God's Wrath

The last attribute of God we’ll examine in our quest for knowing and enjoying God more deeply is His Wrath. This will be quite contrary to the teaching about God now. He is personified as a God of love - period! And, I’m just beginning to experience His love at a depth I’ve not known previously, for which I am so grateful. However, I believe it is important to have a healthy fear of God also.

Look with me at some Scriptural references to God’s wrath. Nahum 1:2-3 The LORD is a jealous and avenging God; the LORD takes vengeance and is filled with wrath.The LORD takes vengeance on his foes and maintains his wrath against his enemies. The LORD is slow to anger and great in power; the LORD will not leave the guilty unpunished. His way is in the whirlwind and the storm, and clouds are the dust of his feet.

Genesis 6:13 So God said to Noah, "I am going to put an end to all people, for the earth is filled with violence because of them. I am surely going to destroy both them and the earth.

Judges 3:12 Once again the Israelites did evil in the eyes of the LORD, and because they did this evil the LORD gave Eglon king of Moab power over Israel.

God’s wrath is not only seen with nations but also with individuals.
Luke 3:9 The ax is already at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire."
Ananias and Sapphira would be examples of this. ACTS chapter 5 relates how God took their lives because of deceit.

The ultimate wrath of God describes eternal punishment for the unsaved found in 2 Thessalonians 1:7-9.... This will happen when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven in blazing fire with his powerful angels. He will punish those who do not know God and do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. They will be punished with everlasting destruction and shut out from the presence of the Lord and from the majesty of his power.

I don’t want to leave the study of God’s attributes on the “wrath note.” My favorate passage to memorize is Romans 8:31 What shall we say about such wonderful things as these? If God is for us, who can ever be against us? 32 Since he did not spare even his own Son but gave him up for us all, won’t he also give us everything else? 38 And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. 39 No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.

What a tremendous security we have as we walk intimately with God.