Ángel
Manuel Rodríguez
In
some of the answers to biblical questions you've mentioned the wrath
of God. What is that?
Nobody wants to be an object of wrath,
much less of God's wrath. I understand why people feel uneasy about
the subject. Because of the moral and spiritual condition of the
human race we all deserve and are by nature objects of God's wrath
(Eph. 2:3). We live in an age of sentimentalism and permissiveness
that makes
it difficult to accept the reality of the wrath of God. Consequently
some tend to redefine it by emphasizing that God is by nature love
and by implying that God's love and His wrath are incompatible. But
the reality of God's wrath cannot be deleted from the
Scripture. We should keep that in mind when discussing this important
topic.
1. Divine Wrath and Human Anger: Human anger cannot be used as a model
for the interpretation and understanding of God's wrath. Our anger
is irrational and damaging to us and to others. It expresses our lack
of self-control, or our lack of dominion over our emotions, and reveals
our desire to control others at almost any cost. It is an expression
of the damage and unbalance to our inner being caused by sin that make
it impossible for us to co-exist with others in a harmonious relationship.
God's wrath is untouched by sin and, therefore, under the controlling
power of love. It is primarily intended for healing, procuring the restoration of order within His
creation (Heb. 12:6; Rev. 20:15-21:1).
2. God's Wrath and Sin: God's wrath does not appear to be a permanent
attribute of God, that is to say something that by nature constantly
characterizes Him and His actions. Since His wrath is not irrational,
there's always a reason for it or something that provokes it (Deut.
4:24). It is provoked by sin, and it is fundamentally His reaction
to the irrational presence of sin and evil in the life of His creatures
and in the world (Rom. 1:18). Therefore His wrath is momentary, coming
to an end once its good purpose is achieved. Contrast that with His
love that endures forever (Isa. 54:8).
3. God's Wrath Is Eschatological: Since God's wrath is a manifestation
of His willingness to restore the world to order, harmony, and justice,
it is fundamentally an eschatological event (Rom. 2:5; Rev. 16). It
can be properly referred to as God's "strange work" (Isa.
28:21). At that eschatological moment the fullness of God's wrath is revealed
(Rev. 15:1), and everyone will receive it according to their deeds. This is not self-destruction or impersonal
forces acting over sinners and Satan. God is personally involved in
bringing the phenomenon of sin to an end in order
to restore the cosmic harmony He established in the beginning.
4. God's Wrath Within History: Although
fundamentally an eschatological event, His wrath is to some extent
already present in this world (Rom. 1:18). At times it consists in
handing over sinners to the power of evil (verse 28). At other times God directly intervenes and punishes
unrepentant sinners (Gen. 6:17) or removes His controlling power over
nature and the result is destruction and death (Gen. 19:24, 25). Those
historical expressions of God's wrath set limits to the incursion of sin in society or among His people
(Ex. 32:11) and are intended to be redemptive.
5. God's Wrath and Us: God's wrath against human sin reveals
His affective side. It indicates that He takes sinners seriously, that
He does not ignore us even in our rebellion against Him. In other words,
He takes our actions so seriously that by reacting to them
with His wrath He is still showing His willingness to interact with
us. Ignoring people shows disrespect and the absence of love. When
God reacts to our sin, He is clearly telling us that we are important
to Him, that He does not easily give us up, that the relationship is
not yet over. God's love and His wrath are not incompatible.
6. God's Wrath and Salvation: God's wrath is not the inexorable destiny
of sinners unless they so choose. Jesus rescued "us from the coming
wrath" (1 Thess. 1:10, NIV) by taking on
Himself, as our substitute, the law's curse (Gal. 3:13). We, who have
been justified by faith, have been "saved from God's wrath through him!" (Rom. 5:9, NIV). Because
of Christ we are no longer children of wrath. Praise the Lord!
8/12/04
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