THE WRATH AND JUSTICE OF GOD

In 1741, Jonathan Edwards preached one of the most famous sermons on American soil. Edwards famously preached a sermon entitled Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God. It was one of the sermons that marked the biblical preaching of “The Great Awakening.”  It is a sermon that would cause many “Christians” to cringe or look away in embarrassment. I credit this uncomfortableness with having an unbalanced view of God’s attributes. Edwards’ sermon focused rightly on the wrath of God toward sinners. Why would this be so uncomfortable if it were a biblical sermon? It is because it is easier for one to elevate and speak about the love of God rather than the wrath of God. Is God a God of love? Yes! Is God a God of wrath? Yes, and there is no better place where both of these attributes work together more beautifully than at the cross. The wrath of God is holy justice. I would argue that without an understanding of the wrath and justice of God one can not know the true gospel. 

The theme of God’s people being saved from God’s wrath is seen throughout the Bible. We can see this from the beginning of the Bible. When Adam and Eve were cast out of the garden for their sin, God provided “garments of skins” for them to be clothed. (Genesis 3:21) Where did these skins come from? We are not told any details but it is implied that it came from a sacrifice that God had made. It was an animal that bore God’s wrath and died first — although it was Adam and Eve who deserved to die. (Genesis 2:17)

The theme of an animal bearing God’s wrath is continued throughout the biblical narrative. Israel had been enslaved for 430 years in Egypt. However, because of God’s promise to Abram (Genesis 15:13-16) and God’s special election of them as His own people  — He saved them. He saved them although they were just as guilty as the Egyptians for rebelling against His Holy character. After God had brought nine plagues upon Egypt, He delivered news of the tenth plague to Moses. This tenth plague would require the life of the firstborn of Egypt. God Himself would come down and execute this judgment. (Exodus 12:12-13) However, in His mercy and through the provision of an innocent Lamb, God saved Israel from His wrath that night in Egypt. (Exodus 12:21-27)

However, that night there would be another recipient of God’s wrath and justice. This wrath would fall on those who were not God’s elect people — the Egyptians. God promised to strike dead all the first born throughout the land of Egypt. God’s love and wrath were both seen in this story. God is glorified by His grace towards the Israelites and glorified by His wrath on the Egyptians. Of course, all of this foreshadows what Jesus would eventually accomplish on the cross. Jesus symbolizes the first born and also the innocent lamb that were slain. Jesus, The Lamb of God, absorbed God’s wrath on the cross, and as Israel did on that night, God’s people are set free. God saves sinners because Jesus absorbed all of the Father’s wrath for our sin. This is what makes the cross so gloriously magnificent. The cross is not just about the love of God for sinners. It is also about the justice of God shown by his wrath upon sinners.

But was God’s wrath really God’s plan? Let’s remember that Isaiah prophesied that the Messiah’s death would be pleasing to God. How did it please God? Isaiah wrote, “Yet it was the will of the Lord to crush him; he has put him to grief; when his soul makes an offering for guilt … Out of the anguish of his soul he shall see and be satisfied; by his knowledge shall the righteous one, my servant, make many to be accounted righteous, and he shall bear their iniquities.” (Isaiah 53:10-11) 

In the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus agonized while he prayed to the Father before His arrest. What was he agonizing over? The soldiers who were coming to arrest him? The public humiliation that would soon be unleashed upon him? No, it was the wrath of God that he would soon face. Jesus prayed, "My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will."  (Matthew 26:39) What is this cup that Jesus wants passed from Him? It is the cup of God Almighty’s Holy wrath. The imagery of God’s wrath and judgment are used in the Old Testament. (See Jeremiah 25:15-16, Habakkuk 2:16, Ezekiel 23:21-24, Psalm 11:4) Jesus knew that in just a short time He would drink every last drop of God’s wrath from the cup of God’s judgment.  This is why Jesus cries out, “My God, My God, why have you forsaken me?” At that moment Jesus was experiencing the wrath of God for every sin committed by God’s elect people. Jesus who never sinned would be treated as if He were the sinner. Paul beautifully summarized this point when he told the Corinthian Church, “For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” (2 Corinthians 5:21) 

Whatever God does is good, and this includes the unleashing of His wrath upon a rebellious and sinful world. Paul told the Romans, “For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth.” (Romans 1:18)  This will ultimately lead to the unveiling of God’s wrath on His enemies on earth. We read that at the return of Jesus, “From his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations, and he will rule them with a rod of iron. He will tread the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God the Almighty. On his robe and on his thigh he has a name written, King of kings and Lord of lords.” (Revelation 19:15-16)

In Hell, every injustice of this world will finally receive its death sentence. Evil doers and wicked people may seem to get away with sin on this earth. However, take heart, for God will not let any evil go unpunished. Hell is a place where the wrath of God is poured out continually night and day forever and ever. (Revelation 20:7-15) This is hard for many of us to fathom, and it should burden us to be active in warning people from their seemingly inevitable habitation.  No one in hell will be able to say that he got away with anything. We trust in God to deal with people and evil in His time, for He has promised, “Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.” (Romans 12:19)  Yes, God is a God of wrath and justice and this is good.

God will right every wrong, and this is ensured by the doctrine of God’s wrath. For the believer every sin faces wrath at the cross in Christ. For the unbeliever every sin faces God’s eternal wrath in the lake of fire. The wrath of God is what makes the grace of God so glorious. For when you realize that you deserve nothing but wrath but receive nothing but grace, you have no other proper response except to worship. May we not shy away from this glorious doctrine nor make excuses for God in his Holy Attribute of wrath. This is nothing to be shameful of but it is to be gloried in because God is good.