Righteous Wrath

Sometimes there are posts a person doesn’t really want to write.   This is one of those times.  It’s not that I’m embarrassed by the subject or think it inconsistent with God Himself.  No, it’s more the misunderstanding that goes along with it and the negative reaction it elicits. I write at the challenge of a friend who said, “the subject of divine wrath has become taboo in modern society, and Christians by and large have accepted the taboo.”  So in the interest of not being a taboo accepter and in the interest of not muzzling the truth…here goes. 

It would seem that for some the idea of wrath is unworthy of a loving God.  This is especially true among those who would shape God into the image of an overly permissive parent and who would dismiss accountability to a Creator altogether. They perceive and present God as a hateful fire breathing deity whose indiscriminate rage looks for an opportunity to devour anyone in sight. He is irrational, bad tempered and lacks any self-control. 

Nothing could be further from the truth.  Such a view sucks the true meaning out to the concept.  Wrath in the Bible is always judicial – a picture of the Judge administering justice….fair and objective, impartial and just.  It is God’s resolute action in punishing hideous sin.    Is this so far-fetched from our own way reacting to evil? 

Breaking news stories continually reveal heinous crimes against humanity.  We are outraged.  Rebels in Africa practice genocide against a rival tribe, women are held captive in Cleveland for years while being molested, someone enters a school in Vermont or theater in Colorado and randomly kills, children in Asia are trafficked in the sex trade.

Such news stirs within us “righteous indignation”, and we want the perpetrators of such moral evil brought to justice. In fact to ignore it would be cruel and inhuman.  Why then should we deny a perfectly holy God the same “righteous indignation” against moral evil?  Why should we call into question His just wrath against sin? 

Unless of course we find ourselves to be the offenders.  Then we attempt to skirt around His justice.  Then we call into question God’s motives and attempt to discredit His character.  Then we deny His existence to make it all a mute point or a theoretical one at best.  But at the end of the day we all remain accountable to both His loving mercy and His righteous wrath.