Righteous Anger: When It's a Sin to Be "Nice"
A little why ago, my brother who I nicknamed "temporary" wrote me an email about possibly making a post about people being "too nice" - how he was tired of never being able to speak up without people labeling him as too aggressive or cruel.
Well, the fire in me has been fueled due to this recent post, and this post will be a defense of righteous anger.
Was Jesus always nice? Why do Christians believe they must always be nice? Well, there are two reasons for this:
- They are not understanding the difference between being nice and/or pleasant vs. being kind and/or loving.
- Verses are taken out of context or not considered in context with other verses. In other words, there are contextual understandings that must be addressed, but people like "cherry-pick" verses about Jesus Christ.
Let's start with point one. In an effort to be nice and pleasant and not fight with anyone, the Covid pandemic happened and nearly everyone around you (or even you) took gene therapy. This was because people were nice. Churches were nice and shut down. People were nice to friends and family, and they didn't think to warn them about what was happening. People really wanted to be nice and agreeable. They didn't want to stir up conflict, and they certainly didn't want to be an outcast.
Look, we all made mistakes during the Pandemic, but we must face what happened with honesty and integrity. Nearly all over of us were too nice.
This is not what the Bible call us to be like. We are not to be timid and nice, but rather, as Paul explains:
1:7 For 1063 God 2316 hath 1325 0 not 3756 given 1325 5656 us 2254 the spirit 4151 of fear 1167; but 235 of power 1411, and 2532 of love 26, and 2532 of a sound mind 4995.
If you look at the word fear, it means:
- 1) timidity, fearfulness, cowardice
We are not to be timid, fearful, or cowardly. In fact, cowards burn in the Lake of Fire.
There is a time to speak up, and in a moment, we will go into examples of times Jesus Christ had righteous anger and wasn't so nice. However, there is no Bible verse that tells us to be nice and pleasant all of the time, especially in the face of evil, deception, and hypocrisy. In fact, we are to expose the fruits of darkness - not to passively stand by. So, the word "nice" is not really even used in the Bible. Rather, Jesus spoke about loving others and being kind, which is something altogether different.
If Jesus and the disciples were "nice", they wouldn't have all been murdered, and the same goes for many early martyrs in the church. They were often "politically incorrect" and they bothered people so much they they were killed.
Unfortunately, people don't know what love is anymore because they don't know God, and God is love. Love is about treating people the way you wanted to be treated. Love isn't always nice, and it sometimes has boundaries.
In a recent email from our vaxxed brother in Christ, he explained that he felt righteously angry due to the amount of people who pressured him to take the vaccine - the Christians who did not warn him about the possible effects, especially spiritual. He was angry at them, and righteously so. From my understanding, he was pressured by his friends, family, and even his church, so-called Christians, to take the vaccine. He accepts responsibility for his actions, but he still feels betrayed by those he thought loved him.
These Christians were not kind or loving to him, but they were "nice." They aided in his deception. I'm angry for him; hence, the amount of time I spend writing about the vaccine on this blog. I am speaking out for those who have been silenced.
In the same way, when we love someone, there are times for brutal and harsh truths. There are times when our words may hurt someone's feelings, but they are necessary for possible change or repentance.
To be kind is to prevent people from burning in hell. That is kind. That is loving. So, for the woman that we called out in our last post, we actually want her to consider that her actions may lead her to hell - a Pharisee-esque spirit that divides congregations and causes petty quarrels will not inherit the Kingdom of Heaven. We are to watch out for those who cause division - that is what Satan does - and we are to warn them to repent.
So, this idea that Christians have to be "nice" all of the time is far from what the Bible states. Now, before anybody says I am calling you to cruelty or unrighteous anger - no, that is not the case. Let's examine Scripture to get a feel for when Jesus Christ wasn't so "nice."
Jesus Christ Wasn't Always Nice
But he was always loving.
1) You must hate your own mother and father: This verse isn't used often in sermons. For me personally, I have disconnected from nearly all of my family because of my belief in Jesus Christ. When I last spoke to my dad, I told him I loved him, but I said that in order for us to have a relationship, he has to love Jesus Christ as much as I do. We haven't spoken since.
Was this nice? Will readers find me nice? No, probably not, but you can read my testimony regarding my father for context. Still, I find what I did kind. I told him the truth about Jesus Christ, and I truly pray he repents for his actions and the things he did to my mom daily (One day, I will write about this cruelty). I forgive him, but there is no way I can have a relationship with him anymore - unless he comes to Jesus.
So many are so bound to their families that they will love them more than Jesus Christ. This is what Jesus Christ was talking about, especially in a time when family was of the utmost importance - even more so than now. Of course, family relationships are complicated, and it's not my place to judge your unique situation. There are times, however, that one must give up their family for Jesus Christ. This isn't what people want to hear, and it doesn't feel "nice." But at times it is necessary.
Again, I am not telling every single person to run out and burn every relationship they have. However, I am asking you to pray to God if there are relationships you need to end for Jesus Christ.
Who is going to want to hear this sermon in a church? No one. I know that, but Jesus Christ is clear - if our relationships with our family are coming in the way of Him, then it may be time to give them up.
Please - no angry emails. Every situation is unique, and I have no idea what your situation is. Still, ever since I gave up unnecessary relationships, I can actually worship Jesus Christ freely and have time to write for this blog instead of wasting my time being "fake" and "nice" to people who don't like me anyway. How much of our lives do we waste being fake, nice, and putting on a show for others? How many of us hide our love of Jesus Christ from friends and family?
I didn't want to do that anymore, so I stopped talking to anyone who didn't support my relationship with Jesus Christ. Now I truly feel free, and it's feel amazing! I am not chained to anybody with a hatred of Jesus anymore.
Jesus Christ did not come to bring peace on the Earth but a sword, and there may be times when we can no longer be "nice" to family members who are not truly following Him. Your family could be a form of idolatry. Have you considered this?
Jesus Christ came to start fire upon the Earth, and the time has come for it to ignite.
2) Jesus Sometimes Used "Harsh" Language: In the linked verse, Jesus Christ refers to a Canaanite woman as a dog. You can read the commentary here as to why He did this. Look, no one wants to be called or compared to a dog, but it was necessary for Jesus Christ to show this woman that despite her status, He still accepted her. It's controversial - that's for sure, but this is an example of a time when Jesus Christ was harsh but loving. It is possible.
Now I'm not Jesus Christ and neither are you. We don't always get it right, and we have to be really careful when we decide to be harsh and truthful. We need the Holy Spirit to lead us. Still, there are times when it is necessary.
This seems to be the case when Jesus Christ was dealing with the Pharisees, and that's how Witness 1 and I feel with the modern day Pharisees. In this famous verse, he calls the Pharisees "snakes", "brood of vipers", and tells them they are "condemned to hell." That is some pretty intense language, if you ask me, and I don't hear many preachers talking like that anymore because they are so worried about being "pleasant" and "nice." As my friend Joshua said the other day, people are going to church for a pep talk, not the truth.
Once, to Peter, Jesus said, "Get thee behind me, Satan." Peter was his friend, but this was a harsh and very necessary statement in the moment. I have said that to Witness 1 before, too, and it worked!
You know why am I saying this? Even the best Christians can be manipulated by Satan. Satan can be working through us and we don't even know it. When something happens around us that might be the work of Satan, well, that phrase works perfectly. Sorry, Witness 1, but you know I just had to write it. Here is the full context, which I really like and may say to Witness 1 again if I have to (I'm teasing him a bit).
- But he turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a hindrance to me. For you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man.”
Did Jesus Christ abandon Peter after this? No, it was just a much-needed rebuke and correction.
3) The poor will always have you. There is some context to this verse here. Yes, we are commanded to take care of the poor, but there are times when I have had to be harsh in our real life ministry. Witness 1 and I are dealing with many impoverished people, and it can be difficult - to say the least. There are times when I have to be harsh and I quote the verse "Those who don't work shouldn't eat."
Is that a very nice thing to say to people? Not really but it gets the point across. In fact, it is a very harsh verse on the surface.
In our ministry, we have to be truthful and strong. We have to be careful or people can take advantage of us. We have rules and systems in place on how we distribute donations, and there are times I have had to be harsh or rebuke people.
You know what's interesting though? After it happens, the person usually apologizes, we move on, and things get better. The Scripture speaks for itself - they can't fight the Scripture.
So, the verse that "The poor will always have you" could be a little controversial. I believe Jesus Christ was saying that there are times to take care of ourselves. Someone recently gave us a donation (thank you brother) and told us not to get Bibles or food for the poor with it. He told us to go get a nice dinner. You know, it felt nice, and I was reminded of the verse "The poor will always have you." Yes, that is certainly true, and Witness 1 and I still need to enjoy life sometimes. Once in a while. Right?
Again, this is not saying don't take care of the poor, as people will try to misconstrue as they "cherry-pick" verses. We prioritize the poor in our ministry, and we hope to continue to share the things we are doing like giving Bibles and saving lives. We thank ALL who have donated, and we pray God blesses you sevenfold for your kindness in Jesus's name. There are many of you have recently donated, and we cannot be thankful enough.
Still, the point is that people never explore the context of verses in the Bible. They cherry-pick verses and they don't consider one verse in comparison to another.
We are humans, and situations in our lives aren't black and white. For example, though we ignore 99% of rude emails, there is a time and place for us to call out and rebuke. It's situational. So, when should we flip tables like Jesus did?
Time to Flip Tables
Do you think when Jesus Christ flipped tables in the temple that he had a sweet, soft voice and He was smiling at everyone?
There comes a time when we either literally or metaphorically need to flip a table or two.
Unfortunately, this is the end times, and people are pacified to the point of no return. This isn't what you want to hear, I know this. People want to hear that Q is coming back and there is going to be some massive revolution and exposure of evil before Jesus Christ comes back. No, Jesus Christ will be the one who reveals all evil when He comes back. Until then, this isn't going to be a fun place to be.
I believe people would exit our church if they heard this sermon, but a few of you would stay because you can handle the truth. By the way, we do give these sermons in real life.
On a societal level, Christians have succumbed to Satan by being nice. This took place during the "conquering" or crown of Covid. For more on this, see my book. Very, very few Christians spoke up, and most fell for the vaccine. This is the truth.
So, when I keep seeing people tell me that some revolution is coming because people will finally get angry about the vaccines, I have to laugh (gently).
I'm sorry. My prophecy is that there will be no authentic revolution. Anything we see regarding "revolution" or "civil war" will be completely contrived by "them" - the Synagogue of Satan.
Again, I am not advocating for you all to go out and start "flipping tables" in society everywhere you go. However, maybe in your own personal lives, it might be time to flip tables. There also may come a time when it will be appropriate to stand up for what is right, and some will suffer prison, great persecution, or even death.
You don't always have to be nice, but you do need to be one with the Holy Spirit to figure out when it is time not to be nice.
There is unrighteous anger, and I know many of us have sinned through that. That's not what I'm talking about.
Still, the times are coming where you might have to speak and defend the truth.
Your family might hate you when you tell them not to take that booster, and your family might not want to be around you when you talk about the fact Jesus Christ that isn't always nice - that they are worshipping a false Jesus. Your girlfriend may think you're too extreme, and you might lose your job because you didn't get that vaccine. You might be ostracized for speaking out about a coming Digital ID, and you might lose friends, family, and even your reputation.
If you're not willing to do this, well, you are choosing a side. It's the side of Satan.
Sometimes it's wrong to be quiet, and Christians have been too quiet these past few years. They have decided that being pleasant and nice is more important than anything.
Now, please, I am not saying go out and fight with everyone in sight. You must be wise as a serpent and soft as a dove. Don't take my words out of context because I have been clear. That's what Satan does, and I don't appreciate when people do that.
The point is that there is a time and place for righteous anger. There is a time to flip tables, but it is rare. This rarity is what makes it powerful. Jesus Christ was probably a really nice guy most of the time, but people paid attention when they saw Him flipping tables.
Maybe your time is coming.
Still, be careful. Be wise. Don't ever do something foolish. Pray for wisdom, and ask the Holy Spirit for guidance through Jesus Christ. The majority of the time - be peaceful. Try to create peace when possible. Follow the golden rule - love God with all your heart and others as yourself.
Still, every so often, you may have to flip a table or two.
So, when it is it a sin to be "nice"? I believe it is a sin when being nice promotes the work of Satan.
On A Final Note (Rant)
Witness 1 and I will occasionally have to rebuke readers. 99% of the time, we don't deal with annoying emails. We are kind and nice. However, when we get extremely rude or threatening emails, then we feel that is a time to address the situation.
So, no, we don't believe in petty quarrels, but we do have a right to defend ourselves.
Also, I prayed about this before I wrote this, and I made sure that this is what God wanted me to write. He explained that, yes, readers needed to hear these words, even if uncomfortable. In fact, I pray before every single post we write to ensure is what our Lord wants.
Further, if people are going to critique us, please use the same level and standard of writing and grammar the we do. At times we do write casually, but we still try to present manners in an academic way, and we expect the same from those wanting to participate in fair debate.
Why do I say this?
We spend hours on this type of writing, and if you have never written like this, it takes a lot of work. You should try it - seriously - write something for our blog!
When someone spends 5 minutes to write us a rude email with ad hominin attacks, that is just a rant and not a fair argument. They don't provide sources or even try. You have to have formulated arguments in a structured debate.
Let us be clear - very few have done this. In fact, no one yet has sent us a real rebuttal to our main theses on this website.
We get a lot of emails that pick apart things, don't bother to read our work, and just want to believe what they want to anyway.
So, if this is you, move along. There are plenty of fake churches for you to go to, and they well tell how you great you are doing and how much Jesus loves you no matter what - even in your sin.
The purpose of this site is not for that. We want to reveal the truths the churches are not saying.
Now, not every post we write is like this. We have plenty of posts about loving others like this one, which I wish more people would read. Still, every so often a rebuke is necessary, and by the way, this rebuke is not for most readers. In fact, we really enjoy the emails we receive from 95% of you. They are fun, interesting, and lead to good discussion. Thank you!
Still, every so often, we may have to flip a table or two.
I Jumped Out the Whip: What Does It Really Mean to "Turn the Other Cheek?
Witness 1
One of the classic verses used to describe and build a totally pacifist Jesus is the "turn the other cheek" commandment, but there's a common exegesis of the text which enables a fuller understanding of the verse and will support Witness 2's thesis.
You see, Jesus came at a time unlike ours, a world where physical contact and corporal punishment was far more regulated, prescribed, and legalized. In Jesus's day, the concept of "human rights laws" were about when and how you could beat your slave, far from our normalized modes of morality today.
So, when Jesus was telling this parable about turning the other cheek, there was a well-understood context which would have been immediately clear to all those hearing. It's always important to look deeper than Jesus's simple words and actions to understand his deeper meaning and contexts.
This article describes turning the other cheek as "defiance, not compliance", and gives a good overview of the true meaning of the commandment:
- “You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’ But I say to you, Do not resist an evil-doer. But if anyone strikes you on the right cheek, turn the other also.” (Matthew 5:38-41)
- This quote from the Sermon on the Mount is often shortened to the cliché “turn the other cheek.” It is a convenient excuse for inaction; a rationalization for being passive and accepting whatever injustices or unfair treatment we witness or experience. It’s the equivalent of saying “just ignore them” with the naïve hope that whatever or whoever it is will just go away.
- Wink starts his exegesis by looking at the phrase, “do not resist an evildoer.” He explains that a more accurate translation of this sentence is “do not retaliate against violence with violence” or “don’t react violently against the one who is evil.” This subtle yet powerful shift in language sets a whole new tone for what follows: rather than being told not to resist, the people gathered to hear Jesus are told not to resist violently.
- Jesus lived in a right-handed world where left hands were reserved only for unclean tasks. Therefore, we can assume that the person doing the hitting would have used their right hand. The only way to strike someone on the right cheek with your right hand is a backhanded slap.
- Such a blow connotes an insult, not a fistfight, and was a normal way to reprimand someone over whom you had power (e.g. masters to slaves, husbands to wives, Romans to Jews). To strike your equal in such a manner was socially and legally unacceptable, carrying with it a huge fine.
- You reprimand your slave with a backhanded slap. The response you expect is the response you have always received from your slaves – the response you yourself would give if someone higher than you treated you the same way. You expect your slave to cower, submit, and slink away. Instead, your slave defiantly turns their other cheek and challenges you to hit them again. What can you do?
- You would like to give your slave another backhanded slap to show them their place, but to do that you would have to use your left hand which would admit that your action is unclean. You could hit them on their left cheek, instead, but it would be embarrassing to hit your slave the way you should hit your equal.
- And so, in light of Wink’s insights, Jesus’ instruction not to resist evil and to turn the other cheek transforms from an instruction to accept injustice into a challenge to resist systems of domination and oppression without the use of violence. Rather than ignoring an evil situation and hoping it will go away, Jesus is telling his followers to find creative, active, and nonviolent ways to assert their humanity and God’s love in the world.
So, the true meaning of "turning the other cheek" is challenging your oppressor to hit you again, as an equal - and see what happens.
I think this is the perfect understanding of the true Jesus - always kind, especially to the needy, sick, poor, oppressed, and other disaffected, but also always willing to call out sinners and hypocrites wherever he saw them, a man unafraid to speak truth to power to the point where they killed him for it.
Jesus was not timid, and wherever he went thousands of people followed him around. He made bold and unprecedented claims that defied the beliefs, power structures, and established theology of the era.
In spite of this, he suddenly transformed from a simple carpenter, working with his hands, into the greatest revolutionary and advocate for truth, justice, and a new way of doing things that the world has ever seen. Jesus's vision of social justice is all-encompassing, promising the perfect leader, a renewed and reborn natural world, and systems of living based not on a constant need to consume, but on a people fulfilled with all of their basic desires and more for all eternity.
Unfortunately, that system will not be built on this Earth. She is too old, too tired, too corrupted, and has seen too much sin and evil. Only a cleansing nuclear fire from God splitting apart the atoms of the physical universe can bleach the stain that mankind's filth and psychotic evil has left on it.
Jesus preached this message defiantly, and people didn't like him for it. His message wasn't all fun and games - he also presented a radically different view of hell and the afterlife than the Jews had at the time.
As some of our readers will know, the scholarship on the ideas of hell are complex, with various translations used in the Bible like Gehenna, Sheol, and Tartarus.
While I won't go into this whole debate here, though it is a fascinating issue in its own right, one thing is undeniable, even for Bible critics and atheists like Bart Erhman: Jesus coming on the scene radically changed the way people thought about hell.
No one else really said what Jesus said about eternal fire and torment for the average person, even those who "tried to be good their whole life". Every other belief system intuitively relied on some sort of karma system, where good deeds could eventually reassure most people that they would be ok.
Jesus gave shocking and unprecedented statements like saying that even those who call him "Lord, Lord", and "work miracles in his name" would still be cast into "eternal torment", in the "eternal fire prepared for the Devil".
Needless to say, people did not like this, and they still do not today. So to say that Jesus was or is "nice" is simply a gross and unforgivable distortion and manipulation of his words, teaching, and person.
Christians are called to stand up for themselves, their beliefs, and the truth, and the modern church has failed to do so in more ways than I could ever list. Men, society, the church, and almost everything else have been feminized, weakened, and pacified. Society has been intentionally and purposefully pacified in ways that keep the average person stupefied and make any resistance to the "current thing" almost impossible.
If we get exceptionally stupid emails, they're going to end up on the blog and thousands of people will make fun of the fact that you have no real arguments and your grammar and spelling looks like a third grader's.
If anyone out there has a real rebuttal, I personally would love to see it. It could also make for good content on the blog, though for different and better reasons. We have had not one single person present a real rebuttal to our works, just lots of nonsense and a few threats.
Threats will not be tolerated. Be careful! As for the rest of the haters, we just don't have time for every critic in the peanut gallery. However, we will try our best!
Thank you to all of our supporters and especially for a few of the guys recently who have really stepped up to help us out financially and keep our ministry going. You guys are great, and every time you help us you pour heaping coals on the enemies of God, Jesus, and the side of Goodness and truth.
So, stand up for yourself too. Remember what Tom Petty said:
- Well, I won't back down
No I won't back down
You could stand me up at the gates of Hell
But I won't back down - No I'll stand my ground
Won't be turned around
And I'll keep this world from draggin' me down
Gonna stand my ground
And I won't back down
May God bless you all.
-Witness 1