God's Wrath

How is the Wrath of God Being Revealed?

Pastor Colin Smith



The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness. Romans 1:18

This wrath of God is not some kind of flaring rage. It is a strong and settled opposition to all that is evil. God is love; it is part of His nature. But it's not in God's nature to be angry. The Bible tells us God is "slow to anger," and Paul says that God is provoked to anger by three things...



Godlessness, wickedness & suppression of the truth

...all the godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth... Romans 1:18
A godless person doesn't want anything to do with God and a wicked person refuses to obey God. Here are people saying, "We don't want God; we won't obey God." Over time these patterns of behavior suppress the truth about God. You could put all your weight on a powerful spring to hold it down, but if you let up the spring recoils. It takes effort to go on resisting God!



Now what will God do when He is confronted with people who say, "We don't want to know you. We won't obey you. We'll pour our energy into patterns of behavior that will keep your truth as far away from us as possible!" The answer is: He reveals his wrath.
Notice Paul says, "the wrath of God is being revealed." It does not say, "The wrath of God will be revealed," it says that it's being revealed now. How is God's wrath being revealed now? I want to suggest three ways the wrath of God is very clearly revealed in human history...



God's wrath is revealed in history

"Cursed are you..." Genesis 3:14
Right back at the beginning of the Bible story we are told about the great disaster in the garden: Adam said, in effect, "I don't want God and I won't obey God." On that day, the wrath of God was revealed for the first time when God said to the serpent, "Cursed are you" (3:14).
The word "cursed" literally means "consigned to destruction." Then God said to Adam, "Cursed is the ground because of you" (Genesis 3:17). The whole earth, as we know it, is consigned to destruction because of man's sin.
But on the same day, God promised a Savior: Someone will be born of the woman who will crush the head of the serpent (Genesis 3:15). God's anger is the flipside of His love. His opposition to everything that destroys His people is part of His commitment to do them good.



God's wrath is being revealed now
"God gave them over..." Romans 1:24, 26, 28
Is God revealing His wrath by striking people down when they sin? No. Look at how God's wrath is revealed: "God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts" (1:24), "God gave them over to shameful lusts" (1:26), "God gave them over to a depraved mind" (1:28).
Where an individual or a society says, "We don't want God and we won't obey God," God expresses His wrath by allowing their choice. He stands back and allows those who hate Him to live with the full reality of their own choice.



What happens if I "give up" the crystal vase I'm holding up with my hand? It will become subject to the pull of the force of gravity and it will fall to the ground. That's what happens when God gives up the godless and wicked. They're at the mercy of powers greater than themselves: Sinful desires (1:24), shameful lusts (1:26) and a depraved mind (1:28).



God's wrath will be revealed on the Last Day
"Storing up wrath against yourself for the day of God's wrath when his righteous judgment will be revealed." Romans 2:5
The wrath of God is being revealed now, but it is only partial. History is riddled with issues that are never resolved, truths that never come to light and evils that are never brought to justice.
There will be a day of absolute justice, and when it comes, there will be people who call on the rocks to fall on them (Revelation 6:16).
On the last day, there will be people who have spent their whole lives saying, "My will be done," and God will say to them, "Your will be done."



God's wrath has been revealed at the cross
"Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood." Romans 3:25
The Bible tells us that God demonstrates His love for us at the cross. But God also demonstrates His wrath at the cross. But was it really necessary for God to demonstrate His wrath too?

That was the issue in the Garden of Gethsemane when Jesus said, "Father, if it be possible, let this cup be taken from me." What was Jesus saying? "Father, if there is any way that men and women can be saved from your wrath without me coming under it, then that would be my choice. But if this is the only way, then let your will be done."


"God did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all"(Romans 8:32).God gave Him up. God gave Him into the hands of sinners. God dropped Him into hell itself. That is why He cried out, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?"

The storm broke on Him, and when it was over, the way was opened in which the godless may return to God, and the wicked may be set free from the power of sin and delivered from the wrath of God, "There is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus" (Romans 8:1).

After reading the above, the unavoidable conclusion is that God is a schizoid psycho.

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"I believe that God is a sadist, but probably doesn't even know it."
~ Sgt. Steiner, Cross of Iron

I thought God's wrath was revealed through thunderstorms, locust swarms, rains of frogs, unexpected darkness, pandemics, the death of innocent firstborn sons and earthquakes.

I must be behind the times.

After reading your tagline... I think you may have come to your conclusion before you read the above.

Among other things ....you would be partially correct…..only noting that you left out the Cross where God’s wrath was poured out on Jesus Christ for sinners.
"But he was wounded for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his stripes we are healed.
All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned––every one––to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all. Isa 53"

I’m guessing your list of examples on God’s Justice, Grace and Mercy might not be quite as well represented.

Sadly OP, he just made your point.

But great post OP, very well explained. Thank you.

"Brought us peace"? Funny, I didn't notice.

Each of us still goes our own way. Nothing's changed. We shouldn't expect anything to change.
Just one more Messianic Jew crucified for messing with the powers that be.

You make a good point…just got the concepts out of place…nothing changes because we go our own way…..and as the result we shouldn’t expect anything to change.
Peace with men is what you might be looking for …Jesus never promised that he would bring peace between broken men…..The good news of the cross is that broken men find peace with God through Jesus Christ.

The message of the Cross is not that this world will become a happy place for those who follow Christ….in fact he said that this world will hate, mock and even kill those who follow him.
The message of the Cross occupies the temporal and the eternal.

Lots of folks reject Jesus for not making everything better for them here and now…..Jesus tells us that the here and now will fade away…life is like a vapor a fragile flower.... just a short time.
But Jesus tells sinners that repentance and faith will bring life everlasting.

But since you asked, yes, a side effect of finding peace with God is that by reflecting God’s forgiveness broken men often find peace with each other.
Jesus tells us to forgive others as he has forgiven us…to love those who do not deserve it.
The message of Jesus and the book we find it in has in fact made the world a much better place.

Great point. He said the poor and oppressed will be rewarded in Heaven, not in this life. The tougher you have it here (and still keep the faith) the better off you will be there is the basic message once you break it down. It is much easier for the poor to be saved than for the rich because the latter's lot in this life is so much better. Look at the lives of the Martyrs of the Church, nothing peaceful there.

Now understand I'm giving my PERSONAL opinion, I'm sure the official statement of my faith would be worded different but the message would ultimately be the same. Yeah, this world can suck. That's OK, keep the faith the very best you can (like the tax collector) and you will be rewarded.

The one big problem with my version is that it is TOO SIMPLE, at least for the Orthodox world view. That's because we never really know if we are saved in this life and to believe you are saved is nothing but arrogance.

Depending on what your faith teaches you might have a different thought on that and I'm not attacking that, just saying what we believe.

Easy to say, but so far we've seen no evidence of it.

Sounds like an effective way to keep the poor and oppressed from deposing the king and raiding the churches.

When the priests live well and tell the peons they can get to heaven by giving their money to the church and staying poor, you have to wonder who’s fooling whom.

To each his own but I don't see how you can possibly read the scriptures and not get the idea that it is harder for the rich to be saved then the poor or that those that suffer here will be rewarded in Heaven. If a priest or church is living high off the collected money they will have to answer for that, not to you or me but during the final judgement.

Matthew 19:24
And again I say unto you, It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God.

Matthew 25:21 (The Parable of the Talents)
21His lord said unto him, Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.

1 Corinthians 10
13There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.

I don't believe everyone can bear having money

It seems you’re making a couple of invalid assumptions, namely that there is a heaven and a “final judgment”.

In any case, who teaches the scriptures? The clergy.

Who takes in the offering? The clergy.

Who decides where the offerings are spent? The clergy.

Who has the most to gain by convincing people to tithe and otherwise give their hard-earned cash to the church? The clergy.

Who never misses a mortgage payment or a meal or ends up homeless? The clergy.

If you are an atheist or someone that believes the Bible is nothing but bunk there is nothing further to say. We can't have a reasonable discussion on God's wrath if you throw God and the Bible out the window.

ETA if the above is not the case please let me know what point of view you are coming from.

Gee, I didn’t realize that only Christians and Jews were capable of reasonable discussion.

I guess that’s the point of view you have to adopt when you’re only willing to have discussions with people who share your views.

Sorry if I miscommunicated. I'm willing to continue the discussion but we probably need some sort of common ground.

off topic but not a big deal.
Who gives up a life of promise to stand against evil…The Clergy
Who stands against the Empire of Rome?....The Clergy
Who stands against the Church when it becomes corrupt and changes history?.....The Clergy

Your argument is that God is evil because some men who claim to know him are evil.
The Bible tell us that many men claim to know God…even speak for God….but those who love God will obey him and reflect him.
If you don’t see Jesus in a particular member of the Clergy….I would suspect it is for a good reason.
NO Christian is perfect but every Christian strives to become more like the One who is.

You are trying to tie Holiness to Pride…..and Justice to Tyranny.
Hitler requires that the weak, worthless and broken bleed for him through the answer of extermination camps
Yahweh himself bleeds for the week, worthless and broken through the answer of the Cross.

To very different “Final Solutions.”
One takes in Hatred offering no alternative to death.
One gives in Love offering Himself as the alternative to death.

What? Where did you get that? I don’t argue that any god is evil. How can something be evil if it doesn’t exist?


Yes, according to their interpretation or according to what they can gain by appearing to do so.


I agree. I suspect we might not agree on what that good reason is, though.


Too bad Christians can’t agree on what that goal should be and how to go about attaining that goal.

The problem is if you don't believe in God and consider those that do delusional I'm not sure how we can rationally discuss this. Kind of like the fact I can't really have a rational discussion on the merits of Scientology because I think it is bunk.

Of course atrocities have been committed in the name of religion just as they have been committed for the advancement of Communism. Our (the Christians) point of view is that just because someone does evil in God's name doesn't mean that our belief is for naught.

Soldiers, sailors and Marines.

I was in Rome in 2010. There’s no empire there. Lots of traffic and pickpockets. I much prefer Venice or Florence.

Mostly, it’s the police, arresting pedophiles.

When you post your religious opinions on a forum that’s open to folks who value skepticism and critical thinking, you may not be pleased with what you read.

You’re under no obligation to respond to posts by someone you disagree with.

True. So are you posting in the religious forum to actually discuss something (which I'd be willing to do) or not?

Sure. I'm here to read other peoples' views and express my own.

Psalm 14:1
The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God. They are corrupt, they have done abominable works, there is none that doeth good.

Matthew 7:6
Give not that which is holy unto the dogs, neither cast ye your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn again and rend you.

Matthew 10:13-15
13And if the house be worthy, let your peace come upon it: but if it be not worthy, let your peace return to you.

14And whosoever shall not receive you, nor hear your words, when ye depart out of that house or city, shake off the dust of your feet.

15Verily I say unto you, It shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrha in the day of judgment, than for that city.

Romans 1:28-30
28And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient;

29Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers,

30Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents,

It’s a shame that some people have so few legitimate arguments that they have to resort to insulting those on the other side.

It could also be a shame that you didn't realize I wasn't addressing you when I posted that.

If you have already maid up in your mind that there is no God whats the point of talking, you must not be at peace with it because your bugging believers.

If you want to know God that's different.

It must be hard for you to understand how people can love Jesus so much ,and you can not see him. We all have free will, He does not force Himself on anyone.
In this day in age we have answers for how everything works, it's all about science and knowledge. But everything cannot be explained with science, can you explain freewill?

I'm not going to debate the Word of God with you ,or His existence.
And I'm sorry you haven't seen a good example of Christians, they do exist, they may not be where you are looking. Romans 3:23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.

I don't buy those arguments. Nothing personal, not trying to start a fight, its just my opinion.

Except when he decides to go in killing sprees (both supposedly in the past, and in the future.)

The death, that he created.

Again, its just my opinion from reading the bible. Not trying to argue about it, just the way I see it.

1 Corinthians 15:24-28 (ESV)
24 Then comes the end, when he delivers the kingdom to God the Father after destroying every rule and every authority and power. 25 For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. 26 The last enemy to be destroyed is death.

Revelation 20:14-15 (ESV)
14 Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. 15 And if anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.

Revelation 21:4 (ESV)
4 He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.” For the Saved

Romans 6:23 (ESV)
23 For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. This can be both physical or spiritual, Life is just a probation on earth, death brings it to a end.

ETA*
1 Corinthians 15:21 (ESV)
21 For as by a man came death, by a man has come also the resurrection of the dead. Death came by Adam, Jesus is the 2nd Adam

Unfortunate you feel that way

God did not create death. The wages of sin are death. Man did that through his denial of God and his disobedience. Man chose death.

Intended or not, he shoots, he scores!

God created the situation knowing full well what was going to happen.

I cannot see how he is not responsible for it.

ETA::Its like me building a trap and then claiming I'm not responsible when someone 'choses' to set it off. Perhaps its a true statement that they shouldn't have set it off, but that doesn't absolve me of wrongdoing for building it in the first place.

Man's sinful nature created the situation.
You don't have to stay in the place that your at with your dislike, hatred, pain or whatever it is.
When you decide that there's something bigger than you, you may find He has a place for you in is Kingdom. You'll find peace, love, joy, and you'll understand His Word.

2 Corinthians 3:16-18
16 But when one turns to the Lord, the veil is removed. 17 Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. 18 And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.

b

We often read the Bible and yet miss everything about Jesus.

Death is the absence of life…. just as sin is the rejection of obedience.
God said “let there be life”…that was not followed up by let there be death.
God created life, goodness and order.
We cause death, sadness and chaos by rejecting God and his purpose and plan.

God’s “killing sprees” are not the entertainment of a wicked God but the righteous judgment of a Holy God.
The Bible tells us that God is willing that none should perish.
Jesus told the religious men of his day that they would perish not because he would find entertainment in it…but because they rejected the Son of God.

You seem to be trying to highlight the effects of God’s judgment on sin and use them to portray a god with a penchant for destruction and nature of evil.
In essence you’re trying to re-write John 3:16 to read
-For God so hated the world that He Sent His only begotten Son that he might crush and kill those who fail to believe in him that they might be miserable now and perish into eternal suffering.

The effect of our sin and rebellion is death.
The effect of God’s Love and Grace is Life.

Every death is the result of God’s judgment on our sin….whether it is by sword, cyclone or seizure.
The better question might be; is it better to stand before God on the Day of Judgment having died by the sword not having full knowledge of Jesus Christ…..Or die in a hospital bed after living a life rejecting everything about Jesus Christ.
Every single man will experience physical death…the physical killing spree caused by sin and judgment.
But those men who place their faith in Jesus will not taste everlasting separation but everlasting life.
The killing spree of physical death is unavoidable……but the judgment and penalty of eternal damnation after death is avoided at the Cross of Jesus Christ.

Physical death is a release. As I remember Genesis death was created after Adam and Eve's expulsion from Eden so they could have a release from their suffering of being separated from God. We have been given free will but it is a two edged sword. If we use that will to embrace Him in this life we will enjoy eternal life with Him but if we decide to deny God we will we will suffer eternal separation from Him. The other thing to remember is that all the faithful from the Old Testament were saved when Jesus harrowed Hell after His death and prior to His resurrection. He didn't just hang out for three days He was busy! (and no I don't want to get into a discussion of Bibilcal time! )

I see God's wrath all the time. I see idiots who act beyond the bounds of religious norms and they end up getting hammered. They lose income, transportation, personal, shelter, relationships, etc. They try so hard to be cool and all I do is pray for good fortune and success. But all the end up doing is spinning their wheels, wait... they lost their wheels too! They can't even drive anymore.

Religion forum version of 'ma baby dint do nuffin.'

It is funny how modern people go on about the wonders of human freedom and individual self-actualization then turn around and use free will to somehow discredit religious belief.

When it comes right down to it, most secular people are the basest sort of determinists...

True. The pastor's sermon only confirmed it.

Yep. You missed the last 2000 years or so...

Worse than Hitler? Really? Just 'cause of little things like drowning virtually every human and animal then in existence? Nah!

I'm not sure how "common ground" is possible when one side operates on belief and faith, while the other side practices logical analysis and rational thought.

I'm just evaluating the available evidence.

I guess your missing my point: Long ago I realized this truth about Christian theology: No matter how man screwed up, god created the situation knowing full well what was going to happen.

He could have stopped it, but didn't, so anything that happens, good or bad, he has ownership of it.

I realized that if a house is spared from a tornado by god, then the house down the street that was destroyed was destroyed by god.
If god is responsible for making a baby with a serious birth defect "beat the odds", then he is also responsible for the ones that don't make it.



Its been explained to me many, many times (including when I was still a christian) and still logically I cannot see any way around this fact.

"Free will" does not clear up this problem.

If you knowingly put someone in a situation where you know they are going to hurt themselves, you bear just as much, if not more responsibility for the damage they end up doing to themselves.

I'll try an analogy:

Lets say I build a giant mouse trap and put a cake on it.
I then provide a buffet table with all sorts of other food, but no deserts.
I then get a bunch of children and tell them they are free to eat any food that they want, except the cake, because it is forbidden and they'll die.
I then leave the room.

If one of those kids gets whacked by that trap, I'm liable, period. "I told them not to, he disobeyed me of his own free will and got smashed, not my problem he didn't listen." Is not a legal defense.

It doesn't matter that I told them not to take the cake, it doesn't matter if they did it of their own free will, by putting them in that situation, I bear most of the responsibility for what happened.

I understand what you guys are saying and don't really have an answer for you. I personally believe (and am not speaking for Orthodox Christians in general) that this world is nothing but a test. It isn't meant to be fun or fair or even make sense. I realize that seems nuts to non-believers and requires faith to work but there it is. I can't back that up with logic or real world examples that will meet any kind of scientific criteria so I won't try. Again just my personal opinion and how I make sense of things. YMMV and that is OK with me.

I'm not surprised. That idea is inconsistent with the precept of an omniscient God. If he knows everything, then there is no logic to testing us, as he would know the outcome even without doing the test. If he is putting us through this torment anyway, that is the act of a sadist.

The only way the "this world is a test" concept makes any sense is if our creator is not omniscient, and is conducting a socio-biological experiment to learn how we will perform.

I agree.

I wish many people, on both sides, could get past the whole "if you don't agree with me you're stupid, ignorant, and wrong."

That's hard to do. Since both sides can't be right, it necessarily means one side is "stupid, ignorant, and wrong."

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