Without a doubt, in the past several weeks we have all been impacted by lifetime season of concern and reaction to an unseen effect on humanity around the world. The respiratory virus that is globally impacting all mankind, with no bias is troubling, to say the least.

There have been reports of loved ones not being able to spend the last few moments with a dying relative. There have been tragedy after tragedy. Not only physical, but financial. There is not one person with us today that has not been impacted by the Covid-19 virus and we are far from the end of the impacts.

During these times, many people, believers and unbelievers, turn to the classic question of “where is God?”. There are angry and scared people that go to the next question “if there is a loving God, how can this happen?’.  As we have learned in our walk with God, He is sovereign, and rules all. God has the power and ability to change anything in an instant. When we don’t seem to experience bliss, we feel like it is not a fair situation. Simple example…

A person needs to get to a very important doctors appointment. The procedure is of such that the person will not be safe to drive home, so the arrange a friend or relative to take them to the doctor’s appointment.  The person shows up on time and the two of them head on out to the doctors office. Along the way the car starts jerking and hesitating. The driver appears to be surprised and does not have an immediate reasoning. Just a few minutes later, the car chugs and makes some great sound and becomes immobile, as the coast to the side of the road.  The sick person is concerned, not so much with the car, but about the probability of not getting to the doctor on time. What is going on. The driver then continues to try to start the car with no success and then begins inspecting the surrounding of the car and under the hood. Comes to find out, there seems to be a major problem, a push rod, is protruding out of the oil pan and a small puddle of oil now gathers under the car.  Many thoughts and emotions stir. The driver is mad that his car has a problem. It is his only car, how is he going to get to work? How is he going to get his car home or to the shop? The ill patient is now concerned that they are not going to get to the doctor. Where is God? They internally think of good and bad and rationalize in their own mind their own personal situation and alignment with God. Some of the first words out of their mouth are typically, “why God?”, “you (God) know I need to get to the doctor”, “what did I do to deserve this”, and then the physical flesh and opposition jump in…. “you know you should not have asked him for a ride”, “if you didn’t try to take him to the doctor and try to look like a good friend, none of this would have happen”. “I should have called someone else”, and the dialog goes on.  Then the drum roll begins and curtain is pulled back… “if there was a good God, He would not have let this happen”.

The situations play out daily, and all of the proceeding situation was a result of the driver not being responsible and checking his oil and experiencing the consequences, meanwhile God is on His throne watching.

What stirs in your mind as you hear this example? Do you have your own example? What questions of you experienced? What is your stance when such situations occur?

In our current season of life there have been many discussions about how God has had enough of his people and now He is taking care of business. That the end is near and that the wrath of God is being unleashed. With this current situation, it has become apparent that it would be good to take this morning and discuss what wrath is and specifically the wrath of God (yes there is such a thing) and how we should know and respond in these times.

What is wrath?

Wrath is defined as “the emotional response to perceived wrong and injustice,” often translated as “anger,” “indignation,” “vexation,” or “irritation.” Both humans and God express wrath. But there is vast difference between the wrath of God and the wrath of man. God’s wrath is holy and always justified; man’s is never holy and rarely justified.  We know that man’s wrath is rooted in sin, but today we need to clarify God’s wrath and how does it relate to us and our lives.

We live in a day where we have set ourselves as the judge and God’s character is on trial. “How can hell be just?” “Why would God command the Israelites to destroy the Canaanites?” “Why does God always seem so angry?”

The fact that so many people struggle with these questions, and many more like them, means that more than ever right thinking is needed about the doctrine of God’s wrath. It is needed for motivation for Christian living, fuel for proper worship, and as a toolbox to confront objections to Christianity. (Yes, there are many proclaiming Christians walking away from God and even more unbelievers denouncing the hope of Jesus).

Biblical Wrath

Old Testament

In the Old Testament, the wrath of God is a divine response to human sin and disobedience. Idolatry was most often the occasion for divine wrath. The wrath of God is consistently directed towards those who do not follow His will. The Old Testament prophets often wrote of a day in the future, the “day of wrath”. God’s wrath against sin and disobedience is perfectly justified because His plan for mankind is holy and perfect, just as God Himself is holy and perfect. God provided a way to gain divine favor—repentance—which turns God’s wrath away from the sinner. To reject that perfect plan is to reject God’s love, mercy, grace and favor and incur His righteous wrath.

Those are all solid truths and many of them are the basis for the people today to say that his Covid-19 virus is from God.

New Testament

The New Testament also supports the concept of God as a God of wrath who judges sin.  Let’s look at an example in the book of Luke.

The Rich Man and Lazarus
¹⁹ “There was a rich man who was clothed in purple and fine linen and who feasted sumptuously every day. ²⁰ And at his gate was laid a poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores, ²¹ who desired to be fed with what fell from the rich man’s table. Moreover, even the dogs came and licked his sores. ²² The poor man died and was carried by the angels to Abraham’s side. The rich man also died and was buried, ²³ and in Hades, being in torment, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham far off and Lazarus at his side. ²⁴ And he called out, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus to dip the end of his finger in water and cool my tongue, for I am in anguish in this flame.’ ²⁵ But Abraham said, ‘Child, remember that you in your lifetime received your good things, and Lazarus in like manner bad things; but now he is comforted here, and you are in anguish. ²⁶ And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been fixed, in order that those who would pass from here to you may not be able, and none may cross from there to us.’ ²⁷ And he said, ‘Then I beg you, father, to send him to my father’s house— ²⁸ for I have five brothers—so that he may warn them, lest they also come into this place of torment.’ ²⁹ But Abraham said, ‘They have Moses and the Prophets; let them hear them.’ ³⁰ And he said, ‘No, father Abraham, but if someone goes to them from the dead, they will repent.’ ³¹ He said to him, ‘If they do not hear Moses and the Prophets, neither will they be convinced if someone should rise from the dead.’ ” – Luke 16:19-31 ESV

The story of the rich man and Lazarus speaks of the judgment of God and serious consequences for the unrepentant sinner.

What are some of your thoughts and insights about God’s wrath and the section on the rich man and Lazarus?

John 3:36 says, “Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God’s wrath remains on Him.” The key that we need to really grasp is the great dividing line that was created when Jesus came. In the Old Testament, there was a continuous situation of sin and works to get right with an angry God. That all the pressure was on man, with the doom and gloom of judgement day.

John 3:16 declares:

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. – John 3:16 ESV

That can be translated that Jesus came and died so we would not have to face God’s wrath as children of God. We don’t get a free ticket to do what we want, but having a true relationship with the Father, gives us peace to know that we will not face His righteous wrath.

There is a very powerful truth in that scripture that is so often taken out of context and manipulated into man’s desires.  It says that out of God’s love for the world he created a way for his children to have eternal life. Eternal life is why Jesus came, to give us the opportunity to live forever and not be separated from God.

It does not say that God send Jesus to the earth to fix the earth. That will come when he returns and creates a new earth. This one will not be fixed. It will be made new.  If we fully understand that Jesus, as part of the trinity if God and came to earth, and he declares to us.

In me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world. – John 16:33 ESV

And yet, the ones he came to save, turned on him and killed Him.  There will be very horrible times on earth before Jesus comes back. But here is the truth that we can have.

⁶ For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. ⁷ For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die— ⁸ but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. ⁹ Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God. ¹⁰ For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life. ¹¹ More than that, we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation. – Romans 5:6-11 ESV

The one who believes in the Son will not suffer God’s wrath for his sin, because the Son took God’s wrath upon Himself when He died in our place on the cross. That is what reconciliation is. Or like the famous song, redeemed.

God’s wrath did not go away when Jesus came and died. It exists and Paul also explains that in Romans chapter 2.

⁵ But because of your hard and impenitent heart you are storing up wrath for yourself on the day of wrath when God’s righteous judgment will be revealed. ⁶ He will render to each one according to his works: ⁷ to those who by patience in well-doing seek for glory and honor and immortality, he will give eternal life; – Romans 2:5-7 ESV

In these times

There are countless stories and factual situations going on that are just tragic. From people boldly saying their God is bigger than any virus and yet being infected and dying. There are heartbreaking stories one after another. This does not mean that this virus is the wrath of God. Let us understand from the truths we covered today. God is not punishing people today.  This is a broken world with tragedy and destruction that is inevitable. This world will be destroyed. In our human attempts to play god, we protect and avoid displeasure, but that actually does not make us god. We just get fooled into believing we have that power, and that goes all the way back to the garden, when the first born were lied to.