Nic, you might say a word of prayer for me to day concerning this. I am really struggling and have been since last week with this. Question:
Where does" praying for those who spitefully use you", and rightous anger separate? does this make sense?? This is a serious question by the way.
"Where does" praying for those who spitefully use you", and rightous anger separate? does this make sense?? This is a serious question by the way."
Pollywog, I wonder about that sometimes, myself. Did you ever hear of SERGEANT YORK? He was the greatest hero of World War I.
As a Christian, he first believed God meant he should not go to war.
After much prayerful communion with God, this was the answer he found:
"RENDER UNTO GOD WHAT IS GOD'S, AND UNTO CEASER WHAT IS CEASER'S"
A crack shot with nerves of steel, York went on to capture more Germans single-handedly than any other soldier.
Wish we had more men like him today.
Jesus had righteous anger with the transactions going on at the temple.
Jesus asked the Father, while dying on the cross, "Father, forgive them for they know not what they do."
He displayed no anger when "interrogated" by pompous pharisees, a Man without sin judged by sinners.
Trust God to recompense those who do evil. "Vengeance is mine, sayeth the Lord." We must pray for our enemies. Pray that God will will enlighten their minds....help them see the truth. "For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God." "For while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us."
When confronted, again, by the Pharisees about healing on the Sabbath:
Mark 3:
4 And He said to them, "Is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do harm, to save a life or to kill?" But they kept silent.
5. And AFTER LOOKING AROUND AT THEM WITH ANGER, grieved at their hardness of heart, He said to the man, "Stretch out your hand." And he stretched it out, and his hand was restored."
6 And the Pharisees went out and immediately began taking counsel with the Herodians against Him, as to how the might destroy Him.
7. And Jesus withdrew to the sea with His disciples; and a great multitude from Galilee followed; and also from Judea,
......and He continued doing GOD'S WORK....appointing and instructing his disciples concerning God's work, giving them authority to cast out demons, and then later went home, where a multitude gathered (20).
Those against Him (scribes) said Jesus was possessed by Beelzebul, "He casts out the demons by the ruler of the demons." (22)
And He called them to Himself and began speaking to them in parables [again, doing God's work]...."How can Satan cast out Satan? (23)
24 AND IF A KINGDOM IS DIVIDED AGAINST ITSELF, THAT KINDGOM CANNOT STAND.
25 And if a house is divided against itself, that house will not be able to stand.
26. And if Satan has risen up against himself and is divided, he cannot stand, but he is finished.
We need to remember, pollywog, it is their hypocrisy and hardened hearts that angers God. The enemy is SATAN, who seeks to devour and destroy.
Luke 6:
27 "But I say to you who hear, love your enemies, do good to those who hate you,"
28 "bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you."
32 "And if you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners do the same."
35 "But love our enemies, and do god, and lend, expecting nothing in return; and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High; for He Himself is kind to ungrateful and evil men."
36 "Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful."
37 "And do not judge and you will not be judged; and do not condemn, and you will not be condemned; pardon, and you will be pardoned."
38 "Give, and it will be given unto you, with good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, they will pour into your lap. For by your standard of measure it will be measured to you in return."
We need to keep our eyes on God. Focus on Him. Do His will. If we keep our anger, our righteous anger, it will eat us up...and destroy our wills or our happiness in God, or our faith in Him. "Do not let the sun go down on your anger." Trust the Father. He is in control.