Lesson 10

1. The lesson today is entitled "The Wrath of God."

2. This is a subject that men approach with many different attitudes.

1. Some deny the wrath of God.

• They insist that God is a God of love. (1 Jno. 4:8).

• They contend a God of love could never manifest wrath especially to the point of punishing or condemning someone.

• Some go so far as to contend for universalism.

• This doctrine teaches all will be saved.

• It says God's love will not allow Him to condemn man.

2. Others wish there was not such a thing as God's wrath.

• They recognize the Bible speaks of God's wrath.

• They are, however, embarrassed by it.

• They consider it a blemish on God's Divine character.

• They seldom mention God's wrath, and have resentment in their hearts when they do.

• They believe it is not consistent with God's love and goodness, and seek to banish it from their thoughts.

3. Others falsely view and present God as only a God of wrath.

• They never speak of God's love.

• They picture God as One who delights in punishing men.

• They view God as One who is always eager to inflict His creatures with pain and suffering and even everlasting punishment.

• They never speak of grace, and only stress hell, fire, and brimstone.

 4. Others accept God's wrath as one of His attributes.

• They believe God's wrath is not a blemish in His character, but is part of His Divine perfection.

• They believe God's wrath is as much a Divine perfection as is His faithfulness, power, or mercy.

• It is this view of God is the one I believe the Bible explicitly presents.

• God is a God of wrath.

1. The Bible does not apologize for God's wrath, but makes it very plain that God is a God to whom vengeance and fury belong.

• His own challenge is:

(Deut. 32:39-41). N.A.S.B.

• A study of the concordance will show that there are more references in scriptures to the anger, fury, and wrath of God, than there are to His love and tenderness.

• Here are some Old Testament references to God's wrath. (Exod. 22:24; Exod. 33:5; Num. 11:1, 10, 33; 12:9; 14:11; 16:20,21; 25:3,4, 11; 32:10-13; Deut. 6:14,15;9:13,18-20; 32:21,22; Josh. 7:1,26; 23:16; Judg.2:12; 3:8; 10:7; 1 Sam. 28:18; 2 Sam. 6:7; 22:8; 1 Kgs. 11:9; 16:7; 2 Kgs. 13:3; 17:18; 22:13; 23:26; Psa. 7:11; 69:24; 74:1; 76:7; 78:21,38, 49,50; 85:3; 90:11; 103:8; 106:23, 29,32; 110:5; Isa. 5:25; Dan. 9:16; Hos. 11:9). 

• Here are some New Testament references to God's wrath. (Matt. 3:7; 22:7,13; Rom. 1:18; 2:5; Eph. 5:6; Col. 3:6; Heb. 3:11; 10:31; Rev. 6:16,17; 14:10,11; 15:1,7; 16:19; 19:15).

1. Some think God's wrath is a manifestation of a moral blemish, but that is far from the truth.

2. God's wrath is a manifestation of His perfect holiness.

• How could a God who is sinless and who detests sin be indifferent or ignore sin?

• How could the One who is pure and lovely, not loathe and hate that which is impure and vile?

• Even sinful men who are prone to rationalize sin and regard it lightly see the need to become angry at some sins.

• Our society winks at some sins.

• It is anxious to punish other sins - robbery, extortion, child abuse, murder, etc.

• It is difficult for us to imagine the great hate and disgust God has for sin.

• We see sin through sinful eyes.

• God sees sin through absolutely pure and sinless Eyes.

3. God's wrath is never triggered by any imperfection on His part, but is always motivated by God's righteous abhorrence of sin.

4. God's wrath is always motivated by God's justice.

• Justice demands that sin be not overlooked.

• Justice demands that sin be punished.

5. How can any person avoid the wrath of God?

• All of us have sinned. (Rom. 3:23).

• None of us are absolutely good. (Rom. 3:10,11).

• We have all gone astray. (Isa. 53:6).

• The answer is found in God's amazing love.

• God gave Jesus to die in our place.

• He suffered for us. (Isa. 53:4-6).

• God's love is manifested to all, and He will save those who accept the atonement He offers In Christ. (Rom. 5:8; Jno. 3:16). 

What Should Be Our Response To God's Wrath?

1. We should thank God for this Divine perfection.

• I am thankful God is a holy God.

• I am thankful God is sinless and hates sin.

• I am thankful God refuses to ignore the heinousness of sin.

2. We should recognize that God is a God of wrath, and we should recognize that God is not partial.

• God will not overlook our sins because we are intelligent, or because we are wealthy, or famous, or because we are good in our own eyes or even in the eyes of others.

• We need to reverence God. (Prov. 1:7).

• We must keep God's commandments. (Eccles. 12:13; Matt. 7:21; Jno. 14:15).

3. We should accept God's atonement.

• None of us will earn salvation.

• None of us can be saved by our own goodness.

• It is imperative that we accept God's grace by coming to Jesus. (Jno. 14:6; Acts 4:12).

4. We should respect God's anger, but should not live in constant terror of God's anger.

• We can have confidence of our salvation. (1 Jno. 5:13).

• This confidence comes from walking in the light and confessing our sins. (1 Jno. 1:7,9).

• Walking is the light is obeying God's commandments. (1 Jno. 2:1-5).

• It is not equivalent to sinlessness. (1 Jno. 1:7,9; 2:1,2).

5. We should faithfully proclaim God's love, and we should just as faithfully proclaim God's wrath.

• It is sad so many preachers and teachers and Christians are embarrassed by God's wrath.

• It is sad so many are so timid when it comes to God's wrath.

• The forerunner of Christ, John the Baptist, warned his hearers to "flee from the wrath to come." (Matt. 3:7).

• Jesus did not hesitate to proclaim God's wrath. (Lk. 12:5; Matt. 25:30,41,46).

• The apostles did not shun the subject of God's wrath. (2 Cor. 5:11).

1. Faithfulness demands that we speak plainly about God's wrath and hell and with the same fervency as we speak of God's love and heaven.

2. Christianity has not grown much in recent decades.

• There are a variety of reasons for this.

• Perhaps one of the greatest reasons is so many teach that God is so loving that He could never punish anyone.

• Yes, God is a God of love, but He is also a God of wrath, and many will be lost because Christians refuse to warn sinners against the wrath of God to come.

• They believe the world is really saved, but the Bible teaches men are really lost.

• Jesus did not come to seek the saved.

• He came to seek the lost. (Lk. 19:10).

• He commanded us to preach the gospel to the world that it might be saved. (Mk. 16:15,16; Matt. 28:18-20).