Anger and Anxiety:Anger and Anxiety:A Puritan PerspectiveA Puritan Perspective

Timeless Wisdom for Today’s Timeless Wisdom for Today’s Christians:Christians:

An Introduction to the PuritansAn Introduction to the Puritans

A BIBLICAL BACKGROUND FROM MY OWN STUDY

Anger in the Bible

The Anger of God

• Includes most uses of the term in the Bible• Tied to his righteousness

• Angered by ungodliness, suppression of truth, disdain of the Creator (Romans 1:18, 21ff)

• Jesus: • angered when Father’s house disgraced (Lk 19:45-6)• By hardhearted Pharisees• But not when crucified (Lk 23:34)

• Much to be learned from when Jesus NOT angry

Human Anger

• Toward God• Cain (Gen 4:5)• Samuel (I Sam 15)• David (2 Sam 6:8)• Job (10:2-3, etc.)• Jonah (4:1)• Righteous anger about the

prosperity of the wicked (Ps 37:1, 7-8; Pr 3:31-32)

• Toward Others (Justified)• Zebul (Judges 9:30) over a

military report• David with rich man in

Nathan’s parable (2 Sam 12:5)

• Nehemiah (5:6) over grievances

• Moses (Ex 32:19) at grumbling people

Most Anger Seen as Sin• Psalm 37:7ff – forsake wrath• Job 36:13 – the godless cherish

anger• Gen 49:6-7 – Jacob curses

Simeon and Levi for their anger• Prov 27:4 – Cruel• 1 Sam 20:30 – breaks unity• Prov 12:16, etc. – a mark of fools• Prov 30:33 – leads to quarreling• Prov 29:8 – a lack of wisdom

• Prov 6:34 – rash action• Col 3:8; Ep 4:31; 6:4 – a sin• James 1:20 – doesn’t produce

righteousness• Eph 6:4 – fathers not to anger

children• Mt 5: 21-22 – Murder!• James 1:19 – slow to anger• 1 Tim 2:8; Titus 1:7 – no place

in Christian service• Lk 15:28 – older brother of

prodigal not justified in anger

Key Text: Ephesians 4:26

• May quote Psalm 4:4: “be agitated”• Better trans: “Let not your anger be mixed with sin”• Angry with sin or sin of others, NOT with persons• Calvin: God will be angry with them, so we should pity• Knowing our own vices tempers our upset at others

Richard Baxter (1615-1691)• Raised with little education, but

compensated later• Active in politics and tried to stay

in Church of England• But ultimately prohibited from

preaching• Actually a 4 point Calvinist,

disagreeing with limited atonement

• Fought illness several times, influencing the themes of his work

• Much of what we’ll cover this week and in following weeks comes from him

Baxter’s Work

• The Christian Directory• http://books.google.com/bo

oks?id=3WcfCSj-i8AC&printsec=frontcover&source=gbs_ge_summary_r&cad=0#v=onepage&q&f=false

• In many ways, the first Christian counseling manual

• Covers many practical aspects of living as a Christian

Baxter on Anger

• Definition:• The rising up of the heart in

passionate displacency [dislike] against an apprehended evil, which would cross or hinder us of some desired good

• It is good when…• It stirs us to resist things

within and without us that oppose God’s glory or our own or neighbor’s true good

• BUT it is sinful when…• It rises against God or any

good as if it were evil• When it hinders reason and

judgment• When it causes sinful words

or actions• When it is greater than the

cause deserves• When it makes us unfit for

our spiritual duties• When it stays too long• When it is selfish and carnal

Baxter on Anger• It is a hurting passion, inflaming

you to hurt those who angered you

• And leads to various other sins• Plus stirs others to respond in

kind• “It is the devil’s bellows to kindle

men’s corruptions”

• Even a choleric nature does not justify sinful anger

• And Paul said only unsinful anger to be resolved by sunset; sinful anger is never OK

• Immoderate anger is a rebel against reason• “Sinful anger is a short

madness or drunkenness”• It is also rebellion against

God• And an enemy to the body

itself• “It inflameth the blood, and

stirreth up diseases, and breedeth such a bitter displeasedness in the mind.”

Keys to Overcoming Anger

• Live under the government of God

• Stay humble• Pride often incites anger

• Stop the anger early• Be quiet until reason can

be heard

• Don’t meditate on injuries or provocations

• Keep the meekness of Christ in mind

• If can’t control the passion, control behavior• Have a plan

• If angry, quickly confess it to God and another person

• Covenant with someone to watch and rebuke you

ANXIETYANXIETY

SOME BACKGROUND

The issue: We are anxious…but ought not to be

• I’ve to prostitute myself to live comfortably and I see no point in money except to buy off anxiety. I don’t want to be rich. I want to be unanxious. • Sir John Betjeman

• Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be known to God. – Ph 4:6

The Basic Dilemma

• Anxiety the most common group of psychological problems for children and adults in US

• 1/8 of US adults has an anxiety disorder

• That is , 40 million!• Often leads to depression• Christians overall have lower rates

• Why?• Speed of Life• Lack of Roots• “Christianity lite”

• The “weightlessness of God” (Wells)

• Inadequate view of God• Christian life as experience, not

living out our theology

• Yet, also the most common command in the Bible is “Be not afraid” and its variants

• So, God knew:• We’d be afraid• But usually don’t need

to be

Background Doctrines

• Humans are valued as made in God’s image

• Yet, sinful by nature since the Fall• The first sin prompted by

idea that God did not have our best in mind

• And immediately they were anxious about being near God

• And about their future

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Theology of Anxiety: Healthy Anxiety

• “Fearing God” is different than anxiety and is commended in Scripture. A “reverential awe”

• God gave us healthy fear responses and the “fight or flight response”

• Issue is when this is triggered when no realistic danger

• E.g., one might argue that all should fear death, as is inevitable: a bleak prospect for those outside of Christ

• Strangely, we often don’t fear the things we should (sin) and fear the things we shouldn’t (people, etc.)

• While various emotions were attributed to Jesus, he is never said to have been afraid

Unhealthy Anxiety: Is it Sin?• Often, but just saying so does

nothing to overcome it!• It IS an issue of faith very

often• Compare a jealous husband

who has a faithful wife, yet is anxious about her dependability

• Such worrying dishonors the wife

• Just as our anxiety can dishonor a faithful God

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Antidote: Trusting in a Provident God• Many Christians are ill-

equipped for this, having rather small views of God• God as “Santa Claus” to

give us whatever we want• The “God who risks” who

doesn’t really control the future in particular ways

• God as severely limited by human free will

• In contrast, if God is sovereign over all• We have absolute hope for

all future contingencies• And have reason to trust

our Heavenly Father to take care of us

• We need not try to wrest control from the One who has it and promises to use it for our good

• Let’s break this down a bit

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Five Implications from Providence• Humility:

• we are not in control and do well not to imagine we are or work things to garner control inappropriately

• Courage: • we look to future knowing our “team” wins and all in our live serves this

lofty goal• Hope:

• God is faithful and will fulfill his promises• Patience:

• biblical virtue of “waiting for the Lord”• Faith:

• Letting God be in control knowing He will work it out• Even though He will “work us out” through trials, they should bring joy

(James 1:2-4)

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SOME THOUGHTS FROM BAXTER

Directions Against Sinful Fear

• We tend not to fear ourselves because of self-love, but we have much cause to fear our “folly, weakness, and wilfulness in sin”

• Fear is sinful when• It stems from distrust of

God• Or ascribes more to the

creature than is due

Directions Against Sinful Fear

• Know and believe more of the nature of God • E.g. his providence

• Be active in love and praise

• Notice how fear drives you from God

• If we fear God in the wrong way, it deprives us of his comforts

• Do you fear the devil?• “Wilt thou fear a conquered

foe?”• We are delivered from his power• You honor the devil by fearing

him• Do you fear men?

• They can hurt your worldly estates only

• This shows our earthly mindedness

• Fear the displeasure of God more than of men

• Your fear is a more dangerous enemy than those that you fear

Expect to Suffer

• Much anxiety is a vain effort to avoid suffering• “Experience telleth us that men have never so much

joy on earth as in suffering for the cause of Christ”• “Who findeth not that adversity is more safe and

profitable to the soul than prosperity?”• “Gensericus commanded that when Maculinus came to die, if he

were fearful, they should execute him, that he might die with shame, but if were constant, they should forbear, lest he should have the honor of a glorious martyrdom.”

• So trust God’s providence

In Conclusion: Keeping Calm• Know and trust God’s

providence• Be heavenly-minded, not

earthly-minded• Be angry at your own sin

more than others’• See the good in suffering

• Even insults and provocations• Consider Jesus• What do I need to change or

work on???• Next week: Death and dying