No one takes the wrath of God seriously any more.
On the one hand there are people who go about living their lives as if there were no end to life. “Eat, drink, be merry!” Chase every pleasure! Go after every gain! Whatever makes you happy, pursue it, because life is short.
On the other hand there are people like Pat Robertson who see God’s wrath everywhere. The tsunami a few years ago – that was punishment on a Muslim nation. September 11 was punishment for a wicked and greedy city. Hurricane Katrina he says was punishment for the sexually perverse behavior of New Orleans. The 7.0 earthquake in Haiti was God’s wrath because they sold themselves to the devil.
On the one hand God’s wrath tragically ignored, on the other it’s made a farce.
God’s wrath is real. It is devastating. But God’s wrath is not toward people. God’s wrath is poured out on sin. In God’s holiness he cannot tolerate sin. But he never stops loving the sinner. In God’s justice he cannot ignore the breaking of the Law. But he never stops loving Law breakers. He will not leave the wickedness of the world unpunished, but he also will never stop blessing the wicked and righteous alike.
So how does God solve these seemingly opposite needs? He punishes sin in one man; the Man, Jesus. Jesus stands as all of humanity boiled down to one. Just as our first father Adam stood as all of mankind, and when he rebelled against God it affected everyone, Jesus stands as all of mankind, and his obedience affects everyone.
And the wrath of God? Jesus took it. When he hung on the cross Jesus took all of our sin and God poured out all his wrath on it. “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” he cried from the cross. Jesus was experiencing the total outpouring of God’s wrath.
I’ve been told, “Pastor, you talk too much about sin and forgiveness. I don’t like it when you talk about Jesus on the cross. It makes me sad.” I can’t help it. I am absolutely in awe that Jesus loves me so much that he would do that for me. As I read the Bible, everything revolves around this message.
But here is something else that is wonderful that Paul raises for us in Romans 5. Check out v. 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.” God took the wrath away in Jesus’ death, but Jesus didn’t stay dead! His very life is our salvation and it transforms us to be vessels of hope as we walk through this world of suffering. “God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.”
In a world of sorrow and affliction, God does not want to pour our wrath. He already did that on Jesus. He pours out love. And he does that through us.
Father, thank you for your unfailing love. Even when we don’t deserve love and blessings you give them, even in the midst of tragedy. We don’t always understand how that can be or why things happen, but we ask that you help us to trust you and point people to your faithfulness so that they can experience your love and salvation through Jesus. Amen.
On the one hand there are people who go about living their lives as if there were no end to life. “Eat, drink, be merry!” Chase every pleasure! Go after every gain! Whatever makes you happy, pursue it, because life is short.
On the other hand there are people like Pat Robertson who see God’s wrath everywhere. The tsunami a few years ago – that was punishment on a Muslim nation. September 11 was punishment for a wicked and greedy city. Hurricane Katrina he says was punishment for the sexually perverse behavior of New Orleans. The 7.0 earthquake in Haiti was God’s wrath because they sold themselves to the devil.
On the one hand God’s wrath tragically ignored, on the other it’s made a farce.
God’s wrath is real. It is devastating. But God’s wrath is not toward people. God’s wrath is poured out on sin. In God’s holiness he cannot tolerate sin. But he never stops loving the sinner. In God’s justice he cannot ignore the breaking of the Law. But he never stops loving Law breakers. He will not leave the wickedness of the world unpunished, but he also will never stop blessing the wicked and righteous alike.
So how does God solve these seemingly opposite needs? He punishes sin in one man; the Man, Jesus. Jesus stands as all of humanity boiled down to one. Just as our first father Adam stood as all of mankind, and when he rebelled against God it affected everyone, Jesus stands as all of mankind, and his obedience affects everyone.
And the wrath of God? Jesus took it. When he hung on the cross Jesus took all of our sin and God poured out all his wrath on it. “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” he cried from the cross. Jesus was experiencing the total outpouring of God’s wrath.
I’ve been told, “Pastor, you talk too much about sin and forgiveness. I don’t like it when you talk about Jesus on the cross. It makes me sad.” I can’t help it. I am absolutely in awe that Jesus loves me so much that he would do that for me. As I read the Bible, everything revolves around this message.
But here is something else that is wonderful that Paul raises for us in Romans 5. Check out v. 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.” God took the wrath away in Jesus’ death, but Jesus didn’t stay dead! His very life is our salvation and it transforms us to be vessels of hope as we walk through this world of suffering. “God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.”
In a world of sorrow and affliction, God does not want to pour our wrath. He already did that on Jesus. He pours out love. And he does that through us.
Father, thank you for your unfailing love. Even when we don’t deserve love and blessings you give them, even in the midst of tragedy. We don’t always understand how that can be or why things happen, but we ask that you help us to trust you and point people to your faithfulness so that they can experience your love and salvation through Jesus. Amen.
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