Be Angry, Sin not

Christians are called to live a different life than the rest of the world. Christ gave us a great example to live by, yet we see many Christians living their life extremely different than the one that Christ set before us. The Bible tells us that we become a new creation once we become followers of Jesus Christ, “Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come” (2 Corinthians 5:17, NASB). As Christians, we live a new life in Christ, much different from our life prior to Christ. Even our anger changes, it no longer turns evil and hateful. We begin to love on a different level, a love that we can only experience through Jesus Christ. The Bible says that we no longer live in darkness, a.k.a. sin; but rather, we live in Light a.k.a. righteousness. Like Christ. John actually writes that if we say we are following Christ, yet hate our brother, then we lie! That is pretty straight forward. We cannot continue to live a sinful life and be a Christian. I believe the term in the Bible describes it best…a hypocrite…a person pretending to be something they are not.

1) Then Jesus again spoke to them, saying, “I am the Light of the world; he who follows Me will not walk in the darkness, but will have the Light of life.” (John 8:12, NASB)

2) So Jesus said to them, “For a little while longer the Light is among you. Walk while you have the Light, so that darkness will not overtake you; he who walks in the darkness does not know where he goes. While you have the Light, believe in the Light, so that you may become sons of Light.” These things Jesus spoke, and He went away and hid Himself from them. (John 12:35-36, NASB)

3) This is the message we have heard from Him and announce to you, that God is Light, and in Him there is no darkness at all. If we say that we have fellowship with Him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth; but if we walk in the Light as He Himself is in the Light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin. (1 John 1:5-7, NASB)

4) The one who says he is in the Light and yet hates his brother is in the darkness until now. The one who loves his brother abides in the Light and there is no cause for stumbling in him. But the one who hates his brother is in the darkness and walks in the darkness, and does not know where he is going because the darkness has blinded his eyes. (1 John 2:9-11, NASB)

5) Be angry , and yet do not sin ; do not let the sun go down on your anger, and do not give the devil an opportunity. (Ephesians 4:26-27, NASB)