3 Reasons I Question Righteous Anger
Righteous anger refers to anger over things that are morally wrong according to God’s laws. The immoral behavior often involves someone being victimized, thus increasing the likelihood that it will produce anger against those who commit (or inflict) the wrong.
The term is often used as justification for anger, but I’ve avoided considering righteous indignation because it seems a complex issue. However, after discussing whether anger is good or bad, it seems righteous anger is the natural next topic. Though you hear the phrase used a lot, I’ve struggled with determining my view of righteous anger because I can’t find it in Scripture.
Three points cause tension in me around the issue of righteous indignation.
1. In Scripture, righteous and anger are only used in the same verse one time, and that verse does not talk about righteous anger. In addition, they refer to God as being righteous. It doesn’t mention man’s righteousness at all. If fact, it talks of his unrighteousness.
Daniel prayed, “O Lord, according to all your righteous acts, let your anger and your wrath turn away from your city Jerusalem, your holy hill, because for our sins, and for the iniquities of our fathers, Jerusalem and your people have become a byword among all who are around us” (Dan. 9:16).
Granted, God is righteous and His anger is therefore righteous. However, our righteousness is as filthy rags, so I hesitate to use the term righteous anger when referring to man, especially when it is not even used in Scripture to describe God’s anger.
2. I believe God meant it when He told us to put away all anger, wrath, and contention. With that command, how is it possible to have anger—any kind of anger—if we’re to get rid of all anger. How do we obey God’s command and still hold on to anger?
From these two points, it seems that righteous anger for humans is a misnomer, that there is no such thing. It seems it is a self-righteous invention to rationalize and keep from feeling guilty about getting angry when there seems to be just cause.
However, there is another view.
3. God clearly tells us not to murder and that deviant, immoral acts are an abomination to Him. He didn’t seem to waver on those and other moral issues. He loves all His creation, but some actions are defined as sins. His guidelines for righteous relationships are clear.
If the Lord has guidelines and principles to protect a society from self-destructing, why should we not be distressed—even angered—when we see those guidelines being twisted, ignored, and flaunted? Especially when it results in innocent people being victimized and society crumbling.
Those who use the term righteous indignation, or anger, contend that it is good because it provides motivation to fight evil. Isn’t it good to free innocent victims—and society—from destructive evil? Reason would conclude that such anger is righteous—if it is motivation to right wrong and if it’s not expressed in hateful ways.
And yet, when I ask, “But God, what about … (the injustice, the victims, the immorality, society)…?” He reminds me that His ways are not my ways. He also brings to mind His words through Moses as they faced the Red Sea with the army approaching. He said, “Stand by and see the salvation of the Lord. I will fight for you and you will hold your peace” (Ex. 14:13-14).
I’d certainly rather God fight for me than me fight, and I know His salvation is sure, but what does that mean in everyday life today?
It is similar to what the Lord has been telling me lately, “Be still, and know that I am God” (Ps. 40:10).
Be still is the same as stand by and you will hold your peace. We can be at peace standing on the sidelines and watching God take care of things because He is faithful.
We know that He is God when we let Him fight for us, and when we see His salvation. Our knowledge of God is head knowledge until we see His power at work. When we see Him fight for us, we know because we know that He is God.
God’s ways are different than ours. Immorality is a threat to our culture. When we are threatened, we want to fight.
But maybe He doesn’t want us to fight. Maybe He wants us to wait on Him so He can fight for us. In which case, do we need anger to motivate us to do something?
Instead of anger, maybe we need to mourn when we are confronted with sin and lawlessness. In our sorrow, we need to humble ourselves and cry out to God for His help and salvation. As we cry, we need to watch expectantly to see what creative solution God comes up with.
When Moses told the Israelites, “The Egyptians you see today, you will see no more forever,” they didn’t see how that could be true. But it was. Their enemy was utterly destroyed. But it wasn’t because they were energized by anger. They didn’t do anything but stand still and wait on God.
I’m left with serious questions concerning whether or not there is such a thing as righteous anger. I can’t read hearts, but I don’t see reference of such in Scripture.
Some of you are saying, “What about Jesus in the temple?” We’ll cover that another day, but consider this. If Jesus gets angry, we can assume it is righteous anger because He is righteous. However, can we therefore conclude that when we get angry it is also righteous? Furthermore, notice that nobody called it anger and the disciples were reminded of a verse in Psalms that talked about zeal, not about anger.
Do you believe mankind is capable of righteous anger? Is it for real, or is it self-righteous justification to not feel guilty about being anger? I’d like to hear your opinion.
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