As you watch, use the following outline to record any thoughts or concepts that stand out to you.
I. The main idea of this study is counterintuitive, and it might even seem a little crazy at first. But here it is — we can choose to be unoffendable.
1. There is a way that we normally process ideas. We want to be affirmed... and if we’re not, we get angry!
2. As Christians, we’ve been taught that anger is sometimes awesome and sometimes terrible. We’ve been taught that there is righteous anger and non-righteous anger.
3. We believe that we are supposed to get offended at times because there is righteous anger. And we are to stay angry because we are supposed to stand up for what is right.
II. The reality is that while the Bible has a lot to say about anger, very little of it is positive — especially when it comes to human anger.
A. A verse that people often memorize to justify their anger is Ephesians 4:26:
When you are angry, do not sin. — NCV
Anger is not a sin... so therefore we should get angry.
1. But this is not the whole verse. The second half of Ephesians 4:26 tells us to
be sure to stop being angry by the end of the day. — NCV
We’re supposed to get rid of it.
2. The Bible is very consistent on this point. But unfortunately, what we often do is try to justify our anger and conflate it with God’s anger.
III. The reality is that there is no such thing as righteous anger in the Bible for humans. It doesn’t exist.
A. There is such a thing as righteous anger in the Bible — it just belongs to God. He is entitled to vengeance because He can be trusted with it. Instead, we are supposed to do something very different, radical, and countercultural. We are supposed to forgive other people.
B .In James 1:20, we read that our anger can’t be used in the service of producing God’s righteousness. The world needs us to take action, not to get angry.
C. Our anger doesn’t do anybody any good. In fact, it only clouds our judgment. What the world needs are people who actually do things motivated not by anger but by love.
IV. The work of a follower of Jesus is to serve as an instrument of forgiveness in the world.
1. Jesus told a story about an unmerciful servant to demonstrate how important forgiveness is in our lives. We have been forgiven of a great debt, just like the servant. For us to then turn around and not forgive others is counter to how the kingdom of God works.
2. Jesus is giving us an easier life. Yes, forgiveness is hard, but it’s way better than living our entire lives thinking we’re supposed to be angry at everybody for what they’ve done.
3. We can actually say at the beginning of the day, “I’m going to forgive people. Stuff is going to happen, but this is what it means to follow Jesus, and I’m going to do it.”
