I live closer to righteous anger than I do towards abiding love, and although I realize that one cannot exist without the other, if I had a choice, I would choose the path that the Lord has placed me upon.
The first part of Psalm 16:11 happens in this life, “Thou wilt show me the path of life,” but showing that path to one who has been born-again is not walking that path.
I am not a hugger, I do not have a congenial attitude, I do not generally shake another man’s hand unless it is one I have known and in some way trust, if it is in the striking of a bargain, or in fellowship.
“And when James, Cephas, and John, who seemed to be pillars, perceived the grace that was given unto me, they gave to me and Barnabas the right hands of fellowship; that we should go unto the heathen, and they unto the circumcision.” (Gal. 2:9)
My beautiful wife claims I have been blessed with patience, but I live a life of daily frustrations, not only those from the world which are expected and accepted, but within myself in the limits of my desires to serve more effectively and greater for the glory of God. That righteous anger is directed not only toward the wicked and the rebellious path towards the Lord they have chosen for themselves, but towards my own inabilities, shortcomings if you will, in my own mind to perform the deeds set before me, to be profitable to the Almighty.
This is not the part of the path that many who profess Christ as Lord would choose, and so it has not been placed upon them. Righteous anger does not override abiding love, it exemplifies it.
“Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath:” (Eph. 4:26)
Knowing that they will burn forever, scream forever, wail and moan and curse His name in unbearable pain, suffering and torment forever, and they treat you like a fool, and the words of the truths of the Scriptures you offer them, in love and for the glory of God, as foolishness.
The abiding love that resides within me because of His love for me causes my heart to break for them, the righteous anger within me because of the truths that He has revealed to all who have been crucified with Him cause me to understand that they will get what they deserve if they do not repent.
“The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God. They are corrupt, they have done abominable works, there is none that doeth good.” (Psalm 14:1)
“But these, as natural brute beasts, made to be taken and destroyed, speak evil of the things that they understand not; and shall utterly perish in their own corruption;” (2nd Peter 2:12)
“What if God, willing to shew his wrath, and to make his power known, endured with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction:” (Romans 9:22)
I am righteously angry with the wicked every day, and so in abiding love I reach out to them, every day. Some I have stopped casting the pearls of God before, they have received their rewards here, so be it.
This evil world, as a whole, I remain angry with, they attempt to stand before the face of the Almighty in pride, in vainglory, they believe as their father does, that they can sit in the sides of the north by their own power, that because they have free will, they can be as the Most High.
Sin makes me angry, and that anger is righteous.
Those who have been in the battle for a long time do not become callous, that would cause their heart to grow cold, they accept the fact that some will never repent, they count them as dead men, as blind fools, as reprobates, as those fitted for destruction, as those who have no fear of God before their eyes. And so, I do as I have been commanded to do. “Let them alone: they be blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch.” (Matt. 15:14)
There is a peace that passes all understanding in the midst of righteous anger, there is abiding love in knowing that you are walking the path of life that has been revealed to you. There are also frustrations that will not end until we get home.
