Monthly Archives: July 2024

THE FEAR OF THE LORD

Bible Study, ,

How often I have written about the fear of the Lord! The concept still grabs me!

The fear of the Lord or lack underpins all our responses to His dealings with us. It’s a huge subject but one worthy of our constant attention and continued exploration.

“The fear of the Lord” is defined in different ways in Scripture, what it is, what its benefits are, how we learn to fear God, and to where the fear of the Lord leads us. From cover to cover, the Bible advocates the fear of the Lord as the source of wisdom and of life itself.

Proverbs 19:23 NLT
[23″Fear of the Lord leads to life, bringing security and protection from harm.”

For me, a simple definition is in three words, TAKING GOD SERIOUSLY. When we read Paul’s diagnosis of the cause of all the wickedness of ungodly people he concludes with…

Romans 3:18 NLT
[18] “They have no fear of God at all.”

Worldly people do not take God seriously.

Therefore, how we regard God, His Word, and His requirements will determine both the course and the destiny of our lives. There is no such thing as casual or partial fear of the Lord. It’s all or nothing. We either reverence Him and hold Him in such awe and high regard that we accept His authority without question, or we don’t.

A basic attitude of abhorrence towards sin is the starting point in our journey to fear the Lord.

Proverbs 8:13 NLT
[13] “All who fear the Lord will hate evil. Therefore, I hate pride and arrogance, corruption and perverse speech.”

Why should we hate evil?

Habakkuk 1:13 NLT
[13]”But you are pure and cannot stand the sight of evil.”

God hates evil. He Himself is utterly separate from sin. Sin ruins us and separates us from God. To be holy means that we stand with God in His hatred of anything that contradicts who He is and blocks our approach to Him.

If we don’t hate evil in every shape or form, it simply means that we don’t really believe that God is holy, and that, without holiness no-one will see the Lord.

1 Peter 1:15-16 NLT
[15]”But now you must be holy in everything you do, just as God who chose you is holy. [16] For the Scriptures say, “You must be holy because I am holy.”

Hebrews 12:14 NLT
[14] “Work at living in peace with everyone, and work at living a holy life, for those who are not holy will not see the Lord.”

When we have secured a right attitude in our hearts towards sin, the next step is to soak our minds and hearts in the life of Jesus since He is the embodiment of God’s wisdom. We need wisdom to live in a way that preserves us from the ravages of sin.

Proverbs 9:10 NLT
[10]”Fear of the Lord is the foundation of wisdom. Knowledge of the Holy One results in good judgment.”

If we want to live our lives wisely, we must look at Jesus. The fear of the Lord was not only the foundation of His life but His delight.

Isaiah 11:1-3a NIV
[1]”A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse; from his roots a Branch will bear fruit.

[2] The Spirit of the Lord will rest on him— the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding, the Spirit of counsel and of might, the Spirit of the knowledge and fear of the Lord— [3] and he will delight in the fear of the Lord….”

In union with Jesus by faith, we have access to the source of all God’s wisdom, through Jesus, who is the key.

1 Corinthians 1:30 NLT
[30]”God has united you with Christ Jesus. For our benefit God made him to be wisdom itself. Christ made us right with God; he made us pure and holy, and he freed us from sin.”

Colossians 2:2-3 NLT
[2] “I want them to be encouraged and knit together by strong ties of love. I want them to have complete confidence that they understand God’s mysterious plan, which is Christ himself. [3] In him lie hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.”

We have access to all the ramifications of fearing God when we approach Him with an attitude that honours Him above everyone and everything, takes Him seriously, obeys Him implicitly, and trusts Him fully.

Isaiah 33:5-6 NIV
[5]” The Lord is exalted, for he dwells on high; he will fill Zion with his justice and righteousness. [6] He will be the sure foundation for your times, a rich store of salvation and wisdom and knowledge; the fear of the Lord is the key to this treasure.”

What we need more than the “stuff” worldly people crave, is the knowledge and wisdom to live righteously that pleases God and prepares us for eternity. When we watch and listen to Jesus, hear and obey the Holy Spirit, and walk in the truth, fearing the Lord, we will stay in track for our eternal home.

The steps to the fear of the Lord are simple.

Matthew 11:29 NLT
[29] “Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls.”

How can we know that we are living in the fear of the Lord? We will know by our response to God’s tests.

“In school, you’re taught the lesson, then given a test.
In life, you’re given a test that teaches you a lesson. ” (quote from Tom Bodett, sourced from Pinterest)

The best example is Abraham’s story in Genesis 22. God tested him by asking him to sacrifice his son. Abraham’s unquestioning obedience earned him this conclusion…

Genesis 22:12 NLT
[12] “Don’t lay a hand on the boy!” the angel said. “Do not hurt him in any way, for now I know that you truly fear God. You have not withheld from me even your son, your only son.”

In the end, whether we fear God or not is judged by one criterion, obedience to His instructions.

Psalms 34:9, 11-14 NLT
[9] “Fear the Lord, you his godly people, for those who fear him will have all they need…
[11] Come, my children, and listen to me, and I will teach you to fear the Lord. [12] Does anyone want to live a life that is long and prosperous? [13] Then keep your tongue from speaking evil and your lips from telling lies! [14] Turn away from evil and do good. Search for peace, and work to maintain it.”

Let pray David’s pray with a sincere desire to live daily in the fear of the Lord.

Psalms 86:11 NLT
[11] “Teach me your ways, O Lord, that I may live according to your truth! Grant me purity of heart, so that I may honor you (fear your name).

CRACKED CLAY POTS

Christian Life, ,

2 Corinthians 4:7 NLT
[7] “We now have this light shining in our hearts, but we ourselves are like fragile clay jars containing this great treasure. This makes it clear that our great power is from God, not from ourselves.”

We have established that God’s sovereignty is expressed, not in His randomly creating some people for heaven and others for hell, but in His purpose to have a family of sons and daughters recreated in the image of Jesus through His mercy and grace.

We are all essentially clay pots, made from dust and destined to return to the dust. No one can claim any privilege or position since we were all born rebels with Adam’s nature. We are all under judgment, destined for death except for God’s intervention.

Despite the audacity of some who claim authority or office that elevates them above the riff-raff in the church, there is no grounds in Scripture for anyone assuming any such title or function outside of God’s grace. Even the greatest of the apostles called himself the least. Through grace, God called him and equipped him for his task.

Galatians 1:1 NLT
[1] “This letter is from Paul, an apostle. I was not appointed by any group of people or any human authority, but by Jesus Christ himself and by God the Father, who raised Jesus from the dead.”

1 Corinthians 15:10 NLT
[10] “But whatever I am now, it is all because God poured out his special favor on me—and not without results. For I have worked harder than any of the other apostles; yet it was not I but God who was working through me by his grace.”

Paul claimed no calling or authority except by God’s grace. He appealed to the members of the churches to which he wrote always as a slave of Jesus and under His authority.

So, Paul saw himself as nothing more than an empty, fragile, and cracked vessel out of which God’s glory shone through his brokenness. He did not lord his authority over the churches as some do, but appealed to his divine appointment and his obedience to Jesus as the source of his authority.

Can those today who claim titles and offices say, as Paul said, “Follow me as I follow Christ”?

1 Corinthians 11:1 NLT
[1] “And you should imitate me, just as I imitate Christ.”

What does Paul mean when he says that we are cracked pots? Let’s go back to David’s experience recorded in the Psalms.

Psalms 51:16-17, 19 NLT
[16] “You do not desire a sacrifice, or I would offer one. You do not want a burnt offering. [17] The sacrifice you desire is a broken spirit. You will not reject a broken and repentant heart, O God.
[19] Then you will be pleased with sacrifices offered in the right spirit— with burnt offerings and whole burnt offerings. Then bulls will again be sacrificed on your altar.”

Why, if God Himself had set up the sacrificial system in His instructions for worship, did David say that God was not interested in animal sacrifices?

Instead of animal blood being a symbol of repentance and forgiveness, the people of God had used their sacrifices as an excuse for sinning.

Hosea 8:11-13 NLT
[11] “Israel has built many altars to take away sin, but these very altars became places for sinning! [12] Even though I gave them all my laws, they act as if those laws don’t apply to them. [13] The people love to offer sacrifices to me, feasting on the meat, but I do not accept their sacrifices. I will hold my people accountable for their sins, and I will punish them. They will return to Egypt.“

God had come to hate their sacrifices because they sinned deliberately and offered sacrifices for their sin. They had developed a completely wrong idea about their sacrifices, not as a symbol of their repentance but as an excuse to carry on in their rebellion.

Through his blatant disobedience to God’s laws, and his humiliating exposure of guilt, David learned that a broken (crushed and shattered) heart and a contrite (collapsed) spirit, are of far greater value to God than animal blood.

Brokenness, however it happens in our lives, is of great value to us because it keeps our feet firmly on the ground. Paul was fully aware of, and never forgot his history. He was a persecutor and a murderer. Grace had changed him but the memory reminded him of who he was without God’s grace.

He could, therefore, say with all humility, “Without Jesus, I am nothing more than a cracked clay pot.”

That is the truth but not the whole truth. Paul completes his expression of truth by adding,
“… But God’s presence is the treasure, the light in me that shines out of me through the cracks!”

What an amazing picture…we are not fancy light fittings, created to adorn an expensive, up-market home. We are fragile, cracked vessels made from dirt, that carry within us the glory of God. God’s glory shines out of us through the cracks and fissures that sin has caused. Grace has rescued and transformed us but the scars of our sin remain as a testimony to that grace. It’s our very fallen-ness that qualifies us to receive His mercy and forgiveness. He places His own Spirit in us to shine out of us because we, without Him, are nothing but dark and empty.

God has chosen to reveal His glory to the world in different ways, through the mirror of His Word, through the majesty of His creation, but most of all, through the mercy of His redemption….and He has chosen to shine His mercy through the holes that sin has made in these clay vessels.

Only God could have done that!

THE MYSTERY OF GOD’S SOVEREIGNTY

Bible Study, ,

John 13:18, 21 NLT
[18]“I am not saying these things to all of you; I know the ones I have chosen. But this fulfills the Scripture that says, ‘The one who eats my food has turned against me.’…
[21] Now Jesus was deeply troubled, and he exclaimed, “I tell you the truth, one of you will betray me!”

This scene plays out in fulfillment of God’s purposes decreed from before time and prophesied centuries before the event.

John 17:12 NLT
[12] “During my time here, I protected them by the power of the name you gave me. I guarded them so that not one was lost, except the one headed for destruction, as the Scriptures foretold.”

Paul encouraged Timothy to stay away from sin, implying that he, Timothy, was a vessel created for godly purposes.

2 Timothy 2:20, 21 NLT
[20] “In a wealthy home some utensils are made of gold and silver, and some are made of wood and clay. The expensive utensils are used for special occasions, and the cheap ones are for everyday use.”
[21] “If you keep yourself pure, you will be a special utensil for honorable use. Your life will be clean, and you will be ready for the Master to use you for every good work.”

It seems, then, that God has created some people to reflect His glory by holy lives and others to reveal His glory by His power in judgment of their ungodliness.

Romans 9:14-18 NLT
[14] Are we saying, then, that God was unfair? Of course not! [15] For God said to Moses, “I will show mercy to anyone I choose, and I will show compassion to anyone I choose.” [16] So it is God who decides to show mercy. We can neither choose it nor work for it. [17] For the Scriptures say that God told Pharaoh, “I have appointed you for the very purpose of displaying my power in you and to spread my fame throughout the earth.” [18] So you see, God chooses to show mercy to some, and he chooses to harden the hearts of others so they refuse to listen.

Romans 9:19-21 NLT
[19] “Well then, you might say, “Why does God blame people for not responding? Haven’t they simply done what he makes them do?” [20] No, don’t say that. Who are you, a mere human being, to argue with God? Should the thing that was created say to the one who created it, “Why have you made me like this?” [21] When a potter makes jars out of clay, doesn’t he have a right to use the same lump of clay to make one jar for decoration and another to throw garbage into?”

Another huge subject…the sovereignty of God!

We attempt to understand God’s sovereignty against the backdrop of human reason and logic. We make no sense of God’s ways and accuse Him of being unfair. How can He save some from, and judge others for being who He created them to be?

From our viewpoint, we consider such actions unjust. Should God not treat all people alike?

Is it right that God should deliberately create people for judgment? What about Pharaoh? What about Judas Iscariot? How does human choice and accountability connect with God’s purposes?

At this point, our perspective and God’s perfect wisdom part company.

We have great difficulty understanding how God works and why He works the way He does, since His ways and thoughts are far above our own. However, the Apostle Paul elevates our understanding above our perception of justice and fairness to the nature of God.

God is under no obligation to show mercy to anyone. Paul has argued and concluded that the entire human race is guilty of rebellion and the objects of God’s wrath. He created people for a purpose, to be His human family, but we have all been born rebels, having inherited Adam’s nature. All are under His judgment.

God is, therefore, just in condemning all people to eternal destruction. However, God’s mercy desires to redeem those whom He has chosen to fulfill His purpose. He has not abandoned His original plan for a human family created in His image.

Jesus was the Father’s plan to redeem people from the ravages of sin. He “put all His eggs in one basket” by entrusting to Jesus the role of perfect Son and perfect sacrifice.

As a reward for His obedience, the Father gave to the Son a family of redeemed people.

Isaiah 53:10-12 NLT
[10] “But it was the Lord’s good plan to crush him and cause him grief. Yet when his life is made an offering for sin, he will have many descendants. He will enjoy a long life, and the Lord’s good plan will prosper in his hands. [11] When he sees all that is accomplished by his anguish, he will be satisfied. And because of his experience, my righteous servant will make it possible for many to be counted righteous, for he will bear all their sins. [12] I will give him the honors of a victorious soldier, because he exposed himself to death. He was counted among the rebels. He bore the sins of many and interceded for rebels.”

Jesus insisted that the Father had given Him many people, that all that the Father had given to Him would come to Him, and that He would save and protect them from judgment.

John 6:37-40 NLT
[37]”However, those the Father has given me will come to me, and I will never reject them. [38] For I have come down from heaven to do the will of God who sent me, not to do my own will. [39] And this is the will of God, that I should not lose even one of all those he has given me, but that I should raise them up at the last day. [40] For it is my Father’s will that all who see his Son and believe in him should have eternal life. I will raise them up at the last day.”

John 17:11-12 NLT
[11]”Now I am departing from the world; they are staying in this world, but I am coming to you. Holy Father, you have given me your name; now protect them by the power of your name so that they will be united just as we are. [12] During my time here, I protected them by the power of the name you gave me. I guarded them so that not one was lost, except the one headed for destruction, as the Scriptures foretold.”

We are to recognise, then, that God, in His sovereign choices, is not about justice or fairness but about mercy and purpose. His justice is vindicated by judgment and His purposes fulfilled through His mercy.

He is not obliged to do anything about the sinful human race because we brought His judgment in ourselves by confirming Adam’s rebellion. However, because He is who He is, He chose to show mercy to some, and justice to others, revealing through His mercy to godly and ungodly alike that He is God. No one has the right or reason to complain.

Most of all, God’s glory, revealed through His words and actions, gives all humanity every reason to trust Him, though the majority do not. He is completely vindicated in all He says and does.

Romans 3:25-26 NIV
[25] “God presented Christ as a sacrifice of atonement, through the shedding of his blood—to be received by faith. He did this to demonstrate his righteousness, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished— [26] he did it to demonstrate his righteousness at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus.”

So, Jesus is God’s answer to all our foolish and futile accusations. Like His response to Job, God is not obligated to answer us, but He does…. Jesus!

Colossians 2:1-3 NLT
[1] I want you to know how much I have agonized for you and for the church at Laodicea, and for many other believers who have never met me personally.
[2] “I want them to be encouraged and knit together by strong ties of love. I want them to have complete confidence that they understand God’s mysterious plan, which is Christ himself. [3] In him lie hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.”

God wants us to see His glory so that we worship Him alone, so that we have no other gods because He alone can be to us all we need. He made us. We belong to Him. He is jealous for our love and loyalty. Only in Him can we ever be complete.

So, God reveals to us what we can only ever know through His plan of redemption, that attribute that is heaviest, most important if all, His chesed, His many-faceted, covenant love, His mercy.

THE DEVIL IS ATTACKING ME!

Bible Study, ,

This is what it seems butb it all depends on our perspective.

There is a trend within the church to believe that God and the devil are on equal footing, or so it seems by the way some Christains talk. They think that Satan sometimes has the upper hand and that we need God’s intervention to get him off our back.

What has the Bible to say about s
this situation?

Three stories come to mind, Job, Paul and the Gadarene demoniac.

The prologue to the story of Job’s suffering clears up the issue of who is in charge. Satan is fully and always under Almighty God’s authority.

Told in poetic language, Job’s story was one of severe suffering but only because God permitted the devil to test his integrity. Satan accused Job of being mercenary. “He only trusts you because you are good to him. Take away the blessings and he will turn on you,” he taunted.

We know the outcome. Despite Job’s questions and the cruel accusations of his so-called comforters, Job affirmed his trust in God even to death.

Job 13:15 NIV
[15]” Though he slay me, yet will I hope in him”…

God did not fault Job for being unrighteous. He lifted the issue much higher. “Where were you…?” Was Job ever on a par with God to question His ways? All Job’s questions and arguments were obliterated at the blast of God’s revelation of
power and glory. “No more questions, Job! I am not obligateded to you.”

God’s sovereignty over all creation including the spirit beings who serve Him is beyond question.

Hebrews 1:14 NLT
[14] “Therefore, angels are only servants—spirits sent to care for people who will inherit salvation.”

So, where does the devil fit into the picture? Does he attack and harass God’s children? Yes and no.

Yes, he does, according to Job’s story but only by permission. No, he is not permitted to harass and attack randomly. God uses him for His own purposes.

Paul’s story illustrates at least one purpose for his attacks.

2 Corinthians 12:6-7NLT
[6] “If I wanted to boast, I would be no fool in doing so, because I would be telling the truth. But I won’t do it, because I don’t want anyone to give me credit beyond what they can see in my life or hear in my message, [7] even though I have received such wonderful revelations from God. So to keep me from becoming proud, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger from Satan to torment me and keep me from becoming proud.”

Paul was seriously tempted to be proud of the supernatural revelations he received that could have easily elevated him above fellow believers and even above his fellow apostles. He was constantly harassed by those who wanted to get rid of him as well as by the dangers and challenges of his mission. He identified the source of these hardships as Satan himself. Was he right or wrong?

God did not correct him.

Strange that Paul calls his trials a “messenger from Satan” and a “thorn in the flesh”. Did he recognise, on hindsight, what was happening to him?

Yes, it was, true that those who mistreated Paul did so at Satan’s instigation, but why did God allow this to happen? Was Paul harking back to God’s warning to the Israelites after they had conquered and taken possession of the Promised Land?

Judges 2:1-3 NLT
[1] “The angel of the Lord went up from Gilgal to Bokim and said to the Israelites, “I brought you out of Egypt into this land that I swore to give your ancestors, and I said I would never break my covenant with you. [2] For your part, you were not to make any covenants with the people living in this land; instead, you were to destroy their altars. But you disobeyed my command. Why did you do this? [3] So now I declare that I will no longer drive out the people living in your land. They will be thorns in your sides, and their gods will be a constant temptation to you.”

Paul understood that ungodly idolaters are those who elevate themselves above God, reject the truth about Him, refuse to worship Him, and set up their own gods in His place. They, in fact, take God’s place as God.

Proud people do the same in their attitude. They elevate themselves above God and become God by the way they live.

To God, this is so serious a situation that He permitted the devil to use his methods to keep His servant humble. Paul was surrounded by idolaters who hated God enough to pour their hatred out on him. No matter how much he prayed for deliverance from them, God said an emphatic, “No!”

God regarded Paul’s weakness and constant dependence on His grace of greater value than deliverance from his hardships. So, He allowed the attacks to keep coming because, as Paul realised, in this way, he would always be thrown on God for the strength to endure.

So, Paul could say,

2 Corinthians 12:9-10 NLT
[9] “Each time he said, “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.” So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me. [10] That’s why I take pleasure in my weaknesses, and in the insults, hardships, persecutions, and troubles that I suffer for Christ. For when I am weak, then I am strong.”

The third issue is that of so-called “demon-possession”. There are many examples in the New Testament of Jesus delivering people from indwelling evil spirits. How can demonisation happen?

It seems to me that demons take occupation and control in a person who so persists in his or her sinful beviour that demons make their home in that person’s spirit. This is so serious that the demonised person can no longer make choices and decisions but is under the influence and control so completely that the demon acts through him or her.

This was the case of the Gadarene man that Jesus delivered from demons. This man gave his name as “Legion” because of the many demonic spirits in him. The story illustrates the motive of demons… to alienate and destroy.

The man was so violent that he was driven out of his community. He was continually mutilating himself. He was out of control. He was destined for a horrible death and a worse eternal destiny.

The story also illustrates Jesus’ absolute authority over demonic spirits and His power to restore the man to sanity and normality.

Mark 5:15 NLT
[15] “A crowd soon gathered around Jesus, and they saw the man who had been possessed by the legion of demons. He was sitting there fully clothed and perfectly sane, and they were all afraid.”

What do these records in Scripture teach us?

  1. God and Satan are not fighting on equal terms. God is sovereign in each and every situation in every human life. He orchestrates situations for His own purposes. He determines the boundaries in which Satan can act.

Job 1:8, 10-12 NLT
[8]” Then the Lord asked Satan, “Have you noticed my servant Job? He is the finest man in all the earth. He is blameless—a man of complete integrity. He fears God and stays away from evil.”
[10]” You have always put a wall of protection around him and his home and his property. You have made him prosper in everything he does. Look how rich he is! [11] But reach out and take away everything he has, and he will surely curse you to your face!” [12] “All right, you may test him,” the Lord said to Satan. “Do whatever you want with everything he possesses, but don’t harm him physically.” So Satan left the Lord’s presence.”

  1. God knows and uses the devil’s work and his tactics for the good of His people.

Romans 8:28 NLT
[28]”And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.”

  1. God will use whatever it takes to keep His children humble and dependent on Him.

Paul’s thorn in the flesh is an example.

  1. Persistent sin is dangerous because it gives the devil a foothold in our lives. Only God’s power can break his hold on us when we repent and turn from evil. James 4:7-8 NLT
    [7] “So humble yourselves before God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. [8] Come close to God, and God will come close to you. Wash your hands, you sinners; purify your hearts, for your loyalty is divided between God and the world.”
  2. God uses Satan’s work to destroy the hold fleshly desires have on believers. He turns suffering into salvation.

1 Peter 4:1 NIV
[1]”Therefore, since Christ suffered in his body, arm yourselves also with the same attitude, because whoever suffers in the body is done with sin.”

Suffering can turn us away from sinful behaviour if we allow it to do its work.

Psalms 32:3-4 NLT
[3] “When I refused to confess my sin, my body wasted away, and I groaned all day long. [4] Day and night your hand of discipline was heavy on me. My strength evaporated like water in the summer heat.”

Paul instructed the Corinthians believers to hand an unrepentant member over to Satan.

1 Corinthians 5:1-5 NLT
[1]”I can hardly believe the report about the sexual immorality going on among you—something that even pagans don’t do. I am told that a man in your church is living in sin with his stepmother. [2] You are so proud of yourselves, but you should be mourning in sorrow and shame. And you should remove this man from your fellowship. [3] Even though I am not with you in person, I am with you in the Spirit. And as though I were there, I have already passed judgment on this man [4] in the name of the Lord Jesus. You must call a meeting of the church. I will be present with you in spirit, and so will the power of our Lord Jesus. [5] Then you must throw this man out and hand him over to Satan so that his sinful nature will be destroyed and he himself will be saved on the day the Lord returns.”

How important for us, then, to acknowledge God in all our hardships. He is at work, refining, purifying, and preparing us for our role in His eternal kingdom. We must never give credit to the devil what God is doing.

God is sovereign in every circumstance in our lives. Let us worship Him with gratitude that He has not abandoned us to our sin, that He is merciful and patient, and that He will finish what He started, recreating us in the image of His Son.

IS GOD ANGRY?

Bible Study, ,

This question has two answers, yes and no!

No! God is not angry with those He has redeemed. He was angry but no longer. He, Himself, bore the wrath we deserved for our rebellion. He came, in the person of His Son, to die in the place of sinners.

Jesus fully satisfied the wrath of the Father as the perfect substitute for the human race.

1 John 2:1-2 NLT
[1] “My dear children, I am writing this to you so that you will not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate who pleads our case before the Father. He is Jesus Christ, the one who is truly righteous. [2] He himself is the sacrifice that atones for our sins—and not only our sins but the sins of all the world.”

Romans 5:9 NIV
[9]”Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God’s wrath through him!”

The Wrath of God
AN ESSAY BY
David Schrock
DEFINITION
“God’s wrath, in perfect harmony with all of his divine attributes, is the holy action of retributive justice towards persons whose actions deserve eternal condemnation.”

“On the cross, God the Son bore the full weight of divine judgment, even as he volunteered himself—in eternity and time—to drink the full cup of God’s wrath (Psa. 75:8). As we learn from his prayers in Gethsemane, there was no other way for wrath to be removed, but through his death on the cross (Matt. 26:39, 42). For all those who trust in Christ, this punishment is removed. For those who refuse Christ, God’s wrath remains (John 3:36; Rom. 2:6).”
(quoted from… https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/essay/the-wrath-of-god/#:~:text=On%20the%20cross%2C%20God%20the,26%3A39%2C%2042).

The “no” answer, for all mankind, depends on every individual’s response to Jesus’ question.

Matthew 16:15 NIV
[15]  “But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?”

John 3:18 NLT
[18]  “There is no judgment against anyone who believes in him. But anyone who does not believe in him has already been judged for not believing in God’s one and only Son.”

David recognised, in God’s dealings with him, how merciful God is towards those who fear Him.

Psalms 103:8-11 NLT
[8]”The Lord is compassionate and merciful, slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love. [9] He will not constantly accuse us, nor remain angry forever. [10] He does not punish us for all our sins; he does not deal harshly with us, as we deserve. [11] For his unfailing love toward those who fear him is as great as the height of the heavens above the earth.”

Paul and Peter also commented on God’s patience with sinners.

1 Timothy 2:2-6 NLT
[2]”Pray this way for kings and all who are in authority so that we can live peaceful and quiet lives marked by godliness and dignity. [3] This is good and pleases God our Savior, [4] who wants everyone to be saved and to understand the truth. [5] For, There is one God and one Mediator who can reconcile God and humanity—the man Christ Jesus. [6] He gave his life to purchase freedom for everyone. This is the message God gave to the world at just the right time.”

2 Peter 3:8-9 NLT
[8] “But you must not forget this one thing, dear friends: A day is like a thousand years to the Lord, and a thousand years is like a day. [9] The Lord isn’t really being slow about his promise, as some people think. No, he is being patient for your sake. He does not want anyone to be destroyed, but wants everyone to repent.”

God takes no pleasure in the death the wicked.

Ezekiel 33:11 NLT
[11]”As surely as I live, says the Sovereign Lord, I take no pleasure in the death of wicked people. I only want them to turn from their wicked ways so they can live. Turn! Turn from your wickedness, O people of Israel! Why should you die?”

So great is His love for all mankind that He paid the price He demanded for our sin.

John 3:16 NLT
[16]  “For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.”

However, God can do nothing for those who refuse His grace.

John 3:36 NIV
[36]”Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God’s wrath remains on them.”

And so, the answer to the question, “Is God angry?” is also “Yes.”

Psalms 7:11 NLT
[11] “God is an honest judge. He is angry with the wicked every day.”

Why is God angry with the wicked?

The Apostle Paul gives us the answer. In Romans 1, he charges the ungodly, those who reject and live without God, with what they have done with the truth.

Since Jesus is the embodiment of God’s truth, (“I am the truth”), whatever people have done to the truth, i.e., whatever God is, says, and does, they have done to Jesus.

1. They SUPPRESS the truth.

Romans 1:18 NLT
[18] “But God shows his anger from heaven against all sinful, wicked people who SUPPRESS the truth by their wickedness.”

“Suppress” means to forcibly put an end to; restrain; prevent the development, action, or expression of; prevent the dissemination of… the truth.

Wicked human behaviour deliberately squashes, pushes out of sight the truth of who Jesus is and what He has done. How obvious it is that He is relegated to a nobody in most people’s lives.

2. They DENY the evidence of God in creation.

Romans 1:19-21 NLT
[19] “They know the truth about God because he has made it obvious to them. [20] For ever since the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky. Through everything God made, they can clearly see his invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature. So they have no excuse for not knowing God. [21] Yes, they knew God, but they wouldn’t worship him as God or even give him thanks….”

The foolish and illogical theory of evolution is man’s futile attempt to argue God out of the universe. They deny God’s creative power by a “big bang” theory which only exposes their depraved minds. They reduce humans created in the image of God to animals who have no moral nature and are, therefore, not accountable to God for what they do.

3. They EXCHANGE God’s truth for a lie.

Romans 1:21-23 NLT
[21] “Yes, they knew God, but they wouldn’t worship him as God or even give him thanks. And they began to think up foolish ideas of what God was like. As a result, their minds became dark and confused. [22] Claiming to be wise, they instead became utter fools. [23] And instead of worshiping the glorious, ever-living God, they worshiped idols made to look like mere people and birds and animals and reptiles.”

Romans 1:25 NLT
[25] They TRADED the truth about God for a lie. So they worshiped and served the things God created instead of the Creator himself, who is worthy of eternal praise! Amen.

They create gods that resemble the creatures God made and give them attributes as wicked as their own wicked selves.

4. They PERVERT natural human behaviour by homosexual acts that deliberately contradict God’s order for male and female.

Homosexuality and all its spinoffs, is not an alternative lifestyle, as humans have foolishly decided, but deliberate disobedience to God’s holy laws. Homosexuality is the pinnacle of rebellion against God, explicitly undermining God’s creation ordinance and purpose for marriage. God instructed the first pair to multiply and populate  the earth. Homosexuality destroys God’s intention for a man and a woman to become one in marriage to reflect on earth the unity of the Godhead and to reproduce offspring as God intended.

5. They REVERSE truth and lies.

Romans 1:32 NLT
[32] “They know God’s justice requires that those who do these things deserve to die, yet they do them anyway. Worse yet, they encourage others to do them, too.“

So, all sin is the result of suppressing, denying, exchanging, perverting, and reversing the truth. To treat Jesus with disdain and ignore who He is, is to open the door to every form of rebellion against the truth.

God will reward rebellion with the judgment it deserves, the end result of every lustful desire. It seems to me, then, that at least part of God’s eternal judgment on sin, the lake of burning sulphur, will be the unfulfilled burning passions of sinful behaviour, culminating in unsatisfied sexual lust.

Romans 1:27 NLT
[27] “And the men, instead of having normal sexual relations with women, BURNED WITH LUST for each other. Men did shameful things with other men, and as a result of this sin, they suffered within themselves the penalty they deserved.”

How does God judge human wickedness?

Romans 1:28 NLT
[28] “Since they thought it foolish to acknowledge God, he abandoned them to their foolish thinking and let them do things that should never be done.“

God gives them WHAT THEY WANT. His judgment is as simple as that! Written into every requirement is God’s just consequence for obedience and disobedience. He does not speak twice. If people refuse to obey, the consequence is automatic.

David felt the terrible consequences of his rebellion against God’s law when he stole Uriah’s wife and murdered Uriah to get her.

Psalms 32:3-4 NLT
[3] “When I refused to confess my sin, my body wasted away, and I groaned all day long. [4] Day and night your hand of discipline was heavy on me. My strength evaporated like water in the summer heat.”

Is God angry. Yes! He is angry with the wicked every day. He is angry because people treat the mercy He showed to sinners by sacrificing His own Son, with contempt.

Is God angry! No! His mercy toward repentant sinners is as high as the heavens are above the earth. He calls them His children, holy and beloved.