Wrath. One of the Seven Deadly Sins

Wrath and The Seven Deadly Sins

Wrath is one of the Seven Deadly Sins, also it´s off-shoots and variations are Anger, Rage, Fury, Violence,  Temper and Revenge. This is one of the more obvious Deadly Sins when it flares up, but can lay dormant in some people and then appear rapidly from nowhere. Others may have a different temperament and have a cliff edge mentality, always appearing on edge and easy to anger and experience wrath. Either way it manifests itself differently from the previous two Deadly Sins of Greed and Pride or Vanity which have more of a creeping nature about them, but to onlookers it is obvious this person is overcome by Greed or Vanity.

Despite it being one of the more obvious Seven Deadly Sins, Wrath can be a difficult one to overcome just like the others, it´s a bit of a nuclear bomb situation. Even if you try to make changes within yourself, there will always be external influences from other people and the pressures of modern day society that will cause Wrath to manifest itself in your life. We are Fallen Flesh and of Adam and live in a Fallen World.

Wrath. One of the Seven Deadly Sins in Modern Society



Wrath can cause arguments, destroy relationships and friendships, lead to health problems including heart attacks, lead to violence and in extreme cases serious injury. It can lead to loss of employment and financial problems and it can lead to imprisonment or even death. Wrath has been the precursor to almost all wars throughout history and is playing a part in the recent World War 3 headlines that have subsided of late.

Although many think of the Seven Deadly Sins as something from the Victorian era that do not really apply in this modern day and age as "times have changed", these Deadly Sins probably apply more now than they did back in the Victorian times. They were especially prevalent in the Middle Ages.

Modern Day Examples of Wrath

Modern day examples of Wrath include Computer Rage, Road Rage, Football hooligans, Black Friday Rage, Domestic Violence, Riots and Speech Promoting Violence

Wrath Symptons and Warnings

The symptons of Wrath or Anger include Irritability, Impatience, Raised Voice, Glaring Eyes, Hurtful Words and Bad Language, Explosive Actions, Relational Breakdown, Attitudes of Superiority and Physical Tension.

Wrath is just like the other Seven Deadly Sins and shows the same viscious cycle of Buzz or Adrenaline Rush, a feeling of Power and a releasing of tension then coming back down to earth followed by Guilt and then Depression which then leads to the next cycle for the whole process to be repeated again. Strangely Wrath is not a desirable trait in this modern day and age but many jobs and pressures in society produce this Deadly Sin in abundance and it is also promoted in TV, Hollywood Movies and the Media.

The Christian way of dealing with Wrath?
Christians will keep a close eye on Wrath and Anger as it is mentioned in the Bible as one of the symptons of the Flesh and Christians are supposed to control the flesh and not the other way round. If you are Truly Born Again and Indwelt with the Holy Spirit, there will be an inner stillness and peace inside you that no matter what goes on in the outside world that inner peace and calmness will remain. The Fruits of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control as mentioned in Galatains 5:22-23. You could say the opposite are The Seven Deadly Sins.

The Christian way of dealing with Wrath will be to let the storm blow over and then confront the situation afterwards when that other persons mind is more rational and not during a Wrath episode. There is a Righteous anger in some Christian doctrines, righteous anger is considered the only form of anger which is not a sin. A Christian should not be angry, but if our constructive outrage results in restoring people into a loving, healing relationships with Jesus, it then can be classed as righteous anger.

An example of this would be Jesus who overthrew the money lenders tables in the Temple in Matthew 21 in The New Testament. Joshua and also David and Goliath would be other examples in The Old Testament

Matthew 21.12-13
12. And Jesus went into the temple of God, and cast out all them that sold and bought in the temple, and overthrew the tables of the moneychangers, and the seats of them that sold doves,
13. And said unto them, It is written, My house shall be called the house of prayer; but ye have made it a den of thieves.

Also in the Synagogue in Mark 3

Mark 3:1-5
1. And he entered again into the synagogue; and there was a man there which had a withered hand.
2. And they watched him, whether he would heal him on the sabbath day; that they might accuse him.
3. And he saith unto the man which had the withered hand, Stand forth.
4. And he saith unto them, Is it lawful to do good on the sabbath days, or to do evil? to save life, or to kill? But they held their peace.
5. And when he had looked round about on them with anger, being grieved for the hardness of their hearts, he saith unto the man, Stretch forth thine hand. And he stretched it out: and his hand was restored whole as the other.

The Wrath of God

Even God has Wrath as mentioned many times in the Bible, but he always gives warnings, many warnings and is slow to anger, with the Wrath building over a long period of time such as decades or many hundreds of years, before the Wrath in the form of Judgement is released when there was no other option left.  This is always tempered with forgiveness in the End demonstrating a never ending and deeper love for mankind knowing that we are essentially flawed in nature.

Romans 1:18 - For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness;

John 3:36 - He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.

Conclusion.
Wrath will not have you wearing Gucci or Prada or have hair by Vidal Sassoon as in the Deadly Sin of Vanity nor will it have you, wearing Rolex Watches, driving Ferrari´s or living in the best part of town as in the Deadly Sin of Greed. Wrath works differently and is difficult to see on the surface until it flares up, the warning signs will be there, but by then it is normally too late and the Genie will be out of the bottle.  The only signs will be the trail of destruction in your life that will surface in the future such as applying for a job. There are courses in Anger Management, a hilarious film by the same title gives a good insight, you can take  tablets, change your job or even just work from home and never leave the house, but eventually this Wrath will flare up again in some shape or form. The only total solution to overcome this Deadly Sin just like the others is to be "Born Again". Check out the Video which gives other examples including some of my personal experiences before I was "Saved"

Bible Quotes:

(Ephesians 4:26–27, 30–32).

26. Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath:
27. Neither give place to the devil.

30. And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.
31. Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice:
32. And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you.
Proverbs 15:18 - A wrathful man stirreth up strife: but he that is slow to anger appeaseth strife.

Galatians 5:19-21
19 Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness,
20 Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies,
21 Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.

Galatians 5:22-26
22. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,
23. Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.
24. And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.
25. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.
26. Let us not be desirous of vain glory, provoking one another, envying one another.

Colossians 3:8 - But now ye also put off all these; anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication out of your mouth.

Ecclesiastes 7:9 - Be not hasty in thy spirit to be angry: for anger resteth in the bosom of fools.

James 1:19-20 - 19. Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath: 20. For the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God.

Proverbs 29:11 - A fool uttereth all his mind: but a wise man keepeth it in till afterwards.

Proverbs 16:32 - He that is slow to anger is better than the mighty; and he that ruleth his spirit than he that taketh a city.

James 1:19 - Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath:

Proverbs 15:1 - A soft answer turneth away wrath: but grievous words stir up anger.

Ephesians 4:31 - Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice:

Psalms 37:8 - Cease from anger, and forsake wrath: fret not thyself in any wise to do evil.

Proverbs 14:29 - He that is slow to wrath is of great understanding: but he that is hasty of spirit exalteth folly.

Ephesians 4:26 - Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath: