Sermon: "The Reality of God's Wrath"
Last week we said that there are two subjects Christians don’t like to discuss – God’s judgment and God’s wrath.
However, as we looked last week at the purpose of God’s judgment – which is retribution – we saw that God’s judgment is really an encouragement for Believers. God’s judgment is the time when Believers will be rewarded for believing in Jesus and serving him. Why shouldn’t we be looking forward to that day?
However, we also saw that God’s judgment includes punishment for those who reject Jesus. Such people have every reason to dread God’s judgment.
This morning, as we deal with that other subject Christians don’t normally discuss – God’s wrath – it should also be helpful to those who believe in Jesus and frightening to those who reject him and choose to do their own thing.
Meditating on God’s wrath can help you to hate sin, be concerned about your own soul and the soul’s of others, and cause you to thank God for his goodness to you.
The word WRATH means – deep, intense anger and indignation.
God’s wrath is a major biblical theme, yet the subject is often avoided or played down by many Christians, so let’s take a moment and look at …
I. WHY MANY BELIEVERS DON’T WANT TO HEAR OF GOD’S WRATH
A. SOME PEOPLE THINK IT IS UNBECOMING OF GOD
When they hear the word wrath they think of someone losing self-control. They see someone acting irrational and allowing their temper to take control.
“Surely,” they say, “It would be wrong to ascribe to God such attitudes.”
Of course they are right, but they misunderstand God’s wrath. God’s wrath is not like human wrath. God is only angry where anger is called for. His wrath is a right and necessary reaction to evil.
Would you want to serve a God who took as much pleasure in evil as he did in good? Would a God who did not react adversely to evil be perfect? It is this adverse reaction to evil that the Bible has in view when it speaks of God’s wrath.
So wrath is not unbecoming to God. It is part of his perfection.
There is another wrong view of God’s wrath.
B. SOME PEOPLE THINK WRATH MAKES GOD A FIERCE AND CRUEL MONSTER
They forget two things …
1. God’s wrath is always just
Anyone who experiences the torments associated with the fullness of God’s wrath is receiving precisely what he deserves. The Bible says …
ROMANS 2:6-8 – 6God “will give to each person according to what he has done.” 7To those who by persistence in doing good seek glory, honor and immortality, he will give eternal life. 8But for those who are self-seeking and who reject the truth and follow evil, there will be wrath and anger.
The second thing people forget is that …
2. People choose God’s wrath
Before hell, which is the outcome of God’s wrath, is an experience inflicted by God, it is chosen by men. The Bible says …
JOHN 3:18 – 18Whoever believes in him (Jesus) is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son.
Nobody will experience God’s wrath except those who have chosen to do so. God’s action in wrath is to give people what they choose.
God’s willingness to respect human choice to this extent may bother us, but it is clear that it is supremely just. Eternal hell is not God being mean and cruel, but people being foolish in choosing such an eternal existence.
Now that we have looked at some of the reasons some Christians don’t like to think about or discuss God’s wrath, let’s jump into the subject with both feet by going to a book in the Bible that speaks very plainly about God’s wrath … The Book of Romans.
II. WHAT THE BOOK OF ROMANS TEACHES ABOUT GOD’S WRATH
The book of Romans, which some biblical scholars, including both Martin Luther and John Calvin, have called “the gateway to the Bible,” contains more explicit references to God’s wrath than all the rest of Paul’s letters put together. First we see …
A. IT DEFINES GOD’S WRATH AS RESOLUTE ACTION IN PUNISHING SIN
As I read several verses from Romans which demonstrates this truth, keep the following two things in mind:
1. God’s wrath may refer to a future Judgment Day, but it may also refer to present events.
In other words, sin may not be punished until Judgment Day in some instances, but in other instances, God’s punishment is experienced here on earth.
2. God’s wrath is his reaction to our sin. It is an expression of his justice.
ROMANS 1:28 – 28Furthermore, since they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, he gave them over to a depraved mind, to do what ought not to be done.
That is God’s judgment in present events. He allows them to go deep into the darkness of sin.
ROMANS 2:5 – But because of your stubbornness and your unrepentant heart, you are storing up wrath against yourself for the day of God’s wrath, when his righteous judgment will be revealed.
That is God’s future judgment.
When you think about God’s wrath always remember it is his action in punishing sin.
The second thing we see in the book of Romans concerning God’s wrath is that …
B. IT SHOWS US THAT GOD’S WRATH IS CONSTANTLY BEING DISCLOSED
No one will be able to stand before God on Judgment Day and offer any excuses. They will not be able to say that they didn’t realize they were displeasing God or that a day of judgment was coming. We are going to look at some passages in Romans which show that God’s wrath is constantly being disclosed through …
1. Mankind’s conscience
and
2. Mankind’s degeneration
First listen to how the wrath of God is imprinted upon mankind’s conscience.
ROMANS 1:18-20 – 18The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness, 19since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. 20For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities – his eternal power and divine nature - have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse.
Again, no one will have an excuse on Judgment Day. Now let’s see how God’s wrath is constantly being disclosed through mankind’s degeneration.
ROMANS 1:21, 24-32 – 21For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened.
24Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another. 25They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator – who is forever praised. Amen. 26Because of this, God gave them over to shameful lusts. Even their women exchanged natural relations for unnatural ones. 27In the same way the men also abandonednatural relations with women and were inflamed with lust for one another. Men committed indecent acts with other men, and received in themselves the due penalty for their perversion.
28Furthermore, since they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, he gave them over to a depraved mind, to do what ought not to be done. 29They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit and malice. They are gossips, 30slanderers, God-haters, insolent, arrogant andboastful; they invent ways of doing evil; they disobey their parents; 31they are senseless, faithless, heartless, ruthless. 32Although they know God’s righteous decree that those who do such things deserve death they not only continue to do these very things but also approve of those who practice them.
I like how J.I. Packer summed up this passage in his book called, Knowing God. He said …
“If you want proof that the wrath of God is already working as a force in the world, you only need to look at life around you, and see what God has given men up to.”
The third thing the book of Romans teaches about God’s wrath is the beginning of bringing Believers to the point where they start to see and understand that thinking and talking about God’s wrath can be very positive and valuable.
C. IT SHOWS THE DELIVERANCE FROM GOD’S WRATH
It begins by showing us that …
1. There is none righteous
Listen to what Paul wrote …
ROMANS 3:9 – What shall we conclude then? Are we any better? Not at all! We have already made the charge that Jews and Gentiles alike are all under sin.
He then goes on to quote passages from five different Psalms, as well as Ecclesiastes chapter 7. It comes out like this …
ROMANS 3:10-18 – 10As it is written: “There is no one righteous, not even one; 11there is no one who understands, no one who seeks God. 12All have turned away, they have together become worthless; there is no one who does good, not even one. 13Their throats are open graves; their tongues practice deceit. The poison of vipers is on their lips. 14Their mouths are full of cursing and bitterness. 15Their feet are swift to shed blood; 16ruin and misery mark their ways, 17and the way of peace they do not know. 18There is no fear of God before their eyes.”
That is very clear. None of us are righteous. Paul sums it up this way.
ROMANS 3:23 – For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.
Paul goes on to say …
2. The law cannot save us
By the law he means the law God gave to Moses which includes the Ten Commandments. Here is what Paul wrote …
ROMANS 3:19-20 – 19Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be silenced and the whole world held accountable to God. 20Therefore no one will be declared righteous in his sight by observing the law; rather, though the law we become conscious of sin.
We can’t save ourselves by keeping all the commandments of God. In fact, God’s commandments help to make us aware of how sinful we are.
For most of my adult life religion has been a vital part of my life and it has provided my income for the past 19 years, but religious service cannot save me or anyone else from God’s wrath. We cannot save ourselves from God’s wrath in our own strength because we cannot live a perfect life. What Paul said is true – All have sinned!
Now comes the really good news. Paul, in the book of Romans, tells us that …
3. Only the blood of Jesus can save us
ROMANS 5:8-9 – 8But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. 9Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God’s wrath through him!
That passage brings some questions to mind that should be answered. Such as …
Question: What does it mean to be justified?
Here is the answer in a nutshell.
Answer: It means to be forgiven and accepted as righteous.
That brings us to yet another question.
Question: How do we become justified?
Answer: Through faith in the person and work of Jesus.
This faith in Jesus means you give up any hope that you can make yourself good enough to please God and depend only on what Jesus has done for you. Only the blood of Jesus can save you.
That brings us to one more question.
Question: How does the blood of Jesus save us from God’s wrath?
Answer: It is a sacrifice that God accepts as payment for our sin, thus making us free from guilt.
John said this about Jesus …
I JOHN 2:2 – He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world.
The cross of Jesus stands between us and the great thunder clouds of God’s wrath.
Here is what Paul wrote about Jesus to the Thessalonians.
I THESSALONIANS 1:10b – Jesus, who rescues us from the coming wrath.
Do you see why we said in the beginning that meditating on God’s wrath can cause you to thank God for his goodness to you?
That brings us to the final thing we will look at this morning.
III. THE IMPORTANCE OF UNDERSTANDING AND ACCEPTING THE TRUTH OF GOD’S WRATH
A. IT HELPS US UNDERSTAND SALVATION FROM WRATH
Often Christians use the word “saved.” They say things like … “I was saved at Good News Club,” or “Are you saved?”
Many people who were not raised in church have no idea what you are “saved” from. It helps when you can tell them you are saved from experiencing God’s wrath. It helps even more when you can tell them that God’s wrath is his proper response to your sinful actions and thoughts.
B. IT HELPS US UNDERSTAND THE IMPORTANCE OF THE CROSS
Christians place a lot of importance upon the cross. We have a cross in the front of the chapel and on the stage in the worship center. Often we sing songs about the cross. Why? Because it is what happened on the cross that saves us from God’s wrath. Had Jesus not suffered and died on the cross you would have to receive the just punishment for your sins. In other words, you would experience God’s wrath. Remember God’s wrath is his proper deep intense anger at that which is sinful.
Understanding and accepting the truth of God’s wrath also does some other things.
C. IT HELPS US UNDERSTAND GOD’S LOVE
He loves us so much he took it upon himself to find a way to prevent us from experiencing his wrath. He took our punishment upon himself when he came to earth as a man. He experienced his own wrath. That is the ultimate expression of love. You cannot truly appreciate the love of God until you understand the wrath of God. When you come to this understanding you can’t help but be thankful and want to praise and worship God.
D. IT HELPS US UNDERSTAND GOD’S ACTIONS – PAST AND PRESENT
When you understand that sin causes a deep, intense anger in God – and rightfully so – it helps us to understand some of the terrible things we read about in history and see happening in the world. God’s wrath upon sin may be carried out through wars – this is seen again and again in the Bible or it may be carried out through what we call natural disasters – again this is seen in the Bible. Of course, the flood in Noah’s time is the greatest example of this.
Let’s look at one last thing understanding and accepting God’s wrath does for us.
E. IT HELPS US DEVELOP A ZEAL FOR EVANGELISM
As Christians we don’t like to admit it but most of us do not think very much about people dying and experiencing God’s wrath. Most Christians only think about this when they have a loved one who is very ill who has never confessed they believed in Jesus.
Most of us as Christians work with, go to school with, and socialize with people who are not Christians and yet we never talk to them about Jesus. Why? Some of the reason is because we do not think about God’s wrath. We do not see that person on the receiving end of God’s justified deep, intense anger over their sin. Thinking about and discussing God’s wrath can help to make each of us better ambassadors for Jesus.
CONCLUSION
We should meditate on God’s wrath often so that …
- We might not regard sin lightly
- We might be concerned with our own soul and the soul’s of others
and
We might praise and thank God for his goodness to us.