"For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness" (Rom. 1:18).
Today we will begin studies focusing on the topic of anger. In Exodus 32, we saw two examples of righteous anger fueled by the sin of the Israelites—the anger of God and the anger of Moses. In the next few studies, we will see why this anger was justified, and we will learn the difference between righteous and sinful anger.
If you remember my previous studies on the atonement, you will recall that one dimension of the atonement is propitiation, the appeasing of God’s wrath. Given this integral element of the atonement, one would have to wonder why it has created controversy in the church. But that is exactly what has happened in recent years. Some people today don’t want to think of God, who is full of mercy and grace, as ever being angry. Part of this confusion comes from an inability to understand God’s anger beyond human experience. We see how sinful our anger is, and we automatically think that is the only kind of anger that exists. But to understand human anger, we must first understand God’s anger (not the other way around).
In the New Testament, there are more statements about the wrath of God than about His grace. The Bible takes the wrath of God very seriously, and so should we. In Romans 1:18, Paul writes that the “wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men.” The Greek word for wrath is orge, which expresses strong, passionate anger. Thus, when the Bible describes God as wrathful, it does not mean God is mildly displeased or irritated—He is furious. This fury is directed to all unrighteousness and ungodliness of men. God is not overreacting, neither is He “pitching a fit” or being arbitrarily angry. He is responding righteously to evil.
Psalm 7 says that God is a just judge and that He is angry with the wicked every day. Notice that the wrath of God is couched in terms of His holy justice. It is injustice that angers God, and it is because He is holy, righteous and just that He is wrathful. Certainly, God is slow to anger—this is due to His forbearance and patience. But Jehovah is a just God, and He is angry with the wicked every day. If you are not a Christian, then the wrath of God is upon you. Only in the Savior can that divine anger be placated. Only through the atoning work of Jesus Christ can you find peace with God.
Read Psalm 7 and the passage for today. How important is it for you to warn unbelievers that God is angry with them? Why should you not indiscriminately tell them that God loves them and has a wonderful plan for their lives? If someone asked you to describe God’s anger, what would you say?
