The journal. (Caldwell, Ohio) 1934-1961, 1957-09-26
> e r m 0 nellie
The Anger of God

OF God, and that God is love,
but we conveniently forget that
God does become angry. Thus
He becomes an angry God. God
is love, but He also becomes
angry. To appreciate the love
of God, we must consider His
anger.
The living, almighty God has
established laws or rules for
men to live by. They are holy
laws-laws that reveal Gods
character; laws that are for
mans welfare. Those laws are
intended for mans happiness and
his moral, spiritual, social and
physical well-being. But mans
heart ''is deceitful above all
things, and desperately wicked"
Jeremiah 1870. There is none
righteous, no, not one" '"all
come short of the glory of God"
(Romans $40, 23). Man chooses
to disobey Gods holy law. He
chooses to live his own life,
ignoring God as much as is con-
venient. So being holy, righteous
and just, God becomes angry at
sin.
The Scriptures tell us who
will experience the anger of
God. The wicked psalm Til;
21:8, 9; Romans 1:18; Ephes-
ians 5:6). Those who forsake
God ezra 8:22; Isaiah 1:4).
Those who live in unbelief, re-
fuSing to commit their lives to
God, refusing to accept His word
as revealed in the Scriptures and
in the person and work of Jesus
Christ psalm 1921, %; He
brews 3:l8, 19; John 1850. The
impentitent proverbs 1880, 81;
Isaiah 9:l3, ID; Romans 2:5). The
apostate. (Hebrews. 1926, 27).
Those who practice idolatry
deuteronomy 1920, 1928; Jere-
miah 44:3). Even a Christian
with unconfessed sin in his life
will experience the anger of God,
yet we are told that it will be
tempered with mercy psalm
30:5; Isaiah SAB; 81: Is, Is;
jeremiah 30:1D. Goods dealings
with the saints of the New
Testament are the same in prir-
ciple as His dealings with the
saints of the Old Testament.)
The anger of God will be
manifested in judgments and
Affections psalm 78:59-51;
Isaiah 9;l9; jeremiah 7:20;
Ezekiel TO; Hebrews 3:17), and
terrors EXODUS 14:24; Psalm
1868; Jeremiah 1910; Lamenta-
tons 2:20-22; Revelation, chap
tiers 500.
The Scriptures tell US that
"the Lord is /. slow to anger,
80" psalm 1898; Nahum 1:3).
He. is patient. He gives men the
opportunity to repent. We also
learn that He is righteous. He
gives men the opportunity to
know His will. He plays no
favorites (Romans 2:2-8; Revela-
ton 1876, y. Yet man has re-
vealed himself as portrayed in
Romans 1892.
Naturally the question arises,
How shall We escape Gods
anger? Though God is capable
of being angry, He is also desir-
Gus of extending grace and
mercy, so we learn that He has
made provision for man to be
delivered from His anger. First,
Jesus Christ, the eternal Son Of
God, has fully satisfied the re-
quirements of the Holy Law on
our behalf. He obeyed it fully in
His life on earth He paid the
penalty death on the CROSSE Of
the law in our stead (Luke 2:1l,
Ia; Romans SO; II Corinthians
5:18, 10; Ephesians 2:14, II;
Colossians 1:20; l Thessalonians
l:l0) Second, the one wanting to
be free from Gods anger must
accept Gods will for his life,
letting Jesus Christ become his
Lord John 3:l4-l8; Romans
1925; 5:D If one is Christian
and is being chastened for sin
in his life, he must repent and
confess Il John 1:9).
Why not accept of Gods grace
and mercy rather than be subject
to His anger?
Roy E. Wikander