Jehovah's Witnesses Straight Talk - Forum/Blog

Man's Anger

James1:19 So, then, my beloved brothers, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, and slow to anger; 1:20 for the anger of man doesn't produce the righteousness of God.

We are living at an angry time there seems to be no appreciation or respect for anyone, or anything anymore! However, James the half brother of Christ Jesus gives us pause in our anger towards all the disrespect. He tells us under the inspiration of God's Holy Spirit that our anger righteous as it may will be about someones disrespect does not produce God's righteousness.

Some of us will say: "right is right, and wrong is wrong, and even God hates wrong doing"! Who of us could argue with such sound logic? God hates evil, and the practice of wickedness there can be no doubt about that! But does our anger produce God's righteousness that is the question we must ask ourselves when afterwards we have regrets about our harsh, unkind, anger; was it God's righteousness?

Titus.3:1 Remind them to be in subjection to rulers and to authorities, to be obedient, to be ready for every good work, 3:2 to speak evil of no one, not to be contentious, to be gentle, showing all humility toward all men. 3:3 For we were also once foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving various lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful, and hating one another. 3:4 But when the kindness of God our Savior and his love toward mankind appeared, 3:5 not by works of righteousness, which we did ourselves, but according to his mercy, he saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit,

God's Righteousness

First, what is God's righteousness? Secondly, is God's righteousness our righteousness? And thirdly, what is the context that James is speaking to here in his letter?

James.1:14 But each one is tempted, when he is drawn away by his own lust, and enticed. 1:15 Then the lust, when it has conceived, bears sin; and the sin, when it is full grown, brings forth death. 1:16 Don't be deceived, my beloved brothers. 1:17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom can be no variation, nor turning shadow. 1:18 Of his own will he brought us forth by the word of truth, that we should be a kind of first fruits of his creatures.

God's righteousness; can any of us know God's righteousness as a sinner, or better put, can any of us be God's righteousness as a sinner? Christian's should have no doubt when hearing of God's righteousness what it is because they have been made righteous by God's righteousness, which is for all sinners, Christ Jesus. Yes, Christ is our righteousness that is a basic teachings of the holy writings. In other words, we gain righteousness through Christ righteousness which was his blood. His life on earth represented by his life force, that is, his blood did not sin against God's perfect and righteous law. He proved faultless before God making him right, and/or standing right in his own life before God without rebellion of sin. Christ did not miss the mark of perfection which made him righteous by God's judgment of right and wrong.

John 1:36 and he looked at Jesus as he walked, and said, "Behold, the Lamb of God!"

Acts 8:32 Now the passage of the Scripture which he was reading was this, "He was led as a sheep to the slaughter. As a lamb before his shearer is silent, so he doesn't open his mouth.

1 Peter 1:19 but with precious blood, as of a faultless and pure lamb, the blood of Christ;

He was freed of any charges Satan the Devil could bring against his righteous actions towards God commandments. Now the question is, is man's anger free of sin, and more importantly who judges if our anger is free of sin?

1Pet.2:21 For to this you were called, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving you{TR reads "us" instead of "you"} an example, that you should follow his steps, 2:22 who did not sin, "neither was deceit found in his mouth."{Isaiah 53:9} 2:23 Who, when he was cursed, didn't curse back. When he suffered, didn't threaten, but committed himself to him who judges righteously; 2:24 who his own self bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live to righteousness; by whose stripes you were healed. 2:25 For you were going astray like sheep; but now have returned to the Shepherd and Overseer{"Overseer" is from the Greek episkopon, which can mean overseer, curator, guardian, or superintendent.} of your souls.

Can we say before God? "That I judge my anger as free of sin, my motives are your righteousness so I am justified in my anger!" This is the thought James is alluding to in his letter which is as Christian's in Christ; who is the lawgiver and judge, us, or God? Now don't be offended here, the flesh says: "I am the lawgiver, and judges because I accept the laws and commandments in my bible."

Romans 8:7 because the mind of the flesh is hostile towards God; for it is not subject to God's law, neither indeed can it be.

Which is why so often when someone is killed by a religious person their reasoning is, they think they are doing God's works. Shocking is it not? But the standard of murder according to Christ is simply being angry with our brother, not the physical act of killing someone with intent! Are we working out God's righteousness because we are so offend at the person lack of respect for something we think is precious and holy to God, making our anger God's righteousness?

Col.3:8 but now you also put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and shameful speaking out of your mouth. 3:9 Don't lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old man with his doings, 3:10 and have put on the new man, who is being renewed in knowledge after the image of his Creator.

Matt.5:21 "You have heard that it was said to the ancient ones, 'You shall not murder;'{Exodus 20:13} and 'Whoever shall murder shall be in danger of the judgment.' 5:22 But I tell you, that everyone who is angry with his brother without a cause{NU omits "without a cause".} shall be in danger of the judgment; and whoever shall say to his brother, 'Raca{"Raca" is an Aramaic insult, related to the word for "empty" and conveying the idea of empty-headedness.}!' shall be in danger of the council; and whoever shall say, 'You fool!' shall be in danger of the fire of Gehenna.{or, Hell}

Ephesians 4:26 "Be angry, and don't sin."{Psalm 4:4} Don't let the sun go down on your wrath,

You see, it not the anger that is bad, it is, acting as though we have a right as a Christian's to execute God's righteous laws upon others as the lawgiver and judge. James starts his letter with the truth of himself and all Christian's, as a slave of Christ, not the lawgiver and judge of the brothers of Christ.

James 1:1 James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes which are in the Dispersion: Greetings.

None of us as human like disrespect, we might have an unbiblical view of what disrespect is, but no one likes a disrespectful person biblically or not. That trait is common is all humans, disrespect cause anger in all of us.

Mark.12:1 He began to speak to them in parables. "A man planted a vineyard, put a hedge around it, dug a pit for the winepress, built a tower, rented it out to a farmer, and went into another country. 12:2 When it was time, he sent a servant to the farmer to get from the farmer his share of the fruit of the vineyard. 12:3 They took him, beat him, and sent him away empty. 12:4 Again, he sent another servant to them; and they threw stones at him, wounded him in the head, and sent him away shamefully treated. 12:5 Again he sent another; and they killed him; and many others, beating some, and killing some. 12:6 Therefore still having one, his beloved son, he sent him last to them, saying, 'They will respect my son.' 12:7 But those farmers said among themselves, 'This is the heir. Come, let's kill him, and the inheritance will be ours.' 12:8 They took him, killed him, and cast him out of the vineyard. 12:9 What therefore will the lord of the vineyard do? He will come and destroy the farmers, and will give the vineyard to others. 12:10 Haven't you even read this Scripture: 'The stone which the builders rejected, the same was made the head of the corner.

The problem exist for God's people because they know what God thinks and feels about certain acts of unrighteousness, it becomes profoundly hard for them to see such blatant disrespect for things that are holy and pure. Where evil is exalted and truth is hated, where people are presumptuously mocking God and his word. We want those people to be brought low, not high, we want them humiliated not exulted as leaders and people looked up to as good examples to the world.

Proverbs 14:9 Fools mock at making atonement for sins, but among the upright there is good will.

Mark 10:34 They will mock him, spit on him, scourge him, and kill him. On the third day he will rise again."

Luke 6:22 Blessed are you when men shall hate you, and when they shall exclude and mock you, and throw out your name as evil, for the Son of Man's sake.

Yet, we have no control over others lives, and if we are honest for those in Christ our lives are not ours own, our lives belong to God, purchased for his glory not our own. In other words, who of us likes the feeling of having no control? None of us in our flesh likes that feeling.

Romans 1:6 among whom you are also called to belong to Jesus Christ;

Galatians 5:24 Those who belong to Christ have crucified the flesh with its passions and lusts.

Simply put, the definition of anger is that we are trying to control something not in our control. Now honestly think about that statement? How does a Christian's control the lives of others and still be under the law of love? Will now, we have the context of James letter; we can't without sinning!

James 3:14 But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your heart, don't boast and don't lie against the truth. 3:15 This wisdom is not that which comes down from above, but is earthly, sensual, and demonic. 3:16 For where jealousy and selfish ambition are, there is confusion and every evil deed.

We can't make people respectful towards us or God's word, we can't bind them with scriptures offending them when they don't do what we want. We can't really do much, but our flesh hates that thought when it wants to pay back evil for evil, injury for injury, justifying it by using God's words.

Luke 9:5 As many as don't receive you, when you depart from that city, shake off even the dust from your feet for a testimony against them."

1 John 4:6 We are of God. He who knows God listens to us. He who is not of God doesn't listen to us. By this we know the spirit of truth, and the spirit of error.

Mark 9:50 Salt is good, but if the salt has lost its saltiness, with what will you season it? Have salt in yourselves, and be at peace with one another."

John 16:33 I have told you these things, that in me you may have peace. In the world you have oppression; but cheer up! I have overcome the world."

Killing The Flesh

We can all agree as Christian's that sins come from where? Our fallen flesh. We as judge and lawgiver actually are killing what's in others, their sins, against whom? We say God, but is that really true? Furthermore, is such conduct God's righteousness? That is, in using the scriptures to punish, humiliated, and/or killing the sins of others that offend us?

Matthew 18:4 Whoever therefore humbles himself as this little child, the same is the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven.

James 4:5 Or do you think that the Scripture says in vain, "The Spirit who lives in us yearns jealously"? 4:6 But he gives more grace. Therefore it says, "God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble."{Proverbs 3:34}

No! Not really, but why? There is nothing within God's word the bible where he justifies our sinful flesh as good. God rather tells us we are dead to him because of our sins found in our flesh. Sadly, our righteous anger is trying to reform the flesh of others, making them a better fallen sinner, which flesh is already dead to God by his judgment of sin found in it.

Ephesians 2:5 even when we were dead through our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved).

Romans 8:6 For the mind of the flesh is death, but the mind of the Spirit is life and peace;

Romans 9:8 That is, it is not the children of the flesh who are children of God, but the children of the promise are counted as a seed.

God, in context to James letter is light, perfect unfailing light that does no vary as we humans do in bodies under going death from sin. Every good and perfect gift comes to us by the Father of perfect light, not our fallen flesh or the flesh of some other person. Sin, is not part of that perfect gift of God, what is the perfect gift of God? We are left with no doubt, it is the life of God that is manifested in his Spirit, the fruit of his Spirit given us freely while we were dead to God by his judgment of sin, now found made alive in Christ life.

2 Corinthians 5:16 Therefore we know no one after the flesh from now on. Even though we have known Christ after the flesh, yet now we know him so no more.

2 Corinthians 10:4 for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but mighty before God to the throwing down of strongholds.

Galatians 2:20 I have been crucified with Christ, and it is no longer I that live, but Christ living in me. That life which I now live in the flesh, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself up for me.

Galatians 5:16 But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you won't fulfill the lust of the flesh.

Gal.5:18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.

Gal.5:22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faith,{or, faithfulness} 5:23 gentleness, and self-control. Against such things there is no law.

God's righteousness (Christ) gave us good, not evil, that is, judgment of what is evil in us, sin. But rather good from above the fruit of God, his Spirit. God gave us his righteousness, the Son of God, while we were yet sinners! Is that God's righteousness found in us, when we are trying to kill the sins in others by God's righteous laws?

Romans 4:15 For the law works wrath, for where there is no law, neither is there disobedience.

Romans 5:9 Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we will be saved from God's wrath through him.

Ephesians 4:31 Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, outcry, and slander, be put away from you, with all malice.

Romans 12:17 Repay no one evil for evil. Respect what is honorable in the sight of all men.

Romans 12:21 Don't be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

Hardly, rather it the offense of sin found in the flesh of others that we want to stamp out with our righteous anger. We must be careful here because lets recall what Christ stated it is just such anger in us against our brothers that murders them, but why? We must kill them to stop the sin, we are saying in our hearts: "I want that person sin dead so they will stop sinning against me in that manner." We justify our anger as God's righteous anger because he hates sin.

Romans 6:14 For sin will not have dominion over you. For you are not under law, but under grace.

1 John 1:8 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.

Subsequently, we have wittingly, or unwittingly taken God position in killing the person flesh with commandments, something God himself did not do. God knew we could not stop sinning, he always knew that all sin is lawlessness, so for us to stop sinning in one area did not make us a sinless person. It did not help us in our fallen flesh, it did not make us into a perfect person without sin in our flesh.

Matt.7:1 "Don't judge, so that you won't be judged.
7:2 For with whatever judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with whatever measure you measure, it will be measured to you. 7:3 Why do you see the speck that is in your brother's eye, but don't consider the beam that is in your own eye? 7:4 Or how will you tell your brother, 'Let me remove the speck from your eye;' and behold, the beam is in your own eye?

No! God stop his judgment of us and our sins by killing his own judgment of our flesh before him. How? By paying the price for that judgment with righteous blood. He did not think he could reform the sinful flesh into a better sinful flesh. He simply, put it away from his righteous judgment by burying it in Christ our life. God return good for our evil causing us to love him even more, allowing us to come into a personal affectionate relationship with someone that we can trust.

Rom.8:15 For you didn't receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption, by whom we cry, "Abba{Abba is an Aramaic word for father or daddy, often used affectionately and respectfully in prayer to our Father in heaven.}! Father!" 8:16 The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God; 8:17 and if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint heirs with Christ; if indeed we suffer with him, that we may also be glorified with him.

Yes, if God accepts us despite our sins, looking past our sins into whats in our hearts, mind, and spirit, into what we really are, than how can we not trust and love him? This is what a real friend does is it not? They see the good in us, despite ourselves, they overlook the bad, and hope for the good.

1 John 4:19 We love Him, because he first loved us.

1 John 4:20 If a man says, "I love God," and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who doesn't love his brother whom he has seen, how can he love God whom he has not seen?

1Cor.13:4 Love is patient and is kind; love doesn't envy. Love doesn't brag, is not proud, 13:5 doesn't behave itself inappropriately, doesn't seek its own way, is not provoked, takes no account of evil; 13:6 doesn't rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth; 13:7 bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. 13:8 Love never fails.

However, James acknowledges, we have both good and evil in us, and we will not stop being tested to our limits by our own lust in our flesh that fights against the Spirit, and its fruit; the two can never be at peace with each other because one is unrighteous found in sin, and the other is light, without sin, giving only good gifts free from the lust or our flesh.

James 3:8 But nobody can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. 3:9 With it we bless our God and Father, and with it we curse men, who are made in the image of God. 3:10 Out of the same mouth comes forth blessing and cursing. My brothers, these things ought not to be so. 3:11 Does a spring send out from the same opening fresh and bitter water? 3:12 Can a fig tree, my brothers, yield olives, or a vine figs? Thus no spring yields both salt water and fresh water. 3:13 Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show by his good conduct that his deeds are done in gentleness of wisdom.

James 5:8 You also be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand. 5:9 Don't grumble, brothers, against one another, so that you won't be judged. Behold, the judge stands at the door. 5:10 Take, brothers, for an example of suffering and of patience, the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. :11 Behold, we call them blessed who endured. You have heard of the patience of Job, and have seen the Lord in the outcome, and how the Lord is full of compassion and mercy.

So our anger will not give our opponent God's righteousness like God has undeservedly given us his Son Christ Jesus freely without payment of debt. No! Our flesh wants to destroy our enemies, not love them, for their debt, it wants to pay back injury for injury. So James under the power of Spirit ask each one of us, can we have the wisdom from above to see our real condition which should humble us making us reasonable like God is reasonable in dealing with each other in our own sins that no longer lead us into death because of God's love.

James 2:7 Don't they blaspheme the honorable name by which you are called? 2:8 However, if you fulfill the royal law, according to the Scripture, "You shall love your neighbor as yourself,"{Leviticus 19:18} you do well. 2:9 But if you show partiality, you commit sin, being convicted by the law as transgressors. 2:10 For whoever keeps the whole law, and yet stumbles in one point, he has become guilty of all. 2:11 For he who said, "Do not commit adultery,"{Exodus 20:14; Deuteronomy 5:18} also said, "Do not commit murder."{Exodus 10:13; Deuteronomy 5:17} Now if you do not commit adultery, but murder, you have become a transgressor of the law. 2:12 So speak, and so do, as men who are to be judged by a law of freedom. 2:13 For judgment is without mercy to him who has shown no mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment.

Can we be the lawgiver and judge without sinning? No, we cannot, and if we sin, than we are no longer perfect without sin, and/or under the law, we are a law breaker making us as guilty as the party we are judging by righteous and good commandments of God.

James 4:11 Don't speak against one another, brothers. He who speaks against a brother and judges his brother, speaks against the law and judges the law. But if you judge the law, you are not a doer of the law, but a judge. 4:12 Only one is the lawgiver, who is able to save and to destroy. But who are you to judge another?

Revelation 6:10 They cried with a loud voice, saying, "How long, Master, the holy and true, until you judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?"

We cannot measure out death without death being measure back to us. If death of sin is what we want in others if that is what we really want, than we must measure out Christ too our enemies paying back good for evil. Now if we can do that each and every time, than we are god a lawgiver and judge, but if we can't, we better be humble and look long and hard into the perfect law of love, giving us freedom from our own judgment, and not forget how we really are as a sinner which has been accepted by God's own righteousness in forgiving us our debts.

James.1:22 But be doers of the word, and not only hearers, deluding your own selves. 1:23 For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man looking at his natural face in a mirror; 1:24 for he sees himself, and goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was. 1:25 But he who looks into the perfect law of freedom, and continues, not being a hearer who forgets, but a doer of the work, this man will be blessed in what he does. 1:26 If anyone among you thinks himself to be religious while he doesn't bridle his tongue, but deceives his heart, this man's religion is worthless.

Philippians.2:1 If there is therefore any exhortation in Christ, if any consolation of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any tender mercies and compassion, 2:2 make my joy full, by being like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind; 2:3 doing nothing through rivalry or through conceit, but in humility, each counting others better than himself; 2:4 each of you not just looking to his own things, but each of you also to the things of others. 2:5 Have this in your mind, which was also in Christ Jesus, 2:6 who, existing in the form of God, didn't consider equality with God a thing to be grasped, 2:7 but emptied himself, taking the form of a servant, being made in the likeness of men.
2:8 And being found in human form, he humbled himself, becoming obedient to death, yes, the death of the cross. 2:9 Therefore God also highly exalted him, and gave to him the name which is above every name;

Daniel a Slave of Christ

Completed: November 1, 2016