For the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God.
Human anger and wrath do not produce, accomplish, or work out the righteous character, conduct, and life that God requires and desires. For this reason the call is to be quick to listen and slow to speak and slow to become angry, answering provocation with a slow and controlled response rather than hasty words, retaliation, and contention. In place of wrath, the implanted word is to be received with meekness as able to save the soul and put into practice as doers and not hearers only, looking into the perfect law of liberty and continuing in it, which bridles the tongue, keeps unspotted from the world, shows mercy, and supplies the needs of the afflicted, fatherless, widows, naked, and hungry. Victory over temper does not come in human strength but by bringing the will into conformity and harmony with God through union with divine power through Christ. Giving way to passion when provoked brings great harm and loss of hold on God, while self-control places a person on vantage ground, so keeping silent rather than answering hastily, ruling the spirit in meekness and patience, and correcting in calm gentleness rather than anger is strength and understanding learned from Christ.
Verse Meaning and Context
Human anger and wrath do not produce, work, or accomplish the righteousness and the righteous character, conduct, and life that God requires and desires. The statement is given as the reason for every person to be swift to hear and slow to speak and slow to wrath, calling for thoughtfulness instead of the hasty word. Silence is often eloquence because it gives opportunity for thought, and thought checks hasty speech. A slow and controlled response is required rather than hasty words, retaliation, and contention, and ruling the spirit is a mark of strength and understanding.
Laying aside all filthiness and wickedness belongs with this command, with receiving with meekness the implanted, engrafted word that is able to save the soul. Those who name the name of Christ must in this way depart from all iniquity by no longer cherishing enmity against brethren nor speaking with unruly tongues. Being only a hearer deceives, like a man who sees his face in a mirror and forgets it, while looking into the perfect law of liberty and continuing in it as a doer of the work brings blessing in deed. Believers are to put the word into practice as doers and not hearers only, to speak and do as those to be judged by the law of liberty, and receiving and obeying God's word instead of anger leads to good works that make light shine. Self is to be examined to see if Christ is within rather than judging others.
The pure and undefiled religion that replaces wrath bridles the tongue, visits the fatherless and widows in affliction, and keeps unspotted from the world. Its fruit is showing mercy and showing faith by supplying the needs of the naked and hungry, instead of weakening, discouraging, wounding, and tearing down fellow workers with harsh, unsanctified words and criticism. The passage belongs to God's great remedy for the diseases of body and soul in James 1:16-27, which is God's health reform prescription. Its teaching is practical and must be taken heed to day by day and brought into the daily life and into character building, with Christ exercising His grace in large measure. Opened to the heart, its principles of righteousness bring prosperity, bring heaven very near, bring happiness of spirit, cause the salvation of God to be seen, give an experience that is a tower of strength, make a place of labor a place where angels delight to come, and bring final triumph with the overcomers.
Victory and Daily Practice
Victory over temper means bringing the will into conformity and harmony with God, and this cannot be done in human strength but succeeds through union with divine power and through Christ, with those who enter heaven doing so through Christ's righteousness. In human strength no one can rule the spirit, for human wrath does not produce the righteousness God requires. Through Christ self-control is gained and thoughts and words are brought into subjection to the will of God, with anger brought under God's discipline rather than treated as a way to accomplish righteousness.
Giving way to passion when provoked brings great harm and loss of hold on God, while self-control when provoked places a person on vantage ground. Ruling the spirit is a mark of strength and understanding, calling for a slow and controlled response rather than hasty words or retaliation. Victory over wrath comes only by learning meekness, lowliness, patience, forbearance, and love from Christ. The religion of Christ brings the emotions under the control of reason and disciplines the tongue, and under its influence the hasty temper is subdued and the heart is filled with patience and gentleness.
The case of Brother Gravelle shows that overbearing and passionate conduct toward family and brethren must be overcome by self-control, humility, and forbearance. Excited anger and harsh reproof must give way to letting the meek spirit of Jesus govern.
In parenting and family life, parents must first learn to control themselves in obedience to reason rather than impulse, and only then are they fitted to control and govern their children. Filling a house with children without patience to instruct them and wisdom to govern them burdens society and sins against the children and against God. Correcting a child in anger, scolding, impatience, and unholy passion dishonors God, gives a wrong shape to character, and does harm when patience is lost. Impatience in the parent excites impatience in the children, and passion manifested by the parent creates passion in the children and stirs up the evils of their nature. Severe correction given with impatience and in passion produces no good result, for in seeking to correct one evil it creates two, and continual censuring and whipping hardens children and weans them from their parents. Every time parents lose self-control and speak and act impatiently they sin against God. Right correction is calm, patient, forbearing, gentle, sorrowful, and pitying, restraining angry and harsh words, reasoning with the children, clearly pointing out the wrong, showing sin against God as well as parents, offered with prayer and from a sense of duty for their good that they may not grow up in sin and wickedness rather than to vent displeasure or because of inconvenience, so that children love and do not hate the parent. A hasty temper and uncontrolled words must be restrained, while trust in God and an indwelling Saviour strengthen people to speak rightly and keep anger under control.
In teaching and overseeing children or workers, no one who is fretful, impatient, arbitrary, or dictatorial is fitted for the work. A naturally hasty temper or ignorant error is no excuse, since ignorance or lack of self-control in that position is sin. Because lessons are written upon souls for life, the teacher must train never to speak a hasty word and never to lose self-control. The one set over children or workers must keep proper control over mind and words, act with forethought, patience, and grace, answer without abruptness, encourage confidence rather than repel it, and lessen friction by adapting to the situation. Wrong is to be met by going frankly and kindly to the person alone as a father to help, rather than presenting failure publicly as though all were guilty, since public condemnation does not mend matters but leaves a cold and unpleasant impression.
When going to a neighbor, friend, or other person overtaken in fault, restoration depends greatly on the spirit of the reproof and can come in no other way than in meekness, gentleness, and tender love. The approach must be plain yet serious, solemn, and earnest in love, with a lowly mind and prayer. Care must be taken to avoid in look, gesture, word, or tone anything of pride, self-sufficiency, disdain, overbearing, contempt, anger, reproach, railing accusation, hate, ill will, bitterness, or soreness.
When someone speaks passionately after losing self-control, including a spouse's provoking words, keeping silent is safer and better than a hasty reply, reproof, argument, or condemnation. Silence is often eloquence because it gives opportunity for thought, and thoughtfulness checks the hasty word. Feelings of anger met in this way die out quickly while a hastily spoken reply only makes matters worse. Such restraint can do more good and allow repentance to come soon, and silence can serve as a strong rebuke. Self-control must be learned, and learning it is part of preparation for life in heaven, since discouraging and passionate words cause great blessings to be lost.
In church and working relations, bitterness, hostile speech, suspicion, hasty temper, contention, harsh unsanctified words, and criticism oppose truth, holiness, and peace, hinder God's work, harm others, and weaken, discourage, wound, and tear down fellow workers. Efforts to oversee, control, and judge church members and ministers by uncontrolled words and spirit cannot accomplish God's work and should cease. Believers should examine their own hearts rather than condemn fellow believers, being swift to hear, slow to speak and slow to wrath, laying apart filthiness, bridling the tongue, visiting the fatherless and widows in affliction, and keeping unspotted from the world.
The verse calls for self-examination in God's word to see if Christ is within and to improve in kindness, patience, and courtesy rather than expecting a change of place or employment to bring improvement. It is given as the reason to be swift to hear and slow to speak and slow to anger, to stop judging others, to lay apart all filthiness and naughtiness, to receive the engrafted word with meekness that can save the soul, to be doers of the word and not hearers only, to look into the perfect law of liberty and continue in it, to bridle the tongue, and to practice pure religion by visiting the fatherless and widows in affliction and keeping unspotted from the world. Truth received in the heart refines taste, sanctifies judgment, and makes a person kind, patient, long-suffering, merciful, and tenderly compassionate instead of coarse, rough, and discourteous. A hasty temper bears the stamp of human depravity and leads to a course that shames Christ, while passion cherished as sin and hatred or action from personal likes and dislikes risks grave mistakes that harm others. The hasty temper must be overcome by persevering effort as a student in the school of Christ.
Human anger and wrath do not produce, accomplish, or work out the righteous character, conduct, and life that God requires and desires. For this reason the call is to be quick to listen and slow to speak and slow to become angry, answering provocation with a slow and controlled response rather than hasty words, retaliation, and contention. In place of wrath, the implanted word is to be received with meekness as able to save the soul and put into practice as doers and not hearers only, looking into the perfect law of liberty and continuing in it, which bridles the tongue, keeps unspotted from the world, shows mercy, and supplies the needs of the afflicted, fatherless, widows, naked, and hungry. Victory over temper does not come in human strength but by bringing the will into conformity and harmony with God through union with divine power through Christ. Giving way to passion when provoked brings great harm and loss of hold on God, while self-control places a person on vantage ground, so keeping silent rather than answering hastily, ruling the spirit in meekness and patience, and correcting in calm gentleness rather than anger is strength and understanding learned from Christ.
Verse Meaning and Context
Human anger and wrath do not produce, work, or accomplish the righteousness and the righteous character, conduct, and life that God requires and desires. The statement is given as the reason for every person to be swift to hear and slow to speak and slow to wrath, calling for thoughtfulness instead of the hasty word. Silence is often eloquence because it gives opportunity for thought, and thought checks hasty speech. A slow and controlled response is required rather than hasty words, retaliation, and contention, and ruling the spirit is a mark of strength and understanding.
Laying aside all filthiness and wickedness belongs with this command, with receiving with meekness the implanted, engrafted word that is able to save the soul. Those who name the name of Christ must in this way depart from all iniquity by no longer cherishing enmity against brethren nor speaking with unruly tongues. Being only a hearer deceives, like a man who sees his face in a mirror and forgets it, while looking into the perfect law of liberty and continuing in it as a doer of the work brings blessing in deed. Believers are to put the word into practice as doers and not hearers only, to speak and do as those to be judged by the law of liberty, and receiving and obeying God's word instead of anger leads to good works that make light shine. Self is to be examined to see if Christ is within rather than judging others.
The pure and undefiled religion that replaces wrath bridles the tongue, visits the fatherless and widows in affliction, and keeps unspotted from the world. Its fruit is showing mercy and showing faith by supplying the needs of the naked and hungry, instead of weakening, discouraging, wounding, and tearing down fellow workers with harsh, unsanctified words and criticism. The passage belongs to God's great remedy for the diseases of body and soul in James 1:16-27, which is God's health reform prescription. Its teaching is practical and must be taken heed to day by day and brought into the daily life and into character building, with Christ exercising His grace in large measure. Opened to the heart, its principles of righteousness bring prosperity, bring heaven very near, bring happiness of spirit, cause the salvation of God to be seen, give an experience that is a tower of strength, make a place of labor a place where angels delight to come, and bring final triumph with the overcomers.
Victory and Daily Practice
Victory over temper means bringing the will into conformity and harmony with God, and this cannot be done in human strength but succeeds through union with divine power and through Christ, with those who enter heaven doing so through Christ's righteousness. In human strength no one can rule the spirit, for human wrath does not produce the righteousness God requires. Through Christ self-control is gained and thoughts and words are brought into subjection to the will of God, with anger brought under God's discipline rather than treated as a way to accomplish righteousness.
Giving way to passion when provoked brings great harm and loss of hold on God, while self-control when provoked places a person on vantage ground. Ruling the spirit is a mark of strength and understanding, calling for a slow and controlled response rather than hasty words or retaliation. Victory over wrath comes only by learning meekness, lowliness, patience, forbearance, and love from Christ. The religion of Christ brings the emotions under the control of reason and disciplines the tongue, and under its influence the hasty temper is subdued and the heart is filled with patience and gentleness.
The case of Brother Gravelle shows that overbearing and passionate conduct toward family and brethren must be overcome by self-control, humility, and forbearance. Excited anger and harsh reproof must give way to letting the meek spirit of Jesus govern.
In parenting and family life, parents must first learn to control themselves in obedience to reason rather than impulse, and only then are they fitted to control and govern their children. Filling a house with children without patience to instruct them and wisdom to govern them burdens society and sins against the children and against God. Correcting a child in anger, scolding, impatience, and unholy passion dishonors God, gives a wrong shape to character, and does harm when patience is lost. Impatience in the parent excites impatience in the children, and passion manifested by the parent creates passion in the children and stirs up the evils of their nature. Severe correction given with impatience and in passion produces no good result, for in seeking to correct one evil it creates two, and continual censuring and whipping hardens children and weans them from their parents. Every time parents lose self-control and speak and act impatiently they sin against God. Right correction is calm, patient, forbearing, gentle, sorrowful, and pitying, restraining angry and harsh words, reasoning with the children, clearly pointing out the wrong, showing sin against God as well as parents, offered with prayer and from a sense of duty for their good that they may not grow up in sin and wickedness rather than to vent displeasure or because of inconvenience, so that children love and do not hate the parent. A hasty temper and uncontrolled words must be restrained, while trust in God and an indwelling Saviour strengthen people to speak rightly and keep anger under control.
In teaching and overseeing children or workers, no one who is fretful, impatient, arbitrary, or dictatorial is fitted for the work. A naturally hasty temper or ignorant error is no excuse, since ignorance or lack of self-control in that position is sin. Because lessons are written upon souls for life, the teacher must train never to speak a hasty word and never to lose self-control. The one set over children or workers must keep proper control over mind and words, act with forethought, patience, and grace, answer without abruptness, encourage confidence rather than repel it, and lessen friction by adapting to the situation. Wrong is to be met by going frankly and kindly to the person alone as a father to help, rather than presenting failure publicly as though all were guilty, since public condemnation does not mend matters but leaves a cold and unpleasant impression.
When going to a neighbor, friend, or other person overtaken in fault, restoration depends greatly on the spirit of the reproof and can come in no other way than in meekness, gentleness, and tender love. The approach must be plain yet serious, solemn, and earnest in love, with a lowly mind and prayer. Care must be taken to avoid in look, gesture, word, or tone anything of pride, self-sufficiency, disdain, overbearing, contempt, anger, reproach, railing accusation, hate, ill will, bitterness, or soreness.
When someone speaks passionately after losing self-control, including a spouse's provoking words, keeping silent is safer and better than a hasty reply, reproof, argument, or condemnation. Silence is often eloquence because it gives opportunity for thought, and thoughtfulness checks the hasty word. Feelings of anger met in this way die out quickly while a hastily spoken reply only makes matters worse. Such restraint can do more good and allow repentance to come soon, and silence can serve as a strong rebuke. Self-control must be learned, and learning it is part of preparation for life in heaven, since discouraging and passionate words cause great blessings to be lost.
In church and working relations, bitterness, hostile speech, suspicion, hasty temper, contention, harsh unsanctified words, and criticism oppose truth, holiness, and peace, hinder God's work, harm others, and weaken, discourage, wound, and tear down fellow workers. Efforts to oversee, control, and judge church members and ministers by uncontrolled words and spirit cannot accomplish God's work and should cease. Believers should examine their own hearts rather than condemn fellow believers, being swift to hear, slow to speak and slow to wrath, laying apart filthiness, bridling the tongue, visiting the fatherless and widows in affliction, and keeping unspotted from the world.
The verse calls for self-examination in God's word to see if Christ is within and to improve in kindness, patience, and courtesy rather than expecting a change of place or employment to bring improvement. It is given as the reason to be swift to hear and slow to speak and slow to anger, to stop judging others, to lay apart all filthiness and naughtiness, to receive the engrafted word with meekness that can save the soul, to be doers of the word and not hearers only, to look into the perfect law of liberty and continue in it, to bridle the tongue, and to practice pure religion by visiting the fatherless and widows in affliction and keeping unspotted from the world. Truth received in the heart refines taste, sanctifies judgment, and makes a person kind, patient, long-suffering, merciful, and tenderly compassionate instead of coarse, rough, and discourteous. A hasty temper bears the stamp of human depravity and leads to a course that shames Christ, while passion cherished as sin and hatred or action from personal likes and dislikes risks grave mistakes that harm others. The hasty temper must be overcome by persevering effort as a student in the school of Christ.