Can the Power of Sin Be Overcome?

Although the Seven Deadly Sins are not specifically listed as such in the Bible, they are included in lists the Apostle Paul mentions in Galatians, which parallel the virtues to strive for as Christians. The seven sins listed are gluttony, greed, laziness, lust, anger, envy, and pride.

Because we’re capable of being entrapped by these sins, it’s critically important to know the contrasting virtues God provides to help us escape these temptations. The virtues the Holy Spirit gives you are sexual purity, self-control, generosity, diligence, patience, kindness, and  gentleness.

The Seven Deadly Sins have a familiar and powerful influence in the lives of contemporary Christians. Think of the prevalence of anger in our society and how it dominates individual lives and families. 

The author of Hebrews 12:1 encourages believers to throw off the sin that so easily ensnares us by fixing our eyes on Jesus, in whom our faith and hope depend.                         

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For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this is not from yourselves, it is a gift of God – not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them. 

~Ephesians 2:8-10 New International Version/New American Standard Bible 

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Do Your Solutions Work for Anger?

In the sixth century Pope Gregory I listed anger as one of the Seven Deadly Sins. While anger does not condemn a person, the behavior it produces can be destructive, or even deadly. Anger can kill the love and affection that bind a relationship together.

We see this happening to Jonah as he turned against the people of Nineveh, God, and himself. Jonah allowed anger to diminish his future. It’s imperative, therefore, to believe anger is a choice and you’re accountable for what it produces.

So how do we escape from anger’s grasp? First, do not eliminate God from the equation. Realize anger kills sanity, the ability to see reality. Healing for anger is found in Psalm 18. “I praise you Lord. I prayed and you rescued me. Death had wrapped its rope around me and I was almost swallowed. When I called out, you rescued me.” God hears a sincere voice requesting solutions.

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Stop being angry! Turn from your rage! do not lose your temper – it only leads only to harm. For the wicked will be destroyed. But those who trust in the Lord will possess the land.  

~Psalm 37:8-9 New Living Translation 

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Is It Possible Not to Desire a Solution to Anger?

It’s interesting how anger is an issue throughout God’s word, and with good reason. Anger is an inescapable emotion, no matter how diligently you try to avoid it. Jonah openly acknowledged his anger and directed it toward God for not meeting his expectations.

Jonah wanted to hold on to his anger because he believed it was justified. In other words, he wasn’t interested in seeking a solution. He wanted God to agree that he had the right to be angry. God’s purpose was not to rescue him from his anger.

A primary reason for seeking solutions to anger is that it pollutes your body, mind, and spirit. Venting intense anger provides relief, but it rarely brings about a solution. Ask God to help you desire a solution in addition to giving you the will to be accountable for accepting what God provides.

This will help you escape both the anger and the sadness it creates.              

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A wise man controls his temper. He knows that anger causes mistakes. 

~Proverbs 14:29 The Living Bible  

But now you must rid yourself of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips. 

~Colossians 3:8 New International Version  

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Are You Accountable to God for Your Anger?

Jonah believed he had the right to be angry even as he directed it toward God. Feeling justified with anger has the potential to block any resolution while undermining a relationship. The issue is not whether anger is justifiable, but how and when it is expressed.

How does God intend for anger to be managed? The Message reads Ephesians 4:26-27 as, “Go ahead and be angry. You do well to be angry, but don’t use your anger as fuel for revenge. And don’t stay angry. Don’t go to bed angry. Don’t give the Devil that kind of foothold.”

The issue is acknowledging the presence of anger and being accountable for adapting positive, biblical methods for resolution. The first step is to admit you’re angry and then state in clear, acceptable language what you perceive to be the cause of your anger. Ask God to give you patience and self-control before you speak.

                     

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Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here! All of this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ. ~2 Corinthians 5:17-18 New International Version  

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What Prevents Compassion from Being Felt?

An apparent lesson from Jonah is that the moment you feel justified with anger, negative consequences infiltrate your life. You may feel angry for a multitude of reasons, but even justifiable anger has consequences when allowed to linger.

Jonah felt embarrassed because his prophesy for Nineveh’s  destruction failed to occur. Anger follows embarrassment if compassion for others doesn’t exist. Jonah directed his anger toward God for causing his prophesy to fail.

Jonah was knowledgeable and intelligent but could not transition from hatred to empathy for Nineveh, who heard God’s message and repented of their sins. This did not match Jonah’s expectations, but God’s compassion triumphed over Jonah’s anger and objections. Evidently, Jonah never recovered from his anger, but God’s love and mercy will forever be victorious.

Praise God, and may he richly bless you.

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If I speak with the tongues of mankind and of angels, but do not have love, I have become a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and know all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith so as to remove mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. 

~1 Corinthians 13:1-2 New American Standard Bible 

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Is It Possible to Know God's Word, Yet Be Lacking Mercy?

Jonah clearly illustrates how anger has the power to dominate a person’s life to the point of negating God’s blessings. Jonah’s anger teaches us how it transforms into depression, creating feelings of hopelessness and despair.

Human beings were designed to be accountable for selecting what is good and healthy while discarding undesirable thoughts and behaviors. Jonah did not make this transition. His prejudice and beliefs justified anger, including Nineveh being obliterated. 

Jonah had knowledge that God was merciful and slow to anger, but he could not apply these to himself. A lesson to learn from Jonah is, a person can know God yet fail to exhibit mercy and compassion to others. This can be corrected by intentionally and deliberately submitting yourself to the transforming power of Christ Jesus.

Your heart will change as his love and mercy take possession.

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If I give away all my possession to feed the poor and if I surrender my body to be burned, but do not have love, it profits me nothing. Love is patient, love is kind and is not jealous; love does not brag and is not arrogant. 

~1 Corinthians 13:3-4 New American Standard Bible 

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When Is Anger Detrimental to Yourself or Your Relationships?

An important lesson to learn from Jonah’s life is anger has the power to determine a person’s fate in terms of deprivation or accomplishments. A life filled with bitterness diminishes joy and happiness. The sad truth about anger is it can become constant. 

Jonah permitted anger to deprive him of a joyful, peaceful fellowship with God. He refused to believe compassion was more acceptable to God than hatred. Jonah erupted into anger when God did not reign down death and destruction on Nineveh.

We see in Jonah the tendency to adapt a permanent attitude of anger so that it begins feels normal. God confronted Jonah with, “Do you have the right to be angry?” God challenged Jonah’s tendency to express anger toward him. Can you be angry with a person without hating them?  Anger dissipates when you view a situation from God’s perspective. 

God bless you.                       

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[Love] is not rude, is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails. 

~1 Corinthians 13: 5-8 Christian Standard Bible/New International Version

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