We often, rightly focus on the love of God. It is central to who He is and central to our understanding of the very meaning of life. For practical, life-transforming insights into this amazing theme, take a look at Ulrike Hunt’s blog ‘If God is Love’.
But what about the wrath of God? It’s a common theme in the Old Testament and often referred to in the New, and by Jesus Himself. The fact that the subject has been caricatured by non-believers and abused by some evangelists is no reason to ignore a significant part of scripture. So let’s take a ‘Thinking Allowed’ tour of God’s anger!
Why is God angry?
Let’s face it, God had no reason to create a universe. Father, Son & Holy Spirit were already in an indescribably wonderful relationship that can only be described as ‘Love’. Perfect, wholesome, joyful, unbridled, untainted, eternal love. The purpose of creation, the only possible motive for creation is to extend that love. To create those who could receive and freely give of that same love.
But what a risk to take! Love ‘does not insist on its own way’ it has to give choice. Which means we can choose not to receive that love, or having received it, not to share it, either of which will bring distress to God’s heart. The act of creating those who can be loved makes the creator vulnerable to hurt. For us to knowingly choose to reject this offer of life and love inevitably brings great sadness, more, it would evoke a reasonable anger. ‘I took the risk of spoiling perfection for your sake, in order to bring you joy and wonder and love and peace. Yet you rejected it, and for what?’. But of course it goes so much further than this. In the light of our rejection, God does the extraordinary. He puts this reasonable anger on hold and the Son comes and suffers the consequences of our disastrous choices in order to break open a way back.
But what a risk to take! Love ‘does not insist on its own way’ it has to give choice. Which means we can choose not to receive that love, or having received it, not to share it, either of which will bring distress to God’s heart. The act of creating those who can be loved makes the creator vulnerable to hurt. For us to knowingly choose to reject this offer of life and love inevitably brings great sadness, more, it would evoke a reasonable anger. ‘I took the risk of spoiling perfection for your sake, in order to bring you joy and wonder and love and peace. Yet you rejected it, and for what?’. But of course it goes so much further than this. In the light of our rejection, God does the extraordinary. He puts this reasonable anger on hold and the Son comes and suffers the consequences of our disastrous choices in order to break open a way back.
Let’s spell that out. In spite of His reasonable anger at our choice, He responds, not out of anger, but out of a hope motivated by love. The Son, rather than staying in the perfection of this triune relationship instead offers to come and live as one of us. The Spirit, Holy-Spirit, offers to come and live in the lives of those who are still making those un-godly choices. The Father agrees to omnipotently restrain His anger even when His son is killed by those he came to rescue. In response to our utter folly, God holds nothing back, He gives up all he had in order to break open a way for us nevertheless to enjoy all He had planned for us. No wonder God then asks ‘Who shall escape if they reject so great a salvation?’
Who Is God Angry With?
Some Angels
God created us to be His bride, he created angels to win us to Himself. (click here to see a post on this). Some of these angels, rather than winning us to God, chose instead to be god to mankind, luring us away from Him to themselves, usurping the authority God had given us along the way. The bridegroom rapes the bride. God is angry at these angels who deliberately, knowingly, selfishly abused the very ones He had taken the risk of creating. Hell was created for such as these. God is an angry God.
Some non-believers
Some of the people God created have received enough light about himself that they could reasonably be expected to have enquired about the one who made them. Some have heard specifically, some have seen him, reflected in his living witnesses. Yet despite this they have failed to ask, failed to seek; chosen instead the ease and comfort of the unfairly distributed things of this life, rather than pursue the source of life Himself. God’s anger rails against these. He did not hesitate to give himself for them, but they choose the things of death and corruption rather than His precious, crucified son. ‘How shall we escape, if we neglect so great a salvation?’
Some believers
Some believers
Then there is the church. What of us, who have received the light, tasted the first-fruit of salvation, eternal life? What if we then sit back and respond, not out of wholehearted gratitude to the overwhelming love given to us, but out of short-term self-interest? What if we who know fully what Christ has given for us, nevertheless choose comfort and security and the immediate pleasures of this world? What wrath, what anger must surely await us?
Whilst the hungry die, the homeless shiver, the bereaved weep – we who have received true sustenance, true shelter, true life seek ourselves first rather than the kingdom. What judgment, what wrath must be reserved for us? Whilst the Christ runs from heaven’s home to earth and a cross, for fear of our own future, we hesitate to open our purse to the poor. Whilst the Almighty Father chooses powerlessness in the face of His son’s cross, we trust in the security of money. In the light of an all-giving God, we hold back. For the sake of embarrassment, we do not speak of God’s love.Whilst the Spirit grieves at every ungodly choice, we carelessly allow others to die.
We who know the truth, who can read Ezekiel 33, are utterly without excuse.Why in the ‘good news’ of the Gospels does Jesus speak of hell only to the disciples? For whom is God’s anger most reasonably reserved?
Awake my soul
God is love, that is why we can be saved. The cross means that God's anger can be dealt with and He alone has the full perspective to judge rightly. God is love. But God is angry also.
Awake my soul, awake church.
Whilst the hungry die, the homeless shiver, the bereaved weep – we who have received true sustenance, true shelter, true life seek ourselves first rather than the kingdom. What judgment, what wrath must be reserved for us? Whilst the Christ runs from heaven’s home to earth and a cross, for fear of our own future, we hesitate to open our purse to the poor. Whilst the Almighty Father chooses powerlessness in the face of His son’s cross, we trust in the security of money. In the light of an all-giving God, we hold back. For the sake of embarrassment, we do not speak of God’s love.Whilst the Spirit grieves at every ungodly choice, we carelessly allow others to die.
We who know the truth, who can read Ezekiel 33, are utterly without excuse.Why in the ‘good news’ of the Gospels does Jesus speak of hell only to the disciples? For whom is God’s anger most reasonably reserved?
Awake my soul
God is love, that is why we can be saved. The cross means that God's anger can be dealt with and He alone has the full perspective to judge rightly. God is love. But God is angry also.
Awake my soul, awake church.
Excellent stuff, David. My advice is to spend more time at 37,000 feet! So, is there a Part 2 to this? Feels to me like you need to keep it going to address the caricatures and elaborate on the nature of how the anger is worked out.
ReplyDelete