CONTROVERSY VI: What about God's Wrath?

(This is a new article series that I am "trying out" with my readers. These are intended to be thought-provoking. Please see their Intro Article: Jan. 26, 2008)

God's wrath is a sticky topic, don't you think? We have a hard time differentiating between the God, who is Love, and the God, the Righteous Judge. I though it would be appopriate to follow up the "Love" article with a "Wrath" dissertation.

God is a God of love, but His love is not only benevolence, goodwill, and compassion. His love is stern and desires the best for His beloved. God is not a man, He is spirit; God does not fluctuate in His emotions or opinions (ref. Jms. 1:17); He is always the same (ref. Mal. 3:6). He is a God of love, and He is a God of righteousness. He calls His sheep to become like Him as He transforms them into His likeness (ref. 2 Cor. 3:18).

He is also a jealous God, Who has called His people to be holy and perfect, as He is holy and perfect (ref. Matt. 5:48; 1 Pet. 1:16). God’s righteousness compels Him to punish sin, for nothing that is of sin can stand in the presence of God (Ez. 9:15). However, the Lord loves His people, and He will transform them into His righteousness (ref. 1 Cor. 1:30) so that they can be in His presence. He will discipline His people in order that they may become like Him and have fellowship with Him:

“…because the Lord disciplines those He loves, and He punishes everyone He accepts as a son...” (Heb. 12:6)

God is not only a God of love, who disciplines His children; He is also a Holy God, Who executes wrath on all unrighteousness. Wrath is a type of boundary for man, a limit that the Lord places on wickedness and sin, against which man can and does press. The believer must understand the goodness of God, His mercy and compassion, for these are that, which He exudes first:

“The LORD, the LORD, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness…” (Ex. 34:6)

However, this does not imply that the Lord does not feel anger; He is not a “push-over,” passive God, Who allows wickedness to continue without His intervention. There is a time when He does act against that, which is offensive to His holiness:

“Yet He does not leave the guilty unpunished; He punishes the children for the sin of the fathers to the third and fourth generation.” (Num. 14:18)

This is to place a deserved holy reverential fear in the hearts of man, to adore Him and reverence Him as the Sovereign Ruler of all things, Who sees and knows all things and will act in His wrath against that, which does not please Him. The wrath of God, therefore, serves as the “fear-factor” for all evil, spirits and men alike, so that all know that God is holy, and He can and will act against that, which is not.

But why are so many of us hesitant to talk about the wrath of God? First, it is a confusing subject; so many times, people are spending an excessive amount of effort in simply understanding God’s love for them, overcoming brokenness of not receiving love from others. If someone were to teach about His wrath, it might be too overwhelming for the new Christian to bear.

Secondly, it is an offensive topic; there have been legalistic doctrines in the past, which obsessed over God’s anger, distance, and displeasure with sins to the extent that the goodness of God was completely forgotten. This out of balance ideal burdened and/or disillusioned Christians in their faith, leaving them with little freedom to enjoy God’s goodness, and making them inept in their ability to extend His love to others.

Thirdly, the topic of the wrath of God brings conviction, which is not always a popular topic. People would much rather hear about the blessings and promises of God, or have their “ears tickled” (ref.2 Tim. 4:3), than to listen to the requisites of holiness, which the blessings require. Moreover, speaking about the wrath of God requires the preacher to examine his life before he teaches about the topic; self-examination is always a sensitive and terrifying experience.

The wrath of God, in essence, requires a standard of excellence in one’s walk with Him, which is intimidating and difficult to accomplish, and not many ever enter into that intimacy with Him. As Christ said:

“‘Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.’ “(Matt. 7:13-14)