Blogging BCM: God's Wrath

Last night Dan talked about God's wrath and the many parts of Scripture that speak to that subject. In this post, I want to dig deeper and gain an understanding of why it is imperative that we come to study and accept this prevalent attribute of God. In an introduction to an article on Biblical Doctrine in the ESV Study Bible, Erik Thoennes writes:

The study of theology is considered by many to be dry, boring, irrelevant, and complicated. But for those who want to know God, the study of theology is indispensable. The word “theology” comes from two Greek words, theos (“God”) and logos (“word”). The study of theology is an effort to make definitive statements about God and his implications in an accurate, coherent, relevant way, based on God's self-revelations. Doctrine equips people to fulfill their primary purpose, which is to glorify and delight in God through a deep personal knowledge of him [refer to Ephesians 1:9-11]. Meaningful relationship with God is dependent on correct knowledge of him.

Any theological system that distinguishes between “rational propositions about God” and “a personal relationship with God” fails to see this necessary connection between love and knowledge. The capacity to love, enjoy, and tell others about a person is increased by greater knowledge of that person. Love and knowledge go hand in hand. Good lovers are students of the beloved. Knowledge of God is the goal of theology.

Knowledge without devotion is cold, dead orthodoxy. Devotion without knowledge is irrational instability. But true knowledge of God includes understanding everything from his perspective. Theology is learning to think God's thoughts after him. It is to learn what God loves and hates, and to see, hear, think, and act the way he does. Knowing how God thinks is the first step in becoming godly.

You may be wondering, how does theology or being theologically minded have anything to do with God's wrath? If we as Christians are on a path to godliness and striving to be more and more like Christ, we must start by striving to understand how God thinks. We must, as Thoennes writes, strive "to learn what God loves and hates" and by studying His attributes to begin "to see, hear, and think and act the way he does." If we want to grow closer to God, it is imperative in our walk to study His attributes. Where we study His attributes is in His Word. God's Word is the place we go to gain knowledge and understanding of the things of God. In order to understand His wrath, we must go to His Word. One Scripture in particular that stood out to me last night was Romans 1:18, 24-25. It is this Scripture that I want to focus on to help us to understand this idea of wrath from God's perspective. It reads:

For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth.

Therefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, to the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves, because they exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever! Amen.

These w=Words have an inherent message; they are filled with meaning. They are the Words of God Himself explaining His wrath. Read these verses again. They blatantly state what God's wrath and its prevalence in this world. God's wrath...His righteous anger...is cast upon all ungodliness and unrighteousness. By being ungodly and unrighteous we are suppressing His truth. Because of His holiness, His wrath is default, and His mercy through Christ gives us exemption. So how does God show His wrath? Does God just get angry and kill everyone? NO! God gives man over to the lusts of their hearts...their desires. Why does He do this? Because they are not doing the one thing He created us for...to glorify Him. Those who bear the wrath of God are those who buy into the lies of Satan. Those who decide to glorify things of this world rather than the one Being that created it.

When we as Christians begin to study who He really is and recognize His undeniable traits exposed in Scripture, we will then begin to grow closer to Him. When we realize that the wrath of God is real and is present in the very world we live in today, we will be so struck with fear and humility that we will strive to not love this world and the things in it. We must fight the sin of worldliness. We must realize and understand that God's wrath is present around us. We must study and strive to understand God and who He is, for when we do this, we grow in godliness and grow farther from this world.

Questions to think about regarding God's wrath throughout your personal devotions this week:

1. Study Romans 1:18-25 and 1 John 2:15. How do these two passages relate to each other? How does God's wrath relate to the sin of worldliness?

2. In what ways is God's wrath displayed in the world around us?

3. How can you strive to work at understanding and learning more about God, so that you can grow more in godliness and less in the world?

If you have any questions regarding God's wrath, worldliness or anything else, do not hesitate to talk to Tim, Dan, myself or any of the leadership.