If sanctification destroyed
the natural feelings, it would be a disaster rather than a blessing. It
purifies them, but does not destroy them.
4. God planted in man the sense of justice. God made man in His own
image. What we find in God, we find in man. God is just; so the principle
of justice abides in man. Sanctification destroys the selfish
vindictiveness of anger, but it does not destroy the sense of justice,
and a sanctified person will feel the rise of a righteous indignation
at evil. This is illustrated in Jesus, when He "looked round about on
them with anger" (Mark 3:5), and also when He made the whip of cords and
drove the robbers out of the temple (Matthew 21:12, 13). If the righteous
man can not feel indignant at evil, how can God judge the world? Justice
implies anger at evil. If righteous anger is wrong in man, it is wrong
in God. Because God is God does not mean that He can do a moral wrong
and it be right because God did it. His acts must be intrinsically right
of themselves. Therefore, on the fact that He will judge the world we
predicate the righteousness of sanctified indignation. And this is not
carnal anger, which raves and slays and destroys unmercifully and wickedly.
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