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)

CONTROVERSY V: What about Love?

(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)

Have you noticed that we (and boy have I caught myself more than I’d like to admit) have an odd tendency to use the word “love” a lot? We use it for food, “Oh I just love chocolate!” We use it for sports, “I just love football games, especially the Super Bowl!” And then, occasionally, not as often as we should, we, blushing, fidgeting, and looking at the ground, will use it to express our feelings towards a “loved one,” “I love you…”

Do we really know what that word means? It’s a slippery topic. We will either take one stance of discomfort, or we will associate it with the Hollywood-ized hype of “sexualism.” But what is love?

Well, we know what the Word says about it:

“God is love.”(1 Jn. 4:8)

Ok, good so far. What else does it say:

“There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.” (1 Jn. 4:18)

Whoah! Now what does that have to say about the discomfort that we feel when we try to express our love to the people who need to hear it the most from us? Well, what else do you have to say, John:

“This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.” (1 Jn. 4:10)

Ah, the real kicker…in other words, we really don’t know what love is unless we learn is from God’s example…

Love must be defined in the context of God’s love for mankind, sending His Son to die for him so that man might have fellowship with Him for eternity. Therefore, true love can only be defined in the context of God’s love for man. God is a good and perfect God, Who is under no obligation to reach out to anyone, who is unworthy of being in His presence. However, God, in His goodness, reached down to those of no worth, the sinners, then identified Himself with their predicament, taking on the very form of a man.

God, Author of Creation, God of all glory and honor, gave up His precious Son to rescue man from his filth, bringing the unworthy into a covenant relationship with Himself, which is a relationship that ensures eternal association with no possible of disengagement. Love is a goodness, sacrifice, and bond that bears little reason or logic in the mind of a rational human being, and can only be relegated to a supernatural majestic God, Who is and behaves in the unfathomable.

No wonder we have such a hard time knowing when and how to use the word “love”! We can’t know love unless we know God, and He is still unknowable!

“As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways and My thoughts than your thoughts.” (Isa. 55:8)

So then, how can any of us know God, really?

“With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” (Matt. 19:26)

“The Scripture says, ‘What eye has not seen and ear has not heard and has not entered into the heart of man, [all that] God has prepared (made and keeps ready) for those who love Him [who hold Him in affectionate reverence, promptly obeying Him and gratefully recognizing the benefits He has bestowed]. Yet to us God has unveiled and revealed them by and through His Spirit, for the [Holy] Spirit searches diligently, exploring and examining everything, even sounding the profound and bottomless things of God [the divine counsels and things hidden and beyond man's scrutiny].” (1 Cor. 2:9-10 AMP)

CONTROVERSY IV: What about Tolerance?

(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)

Have you noticed that it seems the Church today is prone to tolerate inappropriate behavior, and that it is becoming increasingly more difficult to tell a Christian apart from a non-Christian?

The Church is supposed to be a light in the darkness, but why is it that her “statistics” are little different than the world’s? Within the Church, divorce rates are nearly equal with the culture’s; pornography is rampant among both men and women in the world and among Christians. And I don’t have to mention the horrible stories that have surfaced about leading men and women pastor’s and their private lives.

In our attempts to be “relevant” with our neighbors, we are becoming like them, succumbing to the temptations of the flesh, to which none of us are immune.

I think we have a misunderstanding of the meaning of “tolerance.” We take that to mean acceptance and overlooking a wrong, when that is not the inherent meaning of the word. “Tolerance” means “forbearance, patience;” it is acceptance of the individual, but rejection of the beliefs. We are not teaching anyone anything if we allow people to continue in their sins…besides, their sins will eventually affect us, which is why Paul talks about being mindful of who you fellowship with (ref. 2 Cor. 6:14-17). We can love an individual who is trapped in sin, but we must always be ready (for the right timing/as the Spirit leads) to point out that their sin is sin—and that it has to be dealt with.

Paul confronted the Corinthian church because they accepted and lauded the man caught in heinous immorality. True tolerance would have brought in the individual, loved him enough to confront him of his wrongs, and then help him to leave his lifestyle...true tolerance is following the Matt. 18 principle of confrontation. If the individual doesn’t listen to one, take a witness; doesn’t listen to 2, take him to the elders, doesn’t listen to the elders, take him before the church; doesn’t listen to the church, cast him out so that Satan can destroy his flesh and his spirit might be saved (as Paul recommended).

Paul, in essence, was indicting the church’s lack of love for the sinner! They didn’t love him enough to correct his wrong! That’s what the Hebrews writer refers to when it comes to God’s love and discipline,

“‘…the Lord disciplines those He loves, and He punishes everyone He accepts as a son.’ Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as sons. For what son is not disciplined by his father? If you are not disciplined (and everyone undergoes discipline), then you are illegitimate children and not true sons.” (Heb. 12:6-8)

Now, I’m not saying that we need to go condemn everyone who walks in the church doors. Rather, we must purpose is to love these individuals trapped in sin, and then, when the timing is right, help them see that their lifestyle leads only to destruction. We don’t need to beat them over the head with the Bible, but strive for patience, love, and correction at the appropriate time…we mustn’t be afraid to confront an issue. We can confront sin in gentleness and love, accepting the individual and seeking to lead him out of his sin.

“Brothers, if someone is caught in a sin, you who are spiritual should restore him gently. But watch yourself, or you also may be tempted. Carry each other's burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.” (Gal. 6:1-2)