PART 2 GOD'S WRATH
 

Object Of Wrath, Or Object Of Mercy And Glory?
John 3:36 "Whoever puts his faith in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see that life, for God's wrath remains on him."

Rom 2:6-11 He will "render to every man according to his works", and that means eternal life to those who, in patiently doing good, aim at the unseen glory and honor of the eternal world. It also means anger and wrath for those who rebel against God's plan of life, and refuse to obey his rules, and who, in so doing, make themselves the very servants of evil. Yes, it means bitter pain and agony for every human soul who works on the side of evil... But there is glory and honor and peace for every worker on the side of good...

Rom 9:22-24 What if God, choosing to show his wrath and make his power known, bore with great patience the objects of his wrath--prepared for destruction? What if he did this to make the riches of his glory known to the objects of his mercy, whom he prepared in advance for glory--even us, whom he also called...

Rom 11:22 Consider therefore the kindness and sternness of God: sternness to those who fell, but kindness to you, provided you continue in his kindness. Otherwise, you also will be cut off.

1 Thes 5:9 For God did not appoint us to suffer wrath but to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ.

Paid In Full For The Chosen Few
Luke 13:23 Someone asked him, "Lord, are only a few people going to be saved?"

Mat 7:14 "Enter in through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow is the road that leads to life, and only a few find it."

Some people have a problem with this. It doesn't seem fair that most people are "objects of wrath", headed for eternal punishment just because they don't "love the truth" and follow Christ. How can God be fair and condemn the majority of humanity to hell?

Is God's Wrath Fair?
Jer 21:14 "I will punish you as your deeds deserve, declares the Lord."

Rom 3:5 But if our unrighteousness brings out God's righteousness more clearly, what shall we say? That God is unjust in bringing his wrath on us? (I am using a human argument.)

The only really unfair thing is that any of us should be saved at all! How does God "get away with" singling a few of us out, paying for our sins, giving us His Holy Spirit, rescuing us from our evil "bent"? Now that's a mystery worth pondering!
Lam 3:39 Why should any living man complain when punished for his sins?

Is God's wrath fair? Yes: we, all of us, deserve it. Is salvation fair? No: none of us deserve it. It is God's free gift: unexplainable, unmerited, "unfair" if you like, that God should make any escape available to anyone.

A Temporary Stasis, An Incredible Opportunity To Repent
Rom 2:4-5 Are you, perhaps, misinterpreting God's generosity and patient mercy towards you as weakness on his part? Don't you realize that God's kindness is meant to lead you to repentance? Or are you by your obstinate refusal to repent simply storing up for yourself an experience of the wrath of God in the day of his anger when he shows his hand in righteous judgment?

Eph 2:1-5 You were spiritually dead through your sins and failures, all the time you followed this world's ideas of living, and obeyed the evil ruler of the spiritual realm--who is indeed fully operative today in those who disobey God. We all lived like that in the past, and followed the desires and imaginings of our lower natures, being in fact under the wrath of God by nature, like everyone else. But even though we were dead in our sins God, who is rich in mercy, because of the great love he had for us, gave us life together with Christ--it is, remember, by grace that you are saved.

Rom 5:9 Having died to make us righteous, is it likely that he would now fail to save us from God's anger?

Rom 6:23 For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

All of us have earned our "wages", but God has cleared the account for a few of us. It doesn't seem fair, but it is very "good news".

Rom 11:22 You must try to appreciate both the kindness and the strict justice of God. Those who fell experienced the justice, while you are experiencing his kindness, and will continue to do so as long as you do not abuse that kindness...

That we will escape is cause for great joy... and also for sober reflection when those who sin against us "get what they deserve". We should forgive and pray for those who sin against us while we can, and they may yet repent and escape the coming wrath if they see us standing in the "unfair" position of grace through faith.

Undeserved Suffering

Undeserved blessing is always welcome. But undeserved suffering? Yet think about the situation we are in: since we are "in Christ", we are free from God's eternal and consuming wrath. We are just as deserving as those who will receive it, but we will be treated differently. So we can afford to suffer a bit now, and share in "the life of Christ", because we know what will happen later.
Rom 12:19 Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God's wrath.

How does this knowledge make it easier to "turn the other cheek"? It is to realize that we do not have to get back at anybody. God's wrath is being "stored up", and His anger and fury are about to be revealed.
2 Thes 1:5-8 See how justly the judgment of God works out! He intends to use your suffering to prove you worthy of his kingdom. For God's justice will repay trouble to those who have troubled you, and give relief to all of us who, like you, have suffered. This judgment will issue in the final appearance of the Lord Jesus from heaven with the angels of his power. He will bring full justice in dazzling flame upon those who have refused to recognize God or to obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus.

Gen 6:3 Then the Lord said, "My Spirit shall not strive with man forever."

Are You Ready For The Day Of God's Wrath?
2 Thes 1:9-11 Their punishment will be eternal loss--exclusions from the radiance of the face of the Lord, and the glorious majesty of his power. But to those whom he has made holy, his coming will mean splendour unimaginable. It will be a breath-taking wonder to all who believe--including you, for you have believed the message that we have given you. In view of this, we pray for you constantly, that God will count you worthy of his calling, and by his power may fulfill all your good intentions and every effort of faith.


God can hardly be criticized for giving people what they deserve, especially after telling us in advance again and again and again what the finale of history will be. If God is "un-fair", it is to a small minority who are spared from what we deserve. This is all the more reason to join that select group by taking advantage of the opportunity to repent... today!
2 Cor 13:5 Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves

But I Said A Prayer!
James 2:14Now what use is it, my brothers, for a man to say he "has faith" if his actions do not correspond with it? Could that sort of faith save anyone's soul?

Eph 5:6 Do not let anyone deceive you with empty arguments: it is for this loose living that God's wrath comes down on those who rebel against him. Make sure you are not included with them.