Every last person on earth.

That is who deals with sinful anger. Don’t believe me? This article will change that as we take a deeper dive into what the Scriptures have to say about sinful anger and some of the misconceptions that contribute to the church’s misunderstanding of what anger is. When we fail to understand anger in a biblical way, it becomes impossible to see the damage it does in our churches and our hearts.

One of the more-frequently misapplied passages of Scripture is Matthew 18:20, where the Lord Jesus is recorded as saying: “For where two or three have gathered in My name, I am there in their midst.” Whether this verse is thrown around at a men’s prayer breakfast, a church potluck, or a small group conversation in a living room, the subtle suggestion is that Jesus is not going to bother to show up when one of His followers is flying solo.

Over the past 17 years — in the prosperity gospel, the seeker-driven church movement, and reformed-ish world — I’ve seen my fair share of manipulative tactics by greedy preachers and by wealthy parishioners. It seems that one cannot simply relegate money-manipulation to one theological camp, or only to leaders. Rather, it is common anywhere sin resides and wages war within every human heart.

If there is one word to describe how we must navigate re-gathering amid COVID-19, it’s this: grace.