Who Will Suffer God’s Wrath?
A Closer Look at God’s Wrath and Love
The doctrine of God’s wrath is conspicuously absent from the majority of today’s sermons. Most preaching and teaching often focuses on God’s love, grace, mercy, forgiveness, acceptance, caring, spiritual growth, and eternal life as they should, but integral to the gospel of Jesus Christ is God’s message of wrath. Throughout God’s word, we read of a soon-coming great and terrible day when God’s anger and wrath will destroy wicked humanity and the world as we know it. The Bible warns us that God has preordained a season of judgment when His righteous and holy wrath will be executed against all manner of wickedness and evil humanity that has rejected God. Today there are many living in a deluded sense of well-being between themselves and God creating a false sense of safety and security. All those living outside of God’s covenant relationship, found only in Christ, should pay careful attention to these words.
In Romans 1:18 we see God’s anger against evil and wicked behavior being released in a measured and selective sense.
The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of people, who suppress the truth by their wickedness, (Romans 1:18)
The fuller context (Romans 1:21-32) tells of a people who refused to honor God and chose to reject Him. Consequently, rejecting God leads to foolish, empty thoughts as one’s heart is darkened by rejecting God’s illuminating presence. A love for every kind of evil and corrupt desire grew in their hearts until totally depravity ruled their hearts and minds.
Furthermore, just as they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, so God gave them over to a depraved mind, so that they do what ought not to be done. 29 They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit and malice. They are gossips, 30 slanderers, God-haters, insolent, arrogant and boastful; they invent ways of doing evil; they disobey their parents; 31 they have no understanding, no fidelity, no love, no mercy. 32 Although they know God’s righteous decree that those who do such things deserve death, they not only continue to do these very things but also approve of those who practice them.
As we speak of God’s anger and wrath it is important to understand that a born-again child of God will not be the object of God’s wrath but only those who refuse to turn to God and repent. Without Jesus’ sacrificial death, burial, and resurrection we would all face God’s eternal wrath without hope of ever escaping the pending wrath of an angry God. Consider these scriptures:
For God did not appoint us to suffer wrath but to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ. (1 Thes. 5:9)
Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God’s wrath through him! (Rom. 5:9)
He will punish those who do not know God and do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. 9 They will be punished with everlasting destruction and shut out from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his might. (2 Thes. 1:8-9)
Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God’s wrath remains on them. (John 3:36)
Authentic born-again children of God have nothing to fear from God. However, anyone who fails to repent and turn to Christ as Lord, along with the DIY religious folks (Mat. 7:21-23) will find themselves in the hands of an angry God when they depart this life. There are many in this world who have fashioned a self-styled religion, a kind of pseudo-spiritual pretense that is nothing more than self-deception. Our world is filled with many denominations, religions, and belief systems that offer only earthly comfort to the unsaved while navigating through the darkness of their unregenerate lives. Without Christ and genuine salvation God’s wrath remains on their lost souls.
We must not overlook the well-established biblical fact that God’s righteous wrath will bring unimaginable punishment upon all who have ignored, refused, or reject God’s plan of salvation through His Son Jesus. The sentence of eternal separation from God and God’s wrath has already been pronounced against lost and ungodly humanity in that “he that believeth not is condemned already” (John 3:18). This is why God came in the form of a man and took upon himself our punishment. He was crucified in our place. We cannot fully imagine what it means for a supernatural holy God to suffer His own righteous judgment and punishment that was deservingly intended for us. There is no greater love than God’s amazing love, and the cost of ignoring and rejecting God’s love will bring God’s wrath upon all who do not know the Lord. As the Scriptures say:
It is a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of the living God. (Heb. 10:31)
God “will repay each person according to what they have done.” 7 To those who by persistence in doing good seek glory, honor and immortality, he will give eternal life. 8 But for those who are self-seeking and who reject the truth and follow evil, there will be wrath and anger. (Romans 2:6-8 )
Anyone whose name was not found written in the book of life was thrown into the lake of fire. (Revelation 20:15)
In Hebrews 2:3 we are asked, “how shall we escape if we ignore so great a salvation?” Please do not think that you can ignore God’s loving sacrifice and will somehow escape God’s wrath—it is not possible. Consider the history of God’s wrath and learn from it. The Scriptures record many instances of God’s wrath against those who rebelled and refused to enter into a true relationship with the living God.
- The flood destroys the world (Gen. 6:7).
- Korah, Dathan, and Abiram’s rebellion end in death by God’s wrath (Numbers 16:32).
- God’s wrath brings fire and brimstone on Sodom and Gomora (Gen. 19:24).
- Lot’s wife was destroyed by God’s anger (Gen. 19:26).
- The plagues of Egypt (Ex 12:29).
- God destroys the Egyptian army in the red sea (Ex 14:28).
- Ananias and Sapphira defraud the church and are struck dead (Acts 5:1-10).
- Herod was struck down and dies by an angel (Acts 12:23).
- The wrath of God is paramount throughout Revelations.
- Unrepented humanity is cast into the lake of fire (Rev 20:15).
In as much that every one of us deserves the wrath of God, nevertheless, because of His amazing love, He has offered us the opportunity of repentance, forgiveness of sin, and eternal life to all who truly turn to the Lord.
We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God. (2 Cor. 5:20)
How to Turn to God
Perhaps at this very moment, you have realized that you need the Lord in your life. Maybe you drifted away or need to be been born again? If so, you can stop right now and begin talking to God. Ask Him to forgive you for being a sinner and the life you have been living outside of His love. Surrender your life to Him, unconditionally. Call Him Lord and make Him Lord of every thought, attitude, and action. You can say, Lord Jesus, forgive me for all my sins and come into my heart and take full control of my life. I am your child from this day forward. Change my heart and mind to be Christ-like in every way. I confess Jesus is my Lord and Savior forever.
