The reality of wrath

'The wrath of God is like great waters that are damned for the present; they increase more and more and rise higher and higher, till an outlet is given; and the longer the stream is stopped, the more rapid and mighty is its course, when once it is let loose ƒThe bow of God's wrath is bent, and the arrow made ready on the string, and justice bends the arrow at your heart, and strains the bow, and it is nothing but the mere pleasure of God, and that of an angry God without any promise or obligation at all, that keeps the arrow one moment from being made drunk with your blood.'
Jonathan Edwards, 'Sinners in the hands of an angry God'

As 21st-century Christians, what is our immediate reaction to Edwards's famous sermon? Do we see Edwards's sermon as an anachronistic relic which has little relevance in our postmodern context? What is it that we wince at?

One reason for our embarrassment is that modern evangelicalism's 'default setting' is not a context into which Sinners in the hands of an angry God comfortably fits. That God could ever be angry and wrathful towards us is not part of a world that stresses benign love and human potential. In what follows I want briefly to suggest four reasons why I think the doctrine of the wrath of God is vital to our theology, preaching and teaching. Only when we understand the wrath of God will we begin to have a true biblical understanding of God, of humanity, of the gospel and of evangelism. These are timeless truths that transcend all cultures.

GOD

God's wrath has two elements, one negative and one positive. It is both God's personal divine revulsion to evil and also his personal vigorous opposition to it. As Don Carson points out, wrath is not an intrinsic perfection of God (for if there was no sin, there would be no wrath), but a function of something else: God's holiness. The Bible tells us time and again that God cannot look upon sin (Psalm 5.4-6; Habakkuk 1.13); to do so is not just 'unpleasant' or 'unpalatable' for him, but is a contradiction of his nature. If God tolerated sin he would cease to be God, for he would be seen to be morally indifferent, satisfied both with good and evil.

What are the characteristics of this divine wrath? Firstly, it is the opposite of our sinful human displays of anger. It is not fitful or wayward, arbitrary or spasmodic, but principled and controlled and is only aroused by one thing - sin. Secondly, it is personal. Contrary to C.H. Dodd and much modern theological thought, wrath is not a shorthand way for talking about the natural consequences of sin. There is an affective as well an effective element to it. Thirdly it is passionate. The Bible talks about God's wrath in emotive language. Finally, God's wrath is permanent and not spasmodic, and in a sense is entirely predictable. God only acts according to his nature and wherever there is sin there is wrath. Over 580 times the Bible talks about this wrath and its characteristics and it is only by an extraordinary hermeneutic that one is able to de-personalise and de-emotionalise it.

Two applications

I see two applications that flow from this first point.

Firstly, we need to remember who God is (Creator, holy and majestic) and who we are (created, impure and servants) and the difference between the two. Do we always reflect this difference in the way we 'worship'? As Stott points out: 'There is much shallowness and levity among us. Prophets and psalmists would probably say of us that "there is no fear of God before their eyes". In public worship our habit is to slouch or squat, we do not kneel nowadays, let alone prostrate ourselves in humility before God. It does not occur to us that he might send us away.'

Secondly, we need to make sure that we do not tolerate sin in our own lives and in the world around us (1 Peter 1.15). It is so easy to become blase and indifferent to sin. Should not we reflect something of the characteristics of God's holiness, which passionately rejects all evil?

HUMANITY

Superficial diagnoses lead to superficial remedies. Those who care most about finding cures for the most terrible diseases, spend the majority of their time looking in detail at the disease itself. Because we occupy a place in the Bible's history of the world, it is possible for us to see a snapshot of where we are now and the state we are in.

In terms of God's wrath this makes disturbing reading. The Bible diagnoses our human condition and spares us the kind words. We are in a state of disgrace, by our nature we are objects of wrath (Ephesians 2.3); because of our stubbornness and rebellion we are storing up God's wrath (Romans 2.5); if we reject the Son, God's wrath remains on us (John 3.36). In the present we see God's wrath being revealed in many ways. Universal death must be seen 'not as the supreme instance of a cosmic lack of unfairness' but God's sentence against sin (Psalm 90.3-11). We see a creation subjected to universal futility and misery (Romans 8.21). Most terrifying is the sinking degradation of human behaviour that is God 'giving up' humanity - letting men and women go their own way (Romans 1.18-32).

However, despite our terminal state, God in his mercy chooses not to unleash his wrath fully now (Romans 9.22). In the light of God's forbearance we must never enter the trap of thinking that the God of the Old Testament is wrathful but that the God of the New Testament is loving. In both Testaments we see both love and wrath. In the New Testament, there are constant calls for men to repent and so escape the wrath to come (Luke 3.7). There is a day of wrath coming when the world will see a terrible unrestrained display of God's wrath. Everything sinful done now is being stored up for this final day. This is a depressing picture, but we must remember that God is entirely just in his dealings with us and al-though we may presently see a complete disproportionality between evil committed and suffering experienced, we know from the Bible that 'the entire totting up is not yet complete... ultimately justice will be done and will be seen to be done.'

GOSPEL

In Romans 3, Paul shows how the death of Christ deals with the problem of sin. Part of his argument is showing how the cross deals with divine wrath. Paul has already had recourse to mention divine wrath earlier on in his argument (1.18, 2.5, 2.8, 3.5) and in 3.25 he notes that '(God) publicly displayed (Christ Jesus) as a sacrifice which would turn aside his wrath, taking away sin ... to demonstrate his justice'. The point is that we may rightly talk about the cross in terms of redemption, reconciliation, and sacrifice, but unless we talk about propitiation, the appeasing, placating or pacifying of divine wrath, then we have no hope because we are still under God's wrath and without hope. Although the doctrine of propitiation has always been under attack from non-evangelicals (and increasingly from some evangelicals) we must defend it at all costs because, I want to argue, that far from being just another perspective of the work of Christ, it is the defining and primary perspective because it refers to the cross's Godward reference.

In emphasising propitiation we must be careful not to misunderstand or distort the doctrine. Here Stott is excellent in guiding us safely through by asking three questions: Why is propitiation necessary? Who makes the propitiation? What is the propitiatory sacrifice? His conclusion highlights the absolute beauty and perfection of the gospel: 'God himself is at the heart of our answer to all three questions about the divine propitiation. It is God himself who in holy wrath needs to be propitiated, God himself who in holy love undertook to do the propitiating, and God himself who in the person of his Son died for the propitiation of our sins. Thus God took his own loving initiative to appease his own righteous anger by bearing it his own self in his Son when he took our place and died for us.'

So what is the believers' state with regard to wrath? Nothing other than a total transformation. Believers have moved from a state of disgrace into a state of grace. They have been delivered from the coming wrath (1 Thessalonians 1.10, Romans 5.9); they are not appointed unto wrath but unto salvation (1Thessalonians 5.9). Concerning the future pouring of God's wrath believers are safe. Isn't this an amazing truth and a constant source of praise and wonder? Yet ironically, it is only in understanding the depth of our sin and the seriousness of God's wrath against it that we truly understand the depth of God's love and his glorious provision of a remedy. This is good news, this is the gospel, let us do nothing to dilute it.

EVANGELISM

There is an almost surreal part in the film Titanic where the inevitable plight of the indestructible ship has just been revealed to the captain and to us the viewers - it is going down. At this point the camera takes us to the ballroom where there is an amazing party of eating, drinking and merriment. Everyone is oblivious to their plight.

This is the situation we see today, unbelievers going about their daily lives thinking everything is okay, thinking they are indestructible: 'God isn't judging me, I haven't been hit with a thunderbolt yet.' The world seen through the prism of the Word shows a very different analysis, for, in reality, these people are sinking, strangely by 'filling up' with God's wrath. This is why we must urgently tell people of their plight. In our evangelism we sometimes need to do some straight talking and get to the heart of the matter. It is not just trying to get people to talk about what they feel. This is the problem with an appeal to 'felt needs'. Yes, unbelievers lack meaning and purpose in their lives, yes, they are alienated from themselves and society, and yes, they are searching for something. However, to stop here is to only talk about the symptoms rather than getting to the actual problem that condemns us to hell - God's anger towards us. This is revealed truth. This is the 'disease' that needs a cure and in his grace God himself has provided one.

God's righteous wrath and judgement on the world and his provision of a propitiatory sacrifice in Christ Jesus is the heart of the gospel and is wonderful truth. Proclaiming this gospel will lead some to scorn and ridicule us, but we need not be afraid, as we know that we have supernatural help in guarding and proclaiming the good news entrusted to us (2 Timothy 1.13).

Daniel Strange

© Evangelicals Now - May 2003
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