The Wrath of God, meaning

Cenababy: Wrath is defined as “the emotional response to perceived wrong and injustice,” often translated as “anger,” “indignation,” “vexation,” or “irritation.” Both humans and God express wrath. But there is vast difference between the wrath of God and the wrath of man. God’s wrath is holy and always justified; man’s is never holy and rarely justified.

In the Old Testament, the wrath of God is a divine response to human sin and disobedience. Idolatry was most often the occasion for divine wrath. Psalm 78:56-66 describes Israel’s idolatry. The wrath of God is consistently directed towards those who do not follow His will (Deuteronomy 1:26-46; Joshua 7:1; Psalm 2:1-6). The Old Testament prophets often wrote of a day in the future, the "day of wrath" (Zephaniah 1:14-15). God’s wrath against sin and disobedience is perfectly justified because His plan for mankind is holy and perfect, just as God Himself is holy and perfect. God provided a way to gain divine favor—repentance—which turns God’s wrath away from the sinner. To reject that perfect plan is to reject God’s love, mercy, grace and favor and incur His righteous wrath.

The New Testament also supports the concept of God as a God of wrath who judges sin. The story of the rich man and Lazarus speaks of the judgment of God and serious consequences for the unrepentant sinner (Luke 16:19–31). John 3:36 says, “Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God’s wrath remains on Him.” The one who believes in the Son will not suffer God’s wrath for his sin, because the Son took God’s wrath upon Himself when He died in our place on the cross (Romans 5:6–11). Those who do not believe in the Son, who do not receive Him as Savior, will be judged on the day of wrath (Romans 2:5–6).

Cenababy: Conversely, human wrath is warned against in Romans 12:19, Ephesians 4:26, and Colossians 3:8-10. God alone is able to avenge because His vengeance is perfect and holy, whereas man’s wrath is sinful, opening him up to demonic influence. For the Christian, anger and wrath are inconsistent with our new nature, which is the nature of Christ Himself (2 Corinthians 5:17). To realize freedom from the domination of wrath, the believer needs the Holy Spirit to sanctify and cleanse his heart of feelings of wrath and anger. Romans 8 shows victory over sin in the life of one who is living in the Spirit (Romans 8:5-8). Philippians 4:4-7 tells us that the mind controlled by the Spirit is filled with peace.

The wrath of God is a fearsome and terrifying thing. Only those who have been covered by the blood of Christ, shed for us on the cross, can be assured that God’s wrath will never fall on them. “Since we have now been justified by His blood, how much more shall we be saved from God's wrath through Him!” (Romans 5:9).


Further study is The Book of Romans, I call it the be all end all, if you want to know or have questions about sin, Study Romans!

briansmythe: ........................Space................................. left ......................................................for Zanjan"s .................................................................................................comments .....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................below

Cenababy: Lol

liveforthesunshine3: Question: "What is propitiation?"

Answer: The word propitiation carries the basic idea of appeasement or satisfaction, specifically toward God. Propitiation is a two-part act that involves appeasing the wrath of an offended person and being reconciled to him.

The necessity of appeasing God is something many religions have in common. In ancient pagan religions, as well as in many religions today, the idea is taught that man appeases God by offering various gifts or sacrifices. However, the Bible teaches that God Himself has provided the only means through which His wrath can be appeased and sinful man can be reconciled to Him. In the New Testament, the act of propitiation always refers to the work of God and not the sacrifices or gifts offered by man. The reason for this is that man is totally incapable of satisfying God’s justice except by spending eternity in hell. There is no service, sacrifice, or gift that man can offer that will appease the holy wrath of God or satisfy His perfect justice. The only satisfaction, or propitiation, that could be acceptable to God and that could reconcile man to Him had to be made by God. For this reason God the Son, Jesus Christ, came into the world in human flesh to be the perfect sacrifice for sin and make atonement or “propitiation for the sins of the people” (Hebrews 2:17).

The word propitiation is used in several verses to explain what Jesus accomplished through His death on the cross. For example, in Romans 3:24-25 believers in Christ have been “justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God set forth as a propitiation by His blood, through faith, to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His forbearance God had passed over the sins that were previously committed.” These verses are a key point in Paul’s argument in the book of Romans and are really at the heart of the gospel message.

In the first three chapters of Romans, Paul makes the argument that everyone, Jew and Gentile alike, is under the condemnation of God and deserving of His wrath (Romans 1:18). Everyone has sinned and fallen short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23). All of us deserve His wrath and punishment. God in His infinite grace and mercy has provided a way that His wrath can be appeased and we can be reconciled to Him. That way is through the sacrificial death of His Son, Jesus Christ, as the payment for sins. It is through faith in Jesus Christ as God’s perfect sacrifice that we can be reconciled to God. It is only because of Christ’s death on the cross and His resurrection on the third day that a lost sinner deserving of hell can be reconciled to a holy God. The wonderful truth of the gospel is that Christians are saved from God’s wrath and reconciled to God not because “we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins” (1 John 4:10).

Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me” (John 14:6). The only way for God’s wrath against sinful man to be appeased and for us to be reconciled to God is through Jesus Christ. There is no other way. This truth is also communicated in 1 John 2:2, “And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world.” An important part of Christ’s saving work is deliverance from God’s wrath; Jesus’ propitiation on the cross is the only thing that can turn away God’s divine condemnation of sin. Those who reject Christ as their Savior and refuse to believe in Him have no hope of salvation. They can only look forward to facing the wrath of God that they have stored up for the coming day of judgment (Romans 2:5). There is no other propitiation or sacrifice that can be made for their sins.

liveforthesunshine3: hi there Cenababy, nice to meet you.

Cenababy:

Zanjan: " "What is propitiation?"

It's a word that is NOT in the Bible because it wasn't invented until the 12th century. It's a ridiculously pompous word with no practical usage in modern life.
The only way to appease God is to rectify your wrong or, at least make up for the wrong that can't be rectified. The latter is very difficult to do
since you have little chance of knowing if God was satisfied with your offering. Ergo, God suggests you don't stop offering, ever.

THE REAL TRUTH: you always pay for your own sins - there's no escaping that. We call it accountability. All are accountable to God, bar none.
You will also pay for your own righteousness but you shouldn't mind - it's your offering.

Zanjan: According to my insurance company's testament, an Act of God is an act of destruction.
They tell me I'm paying them to overide and compensate me for the wrath of God.
I disagree. Why are we insuring against an act of God if we love God?
The wrath of God is His Justice - who would hate that? Since when was justice destructive?
Why not call it an accident of nature? The insurance companies don't know God.

If a man is worth his salt, he'll love the wrath of God even when it falls on his own head. It's edifying.

Zanjan: Cena, Romans 8 says "they that are in the flesh can't please God". This was Paul's view.
"5 "For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit, the things of the Spirit."

There's a certain non-religious billionaire family who gives away millions and millions of dollars to worthy causes every year,
to individuals in urgent need. Tell me, how does this displease God? Does it make up for their own sins?
No, but it doesn't piss off God either.

What, pray tell, would change those who were carnally minded materialists to being spiritually minded, desiring spiritual things?
Whatever it is, not every carnally minded, materialist person was changed. Fear mongering has never attracted anyone to goodness.
So, it has to be something else. Does it not depend on a love for righteousness and justice?

So, there IS one thing the carnally minded, materialist person can do to please God - that is recognize the manifestations of His
righteousness and justice, the Emblems of His Bounty - God's Prophets, ALL of Them.
That person will have a lot of shortcomings but if he can do that, he'll honestly realize his own place and strive to find
his way back to his true home. The arrogant, religious or not, will never do that.