heaven, was angry throughout much of the Old Testament. As a matter of fact, God was angry for thousands of years until Christ satisfied the anger.
In a recent post here in a group on Facebook, talking about tithing teachers or the “attacks” upon those ministers who promote or believe in tithing, I asked a member of this group a simple question:
“Should we not be angry about it, or frustrated that we have been lied to and cheated by the greed, lies and manipulation of ignorant pastors, or are they really ignorant and being deceptive or just simply fooled and the devil has blinded them?“
I even encouraged and lifted up the member by saying, “I hope your wisdom and insight can help us who have a problem with manipulation, greed and the obvious lies preached by almost every church pastor we have come across in these last days.”
Was I wrong in saying such things? Well, it is true isn’t it? First, let me clarify something. Being angry because we have been unjustly treated and exposing false teachers, no matter how serious they are, are not “attacks.” It is called a “rebuke,” and a rebuke is not a sin or evil. We are here in this group to “rebuke” our brothers, not “attack” them.
Proverbs 27:5- “Open rebuke is better than love carefully concealed.”
His response was,
“"Judge not lest you be judged." You seem to be displaying the very judgment attitude about servants of Christ that drove me away to begin with. Most of the people in the ministry are sincere and committed to Christ and want to do the right thing even if they don't understand what it is.
Many of them are making many personal sacrifices to serve Christ and to serve sometimes critical, ungrateful people. Many would do much better financially to use their gifts outside the ministry but continue because of the call of God. There are much easier ways to earn a living.
You are in great danger of a stumbling block to the sincere man and woman serving Christ at great personal cost. You are in danger of being a stumbling block to those young people who are considering full time service to Christ instead of a meaningless pursuit of money.
Your focus on the tares may uproot the wheat. You are in danger of becoming an anti-clerical bigot if you continue down this negative path. You are in danger of offending Christ who called these people to serve Him and the Church.”
So, by him judging me by saying I was “judging” others, I am the bad guy? Who is the hypocrite here? I wonder if this brother knows the difference between judging and discernment. He seems “to be displaying the very judgment attitude about servants of Christ that drove me away to begin with.”
Then I replied with:
“Why did you only say negative things to me and pass your judgment upon me without knowing me or my hearts intentions?
Because I ask honest and legitimate questions, I am "displaying the very judgment attitude about servants of Christ that drove me away to begin with?" What makes you think that I am not a servant of Christ myself?
So, because I ask sincere questions I am "in great danger of a stumbling block to the sincere man and woman serving Christ at great personal cost." What makes you think that I am not sincere or have a heart for ministry myself? How do know that I have not served the Lord at great personal cost myself? The Pharisees were dead serious too, but they were seriously WRONG about their theology and Jesus told them they were.
I am also "in danger of being a stumbling block to those young people who are considering full time service to Christ instead of a meaningless pursuit of money." When a young person has a heart for full time service, nothing in the world can stop them!
So, because I modeled myself after Jesus when he called out the "woes" of the Pharisees and focused upon "the tares," it may uproot the wheat? Bull-feathers, my friend. We need to point out the fakes, even if they have a genuine heart. They are completely deceived and need to be rebuked with the biblical truth of God's Word. May I remind you, this rebuke is all done with Christian brotherly love in hopes they will see the light of Christ who loves them.
Because I have a problem with pastors who ALWAYS talk about money, and ALWAYS have a sermon every month about tithing or how often we don't live up to God's standard of 10%, I am in "danger of becoming an anti-clerical bigot" if I "continue down this negative path?" Who is being negative here, you are me? Who was the one who had nothing good to say about my post?
So, I am "in danger of offending Christ who called these people to serve Him and the Church?" How do you know Christ called them and what makes you think He didn't call me to expose them? How do you know that you are offending God by supporting false teachers who only love money?”
I hate (not really, only despise) it when people use and manipulate people; and if you think that it’s justified by the bible, you are WRONG; I don’t care how serious you are! Do you think I loved being lied to, no matter how “serious” the servant of Christ was? Do you think I loved being manipulated into giving money to the pastor’s fat paychecks, no matter how “serious” the servant of Christ was?
The pastor may have the best intentions and thought he was following the bible and God’s Will; that does not excuse ignorance. God calls us to not be ignorant anymore as we used to be in our past (Eph 4:17-24; 1 Pet 1:13-15).
As pastors it is your job to know the truth and I know that most seminaries will teach the truth about tithing but you did not learn tithing from seminary, you learned it from “tradition,” from following man’s rules and teachings. If you did learn tithing from a seminary, no one is at fault but you. You should have investigated what the bible teaches, not what man teaches.
When in churches I always heard:
•If you don’t tithe, you are worse than an unbeliever!
•If you don’t tithe, your finances will be cursed!
•If you don’t tithe, you will go to hell!
•If you don’t tithe, the Lord cannot bless you!
•If you don’t tithe, you are living in sin!
Yes, I am angry (not really, just very frustrated beyond belief).
Why am I angry? Because it’s a lie! I was lied to, manipulated and deceived. There’s nothing Jesus hated more than a liar. He called the lying Pharisees, “Sons of the devil.” Tithing is NOT mandatory to the Christian nor is it an “obligation” that I have to support the institution of a certain religious organization. Yes, I am angry and it’s not a sin or evil to be frustrated about being sinned against.
As of yet I have heard nothing back from this coward. He has plenty of courage to slander me in public and tell me how awful of a person I am, but when faced with his own hypocrisy, he buckles. He may think that I “get off” of this kind of stuff but he is completely wrong, I hate it. It bothers me and I cannot let it rest until things are settled.
The thing is; I am looking for an apology (and hopefully some kind of change in his thinking). Romans 12:2 says, “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.” Would Jesus have slammed me in public as this brother did? Stop judging me and have some compassion upon my anger, frustration and righteous indignation. Ignoring this will not make it better.
Luke 17:3 – “Take heed to yourselves. If your brother sins against you, rebuke him; and if he repents, forgive him.”
To the “friend” who did this, I would like for you to learn from this mistake to humble yourself and bring yourself to a public apology and all will be forgiven.
Oh why wait, I forgive you.