for man’s anger does not bring about the righteousness that God desires.for the anger of man doesn’t produce the righteousness of God.For the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God.for the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God.
3 sermons cite this verse
and be our guest. Open our hearts, our minds, our wills to the God who enlivens us through you. Amen. Please be seated. While it's always exciting for me to be back at Duke Chapel, it's especially exciting today on Dean Powery's first Sunday as chaplain to Duke University. If there's anything better than preaching on your first Sunday, it's listening to a guest preacher who was already on the schedule. so that you can catch your breath. As for those of you who might have hoped you would be hearing him today, take heart, for lo, I am with you but this little while, and he shall be with you always. Plus, James is the real preacher today, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ. All I really have to do is stay out of his way. I wonder all the time about how Christianity would have shaped up if James had been half the letter writer Paul had been. If you put all the letters of James and Peter and John together, those who knew Jesus in the flesh, their combined witness is shorter than Paul's two letters to the Corinthians. …
9. Love is necessary for all the members of such a Society, on another account likewise; even because it “is not puffed up:” It produces not only courage and patience, but humility. And O how needful is this for all who are so employed! What can be of more importance, than that they should be little and mean and base and vile in their own eyes? For, otherwise, should they think themselves anything, should they impute anything to themselves, should they admit anything of a Pharisaic spirit, “trusting in themselves that they were righteous, and despising others;” nothing could more directly tend to overthrow the whole design. For then they would not only have all the world, but also God himself, to contend with; seeing he “resisteth the proud, and giveth grace” only “to the humble.” Deeply conscious, therefore, should every member of this society be of his own foolishness, weakness, helplessness; continually hanging, with his whole soul upon Him who alone hath wisdom and strength, with an unspeakable conviction that “the help which is done upon earth, God doth it himself;” and that it is He alone “who worketh in us, both to will and to do of his good pleasure.” 10. One point more whoever engages in this design should have deeply impressed on his heart, namely, that “the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God.” Let him, therefore, learn of Him who was meek, as well as lowly; and let him abide in meekness, as well as humility: “With all lowliness and meekness,” let him “walk worthy of the vocation wherewith he is called.” Let them be “gentle toward all men,” good or bad, for his own sake, for their sake, for Christ’s sake. Are any “ignorant, and out of the way?” Let him have “compassion” upon them. Do they even oppose the word and the work of God; yea, set themselves in battle array against it? So much the more hath he need “in meekness to instruct those who thus oppose themselves;” if haply they may “escape out of the snare of the devil,” and no more be “taken captive at his will.” …
5. But is there no way to avoid the snare? Unquestionably there is. Our blessed Lord has marked out a plain way for His followers, in the words above recited. None, who warily and steadily walk in this path, will ever fall into evil-speaking. This rule is either an infallible preventive, or a certain cure of it. In the preceding verses, our Lord had said, “Woe to the world, because of offences,” — unspeakable misery will arise in the world from this baleful fountain: (Offences are all things whereby anyone is turned out of, or hindered in, the ways of God.): “For it must be that offenses come,” — Such is the nature of things; such the wickedness, folly, and weakness of mankind: “But woe to that man,” — miserable is that man, “by whom the offense cometh.” “Wherefore if thy hand, thy foot, thine eye, cause thee to offend,” — if the most dear enjoyment, the most beloved and useful person, turn thee out of or hinder thee in the way, “pluck it out,” — cut them off, and cast them from thee. But how can we avoid giving offense to some, and being offended at others? Especially, suppose they are quite in the wrong, and we see it with our own eyes? Our Lord here teaches us how: He lays down a sure method of avoiding offenses and evil-speaking together. “If thy brother shall sin against thee, go and tell him of his fault, between thee and him alone: If he will hear thee, thou hast gained thy brother. But if he will not hear thee, take with thee one or two more, that by the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established. And if he will not hear them, tell it to the church: But if he will not hear the Church, let him be to thee as an heathen man and a publican.” …