08-24-08 Sermon Review

The Wonderful Wrath of God
John 3:36

We come today upon a topic that is nto very popular in America: the Wrath of God. Many pulpits have abandoned even the thought of it. To be honest, I would not want to speaking on this either. The topic is not very welcome, and I experienced that first-hand when sharing the gospel with people on the UC Berkeley campus. Still, I would be doing you a disfavor and robbing God's glory if I skip over this topic. Now, I know that to some of you, the idea that God is angry is repulsive. So before I got in depth, let me first remind you that the wrath of God is an aspect of God's nature. It is like a face of a diamond, whose reflection works together with the others to bring forth the diamond's brilliance. God's love, God's kindness, God's mercy, all of God's attribute can not be fully appreciated and enjoyed if we ignore God's wrath. Secondly, we must remember that God's wrath is different from human wrath. With that said, let us delve into this heavy subject and see what the Bible affirms for us today about God's wrath.

Wrath that is Divine - The Bible speaks unapologetically of the source of wrath - God. There is a mountain of passages that affirm this. Just search "wrath" on Biblegateway.com and see how passages pop up. It is unquestionable, the wrath that we face as sinners is the wrath of God. Thoguh many Christians feel ashamed to speak of God's wrath or even try to assure the unbelieving that God is nor a God of wrath, God is unashamed of His wrath and clearly reveals it to the world. Many have tried to explain away the wrath of God as anthropomorphism (i.e. God is not really angry, but human expressions are used simply to describe). But one must ask, "What about the love of God? Is that anthropomorphic as well? And what of the actual instances where God revealed His wrath not with words but with judgment?" Another explanation some give is that God was a God of wrath, but now in the New Testament, God is a God of love. Now, think about that for a second. Did God evolve? It is absrud to think that God goes through changes, especially God who is perfect and claims that He is the same yesterday, today, and forever. The statement is also very misleading. The New Testament is even more so clear abotu God's wrath than the Old Testament. Take Revelations for example. No one can read that and say God is not a God of wrath. Someone who says that he can not believe in a God of wrath tells us more about himself than what he believes about God.

Wrath that is Just - The Bible speaks consistently of the righteous aspect of God's wrath. God's wrath is so righteous, that when facing His judgment, the sinner can only say that he deserves it. It is so righteous that the angels glorify God for unleashing His wrath on those He wills (Revelations 16:4-6). It is so righteous that the martyrs cry out for God to unleash God's wrath on those who have slain His people (Revelations 6:10). It is so righteous that Christians are commanded to leave room for the wrath of God (Romans 12:19). It is so righteous that the saints will rejoice when God lays down His judgment (Psalm 58:10). No sinner in hell will ever comlpain of what he has received. While our anger flows from our pride, God's anger flows from His holiness and righteousness. John MAcarthur so insightfully states, "God could not be a God and be holy and be wholly good if He didn't react to evil... You cannot be holy and tolerate unholiness."

Wrath that is Dreadful - The Bible speaks boldly of the terror of God's wrath. It is amazing to see how bold men are to challenge the wrath of God. Revelation 19:11-16 gives us a picture of God's wrath. Jonathan Edwards in his famous sermon Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God writes, "The words are exceedingly terrible. If it had only been said, 'the wrath of God,' the wrods would have implied that which is infinitely dreadful: but it is the 'fury of the wrath of God.' The fury of God! The fierceness of Jehovah! Oh how dreadful that must be! Who can utter or conceive what such expressions carry in them?" Some of the most horrifying statements in the Bible are reserved for God's judgment. The examples that Scripture gives are both terrifying and sobering.

Wrath that is Eternal - The Bible speaks clearly of the eternal nature of God's wrath. For how long will God be angry with sinners? Forever... period. Annihilationism, a belief that God onyl punishes souls for a certain time and then removes them from existence, has been welcomed in many churches, but the doctrine does not stand up to biblical evidence. Daniel 12:2 clearly states that "Many of those who sleep in the dust of the ground will awake, these to everlasting life, but the others to disgrace and everlasting contempt." The Bible time and time again makes it very clear that hell is eternal. How can we explain this? Why must God punish for all eternity. God is an infinitely lovely God. A sin against an infinitely lovely and deserving being can only be recompensed with an infinite punishment. The great mind Jonathan Edwards reasoned thus, and it makes sense for those who have a high view of God's worth.

Wrath that is Escapable - The Bible speaks graciously of the salvation from God's wrath. Oh teh joy of knowing that the end of the story isn't after my fourth! How gracious of God to provide a way of escape! But notice, not all will escape. Many will choose their own sins over God and endure the wrath of God. Soul, if you are clinging to your sins, remember the wrath of God that is upon you and flee to Christ. God's wrath upon you was put upon Christ. Macarthur states, "And above all, I believe the greatest demonstration of the wrath of God ever given was given on Calvary's cross. God hates so deeply that He actually allowed His own Son to be put to death.. He would not hold it back even from His own son. That's how He hated sin." Or as the Apostle puts it, "He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him over for us all" (Romans 8:32).

The wrath of God is very real. It looms over our heads and upon all the wickedness in the world. God has been very patient with us. He lets the sun shine on the righteous and the wicked. He lets all people enjoy the pleasures of life. We must stand amazed at this, but we must also recognize that His mercy will one day stop, and His righteous wrath will be unleashed. I want to leave you with this thought: Apostle Paul described God as "Him who justifies the ungodly" (Romans 4:5). The God who so hates evil, who must punish evil, who cringes at evil, He gave up His one and only Son so that He might justify the ungodly. Do not make sport of God's love on the cross. Embrace it and thank Him for such amazing mercy. May God be gracious to you and allow you to do so. Stay strong and God bless.