Soli Deo Gloria: For the Glory of God Alone

The Messenger, August 18, 2011
The Wrath of God
 By ZACH BUCKLAND
Special to The Messenger.
How many times during the past year did you hear, or, if you are a minister, did you preach, a sermon on the wrath of God? It is sad to find so many professing Christians who appear to regard the wrath of God as something for which they need to make an apology, or at least they wish there was no such thing. Some, perhaps, may view God’s wrath as a blemish on the Divine character. However, when we turn to the Scriptures we see that those who hold that point of view are grossly mistaken.
One of the most striking things about the Bible is the vigor with which both Testaments emphasize the reality and terror of God’s wrath. The wrath of God is as much a divine perfection as His faithfulness, power or mercy. This must be the case because there is not the slightest defect in the character of God.
So how do we understand the wrath of God?
“God’s wrath in the Bible is never the capricious, self-indulgent, irritable, morally ignoble thing that human anger so often is. It is instead a right necessary reaction to objective moral evil,” says J.I. Packer in his book “Knowing God.”  God’s wrath is His eternal detestation of all unrighteousness. As a reaction to sin, wrath is an expression of his justice.
“The day of God’s wrath,” Paul tells us in Romans 2:5-6, is also the day “when his righteous judgment will be revealed. God will give to each according to what he has done.”
God is constantly revealing His wrath in the world around us.  
“For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth.” (Romans 1:18) Everywhere, Christians observe a pattern of degeneration — from knowledge of God to worship of that which is not God, and from idolatry to immorality of an ever grosser sort. In this decline we are to recognize the present action of divine wrath in a process of judicial hardening, where people are given up to their own corrupt preferences, putting into practice the lusts of their sinful hearts.
The Psalmist asked the question: “If the Lord marks iniquity, who should stand?”
This is obviously a rhetorical query, and the answer is clearly “No one.”
So how can we be delivered from this awful wrath? Simply put: by grace through faith. If we are Christ’s, through faith, then we are justified through His cross, and the wrath of God will never touch us, neither here nor hereafter.  
“God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Since, therefore we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God.” (Romans 5:8-9)
A.W. Pink writes concerning the wrath of God:  “The wrath of God is a perfection of the divine character on which we need to meditate frequently. First, that our hearts may be duly impressed by God’s detestation of sin. The more we study and ponder God’s abhorrence of sin and His frightful vengeance upon it, the more likely are we to realize its heinousness. Second, to beget a true fear in our souls for God. We cannot serve Him acceptably unless there is due reverence for His awful Majesty and godly fear of his righteous anger, and these are best promoted by frequent calling to mind that our God is a consuming fire. Third, to draw out our soul in fervent praise to Jesus Christ for having delivered us from the wrath to come. Our readiness or our reluctancy to meditate upon the wrath of God becomes a sure test of how our hearts really stand affected towards Him.”  (The Attributes of God)
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Editor’s note: :  Zach Buckland and his family attend Grace Presbyterian Church (PCA) in Troy.

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