Why Contend for the Wrath of God?

                I kinda feel as though I may have done a bad thing when I posted my article entitled What is Love? I made the argument that, if God is love, and God is a God of wrath, righteousness, justice, sovereign election and selective grace, then all of these attributes must be part and partial of the way in which God shows His love for His creation. In making this argument, I failed to explain to you why it is so important that we contend for the doctrine of God’s wrath.

                This post, I hope, will serve as a point of clarification on the why question. In it, I hope to point out just why God has chosen to reveal Himself to us as being the essence and source of all that is truly love while also revealing Himself to us as a God of wrath, righteousness, justice, sovereign election and selective grace. Also, I hope to answer the question, “Is the doctrine of God’s wrath really essential to understaning God’s love?”

"Downtown" Leon Brown Shares Gospel

 

Big Question: Why contend for God’s wrath?

 

Answer #1: It is in the Bible.

 

            Chapter One of the Westminster Confession of Faith is entitled Of the Holy Scripture. The first line in this chapter reads; “Although the light of nature, and the works of creation and providence do so far manifest the goodness, wisdom, and power of God, as to leave men unexcusable; yet are they not sufficient to give that knowledge of God, and of His will, which is necessary unto salvation.” That is to say that natural revelation reveals enough about God to condemn mankind, but not to save him.

            But what saves, mankind, according to the scriptures? Faith. And “faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.” (Rom 10:17) Thus, the word of God (the entire word of God) is sufficient, and necessary, for salvation. (2Tim 3:10-16) This is to say that we must believe that the entirity of the Bible (in its original form) is the true and unadulterated word of God. As such, we must believe what God has revealed about Himself in order to follow the path that He has laid for us.

            One major part of that revelation is the wrath of God. Note that, before speaking of God’s love, grace, mercy, long-suffering, goodness, truth, forgiveness and rewards, the Westminster Confession says, “There is but one only, living, and true God, who is infinite in being and perfection, a most pure spirit, invisible, without body, parts, or passions; immutable, immense, eternal, incomprehensible, almighty, most wise, most holy, most free, most absolute; working all things according to the counsel of His own immutable and most righteous will, for His own glory…”

            This is only compounded by the fact that, directly following the section where God’s love, grace, mercy, long-suffering, goodness, truth, forgiveness and rewards are mentioned, it says that God is “withal, most just, and terrible in His judgments, hating all sin, and who will by no means clear the guilty.” (Ex 34:7; Num 14:18; Nah 1:3) My point is not to draw our focus away from what the Bible says about God’s love and mercy, but to give us a context in which we might understand God’s love and mercy better. For a copy of the Westminster Confession, with scriptural evidences, check out reformed.org.

 

Big Question: Why contend for God’s wrath?

 

Answer #2: It is what we deserve.

 

            By appealing to the natural revelation of God, the Westminster Confession points us to a universal truth; that we, as human beings created in the image of God (Gen 1:27), have the condemning law of God written on our hearts. Each one of us has been given a conscience. Each one of us is to obey a that conscience. Therefore, Paul is right when he says that a man comes under the law when he, by nature does that which is commanded by the law. We know, from birth, what is right, though we do not act upon it (Rom 2:14&15).

            It is because of this that, when we stand before God, on judgment day, He must judge us. If we are not judged by Him with a standard of complete perfection, how can He by any means be considered eternally holy, just and true? If we have sinned against the One that can, from eternity be aptly labeled holy, just and true, do we not deserve to have an eternity of His wrath poured out on our souls? When approaching God, we must have a perspective which elevates Him and puts us on our faces. We must have the right perspective.

 

Big Question: Why contend for God’s wrath?

 

Answer #3: It provides a context for God’s mercy and grace.

 

            When God punishes sinners, He is doing what is just. Thus, if He were to forgive sinners, without any payment for sins, He would be unjust (Prov 17:15). We know God to be just and not unjust. Therefore, we must conclude that there has been a payment for the sins of humanity in order that any would be saved from the wrath of God. The problem is, man cannot, in his sinfulness, pay for the sins of mankind. Why? Because God requires a spotless Lamb (Ex 12:1-13; Heb 9:13&14).

            There had to be One who was holy, just and true to pay the penalty for sins, lest we be left for dead. There had to be One who was able to defeat the grave in order that we weak human beings would be able to escape its grasp. The only One that was capable of such a feat as this was our Lord, Jesus Christ. God Himself paid for the sins of the world so that He would not have to visit His wrath upon us (Heb 2:17). This is the context of which we understand His grace, love, mercy, forgiveness, long-suffering and rewards. Without God’s wrath, we have no context for His mercy. We have no context for His love.

            This is so that, when we look to the cross, we see the right of God to judge us, but the mercy that He has demonstrated on our behalf by sending His Son to die for us “while we were yet sinners” (Rom 5:8). For some, this is foolishness, but for others, it is the Living Water which soothes the soul. It is this love that was demonstrated for us that drives us to repent (that is, turn from) of our sins and place our faith in Jesus Christ, without which we cannot be saved (Acts 5:31; 11:18; 16:31). Thus, we can sing, in exceeding gladness, with the saints of old,

 

“Jesus paid it all.

All to Him I owe.

Sin had left a crimson stain.

He washed it white as snow.”

 

Big Question: Why contend for God’s wrath?

 

Answer #4: It glorifies God.

 

            Ultimately, as with all things, the end state for which God has sovereignly chosen to demonstrate His love for us in such a way is so that He could be glorified in it (Rom 5:2; 2Cor 4:6; Phil 2:9-11). So that through the means and the end, He would receive glory for His sovereign choice. Would you have done it differently? Perhaps. But then, you would still be human, and He is still God. That’s all I got for now. Talk at ya later.

 

In Christ,

Billy.