Scripture: Ephesians 4:25 – 5:2

Thoughts:  “Be ye angry, and sin not . . . .”
                  “Be ye angry, but sin not . . . .”


We have been taught that both “and” and “but” are conjunctions.  “And” signals a logical following action.  “I saw my friend, and I waved.”


“But” signals a change of direction.  “I detest Brussel sprouts, but I ate them when Aunt Atossa served them for dinner.”

Realistically, we know that angry feelings will come, unless you live alone in a mountain hut and see no one.  Even then, you might become angry with a rabbit who feasted on the emerging carrots in your garden. Or a raucous blue jay who wakened you from a delicious morning sleep.

If we do become angry and sin not, perhaps we may begin to enter a state of grace.  Could we learn to quell our anger and not be tempted to sin?

Discussion:  How would you define “righteous anger”?

Activity:  Ephesians 4:32 is worth memorizing.  “And be ye kind one to another, tender hearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.”