For the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God (Jms. 1:20).

In this one simple verse of scripture we are able to see a clear line drawn between two totally distinct beings; man and God. In this verse we see the totality of what man can bring forth of himself without the Life of the Son inside, wrath.

Anger, excited passion based in the carnal nature of fallen man trying to make sense of and control his life and environment. The limited mind of man cannot even grasp the biological miracle of breathing, much less understand his reason for existing -or better yet, what to do with his existence.

Natural men, without the Life of the Son of God inside cannot make sense of the seemingly chaotic universe in which they live. There is no real purpose for the tests, trials and sufferings of this life. There is no vision in them beyond their present circumstance. Oh, they may dull the pain in self deception in one form or another, but at the root is a person that is not in control and is angry about it. This is the heart of the issue of anger -CONTROL.
 
Regardless of what all the popular magazines and tv shows tell us, man is not the author of his destiny. God alone is sovereign! God alone rules over the farthest reaches of this universe in it's vast expanse of space and yet the tiniest atom exists only by the word of His power (Heb. 1:3). GOD IS IN CONTROL!

Mankind in his natural state is self centered, focused on the needs, desires and demands of oneself. All his perceptions are tainted because of this. And when he doesn't get what he wants, and can't control a situation, he gets angry.

This wrath, anger of man, trying to control, cannot work the righteousness of God. As we shall see, God has provided a way for us to be delivered and decentralized from self, so that we can work (manifest) His righteousness.

The first step in that direction is again a revelation of the sovereignty of God. A brokenness that comes after continual self effort to "be in control", only to fail again, is fundamentally vital in this revelation of the One who is in control. God wants to clothe us with His righteousness (a right relationship with Him), and fill us with His peace, but we must acknowledge that we need to learn about His sovereignty and how all the suffering of this age fits into His plan.

Suffering without purpose produces wrath and anger in man, but in the knowledge of God's righteousness we can understand and make sense of all that comes our way in this life, especially suffering.

Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble (Jms. 4:6b).

The discretion of a man deferreth his anger; and it is his glory to pass over a transgression (Pr. 19:11).

Discretion is translated in other places in the scripture as wisdom, or knowledge. And the word glory has behind it the meaning of "an ornament", beauty, honor and majesty. This verse tells us that there is a wisdom and a knowledge that will defer the anger and wrath of man. And that when man has this knowledge and learns to pass over the transgressions and sins of others it will "hang" upon our lives as an ornament. This knowledge will adorn us with beauty, honor and majesty instead of the carnal anger and wrath of man.

He that is slow to wrath is of great understanding: but he that is hasty of spirit exalteth folly (Pr. 14:29).
 
So, what is this understanding that we must have? What is this knowledge that will deliver us from the deception of being in control and the anger that comes with it, and bring us into the freedom of being "adorned" with the honor and majesty of God? What is this wisdom that we must have to come into God's righteousness and be able to make sense of all the suffering of this present age?

DISCRETION (WISDOM) STARTS WITH KNOWLEDGE OF GOD'S SOVEREIGNTY

For this is thankworthy, if a man for conscience toward God endure grief, suffering wrongfully. For what glory is it, if, when ye be buffeted for your faults, ye shall take it patiently? but if, when ye do well, and suffer for it, ye take it patiently, this is acceptable with God. For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps: Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth: Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously (1Pet. 2:19-23).

The word thankworthy in these verses carries basically the same meaning as our previous word 'glory', meaning "an ornament" of beauty, honor, majesty and favor. To endure grief and suffering in this life, while keeping a clear conscience before God, adds an "ornament" to our lives. It is acceptable with God that we suffer according to His purpose in Jesus Christ. When Jesus suffered, He didn't respond in the flesh. He had no spirit of retaliation and anger that comes from self-justification. He did not threaten to get even with those that were murdering Him. Why not? Was He powerless to do so? Definetly not! He had wisdom, he had this knowledge of God's sovereignty.

by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities (Isa. 53:11b). In the knowledge of the father's sovereignty (that God sees all and He alone is Judge), he was able to submit to a horrible tribulation of mocking, beating and crucifixion. This is supernatural! This is the "ornament" of God's favor upon Him.

Therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I might take it again. No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received of my Father (Jn. 10:17-18).

With the knowledge of the Father's sovereignty, Jesus was able to lay His Life down. This is "thankworthy". This knowledge allowed Him to forgive and pass over the transgressions of the ones persecuting and killing Him. He didn't seek to avenge Himself, but committed Himself to the One who judges righteously. Jesus stayed conscious of the Father and submitted to evil and suffering as part of God's will in bringing forth His righteousness.

When we retaliate with wrath and anger towards those who hurt us, we cannot work the righteousness of God.

The righteousness of God = (a right relationship with God based on His sovereignty). When we respond in the carnal nature of the wrath of man we lose the consciousness of God; we are no longer conscious of him or His purpose. Only by understanding the sovereignty of God in our lives are we able to lay our lives down without anger and fleshly retaliation toward those that hurt us. When we submit to the Father's sovereignty of allowing what seems to be evil to come against us we are well on the pathway to understanding salvation.
 
For the LORD taketh pleasure in his people: he will beautify the meek with salvation (Ps. 149:4).
 There is an "ornament" that comes on those that commit themselves to the One that judges righteously. There is a beauty on those who have come into the place of allowing God to work His purpose in their lives (knowing that he uses tests, trials, and suffering) to bring forth the life of His Son in them.

Every time that we are falsely accused, slandered and suffer evil at the hands of others we can submit to the righteous judgement of God and understand that He will justify us. God justifies his children by bringing forth the life of His Son in them. The life of the Son is one that looks to the Father and commits everything into His hands instead of reacting in carnal anger and retaliation. A son knows that he is not in control, but that his father is in control and will train him unto maturity.

The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together. For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God (Rom. 8:16-19). And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified. What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us? He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things? Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's elect? It is God that justifieth. Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord (Rom. 8:28-39).
 
When we love God and are called according to his purpose (to be conformed into the image of His Son, Jesus Christ), He will cause all things to work together for our good. That is, he will cause the evil of this present age to submit to His purpose of bringing many sons forth in glory.

NOTHING can stop the purpose of God from being accomplished! He ordains evil and suffering to accomplish his purpose! This knowledge (of God's sovereignty) releases joy in the midst of tribulation. In fact there is a sweet fellowship with the presence of God within us when we face persecution and difficult situations knowing that God's plan is perfect and will not fail.
 
Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ, And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith: That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death (Phil. 3:8-10);

Paul, the Apostle, understood this knowledge. He left behind his carnal anger when he was called by Jesus Christ. He got a glimpse of the sovereignty of God, and he changed from being a self righteous murderer into a child of God. He did the tally and counted up all that his life was worth before He knew of Jesus, and said that it was dung, refuse, a waste. He let go of his anger and counted it as a loss in light of the Lordship of a sovereign God. He could no longer justify himself with a set of rituals and commandments of obedience (which produced anger and frustration, because the law cannot be kept perfectly) in the light of Jesus Christ risen from the dead with True Authority over death and the grave.
The apostle, in receiving the knowledge of God's sovereignty, was able to understand the mystery of suffering and enter into a fellowship that was deeper and more real than the suffering itself.

For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us. We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; Persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed; Always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body. For we which live are alway delivered unto death for Jesus' sake, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our mortal flesh (2 Cor. 4:6-11).
 
Paul called this knowledge a treasure. God's entire plan and purpose for the ages is to bring forth the life of His Son in the children that He created, and He does this through suffering and death. No, your accuser doesn't have the final word - God alone is Judge!

No, your employer, a thief, your wife (husband), the IRS, the police, your utility company, your landlord, the person that assaulted you, your religious affiliation, or the president do not have the final word in your life! God ALONE is Judge! And he ordains the tests and trials of this life to bring us into dependence on his sovereignty; to bring us into a revelation of His authority over evil in the resurrection of His Son, Jesus Christ. The LORD is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit.

Many are the afflictions of the righteous: but the LORD delivereth him out of them all (Ps. 34:18-19).

In the midst of brokenness we are delivered from the anger of our carnal nature. When we realize that we are not in control of our destiny, but our Heavenly Father is (and that He ordains evil to perfect his purpose in us), we learn to look to Him and commit our spirit into His hands. We learn to trust Him as the Only righteous Judge and allow His process of bringing the carnal nature of man to death so that His new creation (His Son in us) can come forth.

Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds. Ye have not yet resisted unto blood, striving against sin. And ye have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto children, My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him: For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth. If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not? But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons. Furthermore we have had fathers of our flesh which corrected us, and we gave them reverence: shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the Father of spirits, and live? For they verily for a few days chastened us after their own pleasure; but he for our profit, that we might be partakers of his holiness. Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby. Wherefore lift up the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees; And make straight paths for your feet, lest that which is lame be turned out of the way; but let it rather be healed (Heb. 12:2-13).
 
Knowledge of this process brings true deliverance from the carnal wrath of man and brings us into a right relationship with God. We look unto Jesus and see the life of a righteous Son committing his life into the hands of the Father and allowing evil to perfect him unto glory.
 
Though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered; And being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him (Heb. 5:8-9).

This path of suffering in this life is the ordained path for every son that God has. Because God loves us He allows evil of all kinds to come against us so that He can decentralize our focus from self and cause us to look to Him. Looking to Him is Real Life. Trying to justify ourselves is death!

If you endure this chastening by committing yourself to Him in the midst of the tests and trials of this age then God will deal with you as a son. He will put on you "an ornament" of the Life of His Son and we will manifest a right relationship with Him. This is the righteousness of God manifest in our lives. His judgement on the anger and wrath of man is just! And His exaltation of those who look to Him for justification is just!

And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together (Rom. 8:17). And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father (Phil. 2:8-11).