THE WRATH OF GOD
The Wrath of God is not something you readily hear talked about a lot. It’s taboo.
Mainly because it seems so scary, judgmental, archaic, and not to mention cruel.
The total annihilation of humanity just doesn’t seem to draw many people.
People want a good love story, right? Happy ending and all that.
We have been led to believe that the Wrath story is anything but a Love story.
More like rage & destruction. God gets P.O.’d and he obliterates everyone.
God is depicted as this violent tempered dad, who beats his kids for every mistake.
Consensus is, God is waiting till we mess up, so he can send us straight to hell.
Some have likely heard those hellfire and brimstone messages about his wrath.
We have all done something wrong in life. I know I have!
God has plenty of opportunities to send me to hell every day. If that were the goal.
Could it be we could use more clarity on this subject? I think so.
How could a loving God get so furious that he wants us dead?
We need to understand the definition of wrath. Human wrath vs. God’s wrath
Human wrath is when we go berserk, nutzo, crazy, koo koo, and freak out!
Many picture the God of All Creation as a pantheon god. Like Ares, god of rage.
Looking to smite someone with a thunder bolt from Zeus!
Unfortunately, some use the “Wrath story” to frighten folks into a commitment.
God’s wrath isn’t, uncontrolled rage, vindictive, retaliatory, or quick tempered.
In fact, it is said many times that he is slow to anger, and never loses him temper.
One synonym for wrath is acrimony. Angered from an argument have bad feelings.
God’s wrath is like acrimony. I recently shared that God has a heart with feelings.
He’s hurt when we reject him. Ok. So, that’s when he throws a lightning bolt? No!
Isn’t that a character flaw in God? How is that consistent with a loving God?
Great questions. Let me explain further. God’s Wrath is about Love.
God loves us greatly. When we receive him, we are surrounded by his love.
When we reject him, he walks away for a time because he is hurt.
Love is God’s presence manifested. Wrath is God’s absence manifested.
His love for us doesn’t allow him to stay angry at us, nor stay away from us.
He returns to us, and we are surrounded by his love again, and wrath is no more.
I am not minimizing God’s wrath; I am attempting to clarify it.
Wrath is not God punishing us, it is the consequences of our rejection of him.
Only those who put God out of their life, experienced wrath.
God repents for leaving for us, just like he did with Noah and the flood.
This reminds me of my childhood. Mother would be angry, but still buy us a toy.
In the spirit of love, God and Jesus had a plan to not look double minded, flip flop.
Jesus agreed, to feel all God’s absence/wrath, at one time for us, on Golgotha.
Thank you, Jesus!
This is a Thompson Truth.
