In my welcome letter to this website, I emphasized God’s love—and rightly so. God loves us and wants us to be His sons and daughters. Yet I have heard teachers dismiss His wrath, claiming that “the God of the Old Testament has been replaced.” They teach that there are many paths to God and that whatever feels right to us is acceptable to Him. They encourage people to live as they please and question whether today’s Bible can be trusted as God’s true word. But if we reject the Bible as His word, what God are we worshiping? We might as well write our own book of wisdom, inventing a god who reflects our desires and our sense of right and wrong. Rejecting God’s love and wisdom has a cost, and I felt compelled to explain my understanding of it.

The Wrath of God

Does God Judge Individuals?

Romans 1:18

For The wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of people who suppress the truth by their unrighteousness…

Revelation 14:10

that person will also drink of the wine of God’s anger that has been mixed undiluted in the cup of his wrath, and he will be tortured with fire and sulfur in front of the holy angels and in front of the Lamb.

Why would the God who gave us life respond to human sin with wrath? That question is imperfectly phrased, but it points to an important truth. God created us to share in the perfect love that only He can give. That gift is freely offered, yet it calls for a response:. We must acknowledge that our lives belong to Him, that He is our sovereign Lord. Scripture teaches that salvation comes through accepting Christ and His sacrifice. This does not mean we will become perfect in His sight, but it does mean we should sincerely strive to live in faithful obedience.

How to Serve God Faithfully

If you want to serve God faithfully, you must become familiar with His Word, the Bible. In Scripture, God has provided the instruction we need to live in a way that pleases Him. Through study, prayer, and a sincere desire to understand His wisdom, we can bring our lives into closer alignment with His will.

Other books may offer useful advice for life’s challenges and opportunities, but they should never take the place of Scripture. Without a solid understanding of the Bible, it can be difficult to recognize when worldly advice conflicts with God’s truth.

• Study the Bible carefully and consistently.
• Pray for understanding and wisdom.
• Measure all other advice against God’s Word.
• Be ready to reject guidance that sounds appealing but contradicts Scripture.

Proverbs 14:12

There is a way that seems right to a person, but its end it’s the way that leads to death.

Become familiar with the Bible first then judge all earthly wisdom by it.

How Does God’s Love Turn to Wrath?

God cannot tolerate sin, and Scripture speaks clearly about what sin is. Those who know the truth yet deliberately suppress it place themselves in a position of ungodliness and unrighteousness. God is just, and His justice requires that sin be judged. At the same time, He has done everything necessary to rescue us from that judgment.

Romans 1 continues by teaching that even those without direct access to Scripture are not without accountability. God has made Himself known through creation: His eternal power and divine nature are displayed in what He has made. For that reason, humanity is not without witness and is without excuse.

Romans 1:21–22

“For although they knew God, they did not glorify him as God or give him thanks, but they became futile in their thoughts and their senseless hearts were darkened. Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools.”

How can anyone expect to escape God’s wrath while refusing to acknowledge who He is and what we owe Him? Many of us have ready access to the Bible, and that access brings greater responsibility. Whatever we may feel about Romans 1, its warning is clear: we are accountable for how we respond to the truth God has revealed.

I recently watched two fairly popular young podcasters discuss Christianity and their beliefs. One identified as a Christian; the other described himself as “a man of science.” He did not claim to be a scientist but believed that material or natural processes fully explain reality.

I could not finish the discussion. About fifteen minutes in, the materialist asked the other man whether he believed Christ was the Son of God and had risen from the dead. His hesitant answer left me deeply disappointed: he said he did not believe Jesus was the Son of God and even suggested that stories of Jesus marrying Mary Magdalene might be true. The conversation then turned to whether we might live in a matrix, like the film, controlled by a creator or supreme being.

“Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools.”

I felt compassion for the young man who called himself a Christian. He seemed nearly convinced that reality extends beyond what science can explain, yet he could not affirm his faith publicly and boldly. I hope the Holy Spirit continues to work in him. In many ways, he reminds me of myself: I have known the truth all my life, yet even now I struggle to speak boldly and often instinctively conceal my faith during discussions or debates. I hope he knows the truth in his heart and will one day stand firmly on it. But if his words accurately reflected his beliefs, he is still rejecting Christ’s sacrifice and should reconsider calling himself a Christian.

A Solemn Warning Against Rejecting Grace

Hebrews 10:26–29

For if we deliberately keep on sinning after receiving the knowledge of the truth, no further sacrifice for sins is left for us, but only a certain fearful expectation of judgment and a fury of fire that will consume God’s enemies. Someone who rejected the law of Moses was put to death without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. How much greater punishment do you think that person deserves who has contempt for the Son of God, and profanes the blood of the covenant that made him holy, and insults the Spirit of grace?

People often ask about the sin Jesus called unforgivable. The passage above gives a sobering warning: rejecting God the Father, despising the sacrifice of His Son, Jesus Christ, and resisting the Holy Spirit hardens a person against the only source of forgiveness. Those who fully and finally reject God remain under judgment.

For those who believe yet question whether God judges or expresses anger, hatred, and wrath, consider Malachi 1:2–3:

 “I have loved you,” says the Lord. “Yet you say, ‘In what way have You loved us?’ Was not Esau Jacob’s brother?” Says the Lord. “Yet Jacob I have loved; But Esau I have hated, And laid waste his mountains and his heritage for the jackals of the wilderness.”

If you know the story of Jacob and Esau, this explicit statement of hatred may seem bewildering. If you are unfamiliar with it, read Genesis 25:19–34. Why did God hate Esau? Simply put, Esau rejected God and His love. His birthright as the eldest son was not merely cattle or wealth inherited from Isaac; it placed him at the center of God’s plan of salvation.

Esau must have known of God’s promises to Abraham and to his father, Isaac, yet he carelessly traded them for a meal he could easily have obtained elsewhere. Although we all speak rashly at times, God sees each person’s true character and heart. What He saw in Esau—both in that moment and in the life that followed—provoked His anger.

Yet the gospel remains a message of mercy. Through His blood, suffering, and death, Christ’s sacrifice fully provides forgiveness for those who receive Him for who He is and trust in what He has done. No other name under heaven can save us.

God Judges Nations and all the world

I will not dwell at length on God’s judgment of nations and the world. Because salvation is received individually, those who live in a nation under judgment—or on earth at the end—need not fear for their ultimate destiny. To be clear, they may still face great fear and suffering, but in Christ their final salvation is secure. Consider how Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego answered King Nebuchadnezzar when he commanded them to worship his image and they refused:

Daniel 3 verses 13-18 

Furious with rage, Nebuchadnezzar summoned Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. So these men were brought before the king,and Nebuchadnezzar said to them, “Is it true, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, that you do not serve my gods or worship the image of gold I have set up? Now when you hear the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, pipe and all kinds of music, if you are ready to fall down and worship the image I made, very good. But if you do not worship it, you will be thrown immediately into a blazing furnace. Then what god will be able to rescue you from my hand?”

Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego replied to him, “King Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you in this matter. If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to deliver us from it, and he will deliver us from Your Majesty’s hand. But even if he does not, we want you to know, Your Majesty, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up.”

Can we show the same courage as these three men? In America, we are safe for now, but Christians in parts of the Middle East, Africa, and Asia face death for refusing to renounce Jesus Christ. Would we remain faithful under such a test?

America under judgement?

I am not suggesting Americans will soon face execution for their faith, though it may become possible in the future. Here, the threat is more likely to come through the courts—by legally restricting Christians from speaking publicly about their faith or removing children from parents who insist on raising them as Christians.

As noted in the opening paragraph and because this subject of wrath is difficult, I will move on after briefly considering three verses about God’s judgment of the nations.

Jeremiah 25:15

So the Lord, the God of Israel, spoke to me in a vision: “Take this cup from my hand. It is filled with the wine of my wrath. Take it and make the nations to whom I send you drink it.

2 Peter 3:7

But the heavens and the earth which are now preserved by the same word, are reserved for fire until the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men.

Revelation 14:19

So the angel swung his sickle over the earth and gathered the grapes from the vineyard of the earth and tossed them into the great winepress of the wrath of God.

Just from these three verses you can see people, nations, and indeed the whole earth is subject to God and His judgement. BUT… Remember God see’s each of us individually. We can turn to Him anytime.  And as King David noted in 1st Chronicles 21 it is always better to trust in God’s mercy than to depend on the mercy of mankind.   

Concluding Thoughts

I am relieved to be nearing the end of this difficult subject. Examining it closely has not been easy, and I have no remarkable act of courage to claim; even if I did, it would likely seem insignificant. As a child, I imagined becoming like Elijah (see 1^st and 2^nd Kings), but my life followed a far humbler course.

If you face an overwhelming crisis and seek relief, remember that God is always present and is the source of all comfort. Approach Him humbly as your Father, not a stranger, because He knows you better than you know yourself. Ask for guidance, open the Bible, and continue speaking with Him. His answer may come quickly and may not be what you want—Jonah’s was not—but it will be what is best for you.

Farewell for now, I pray the Lord will bless you with wisdom and patience

2 Corinthians 1:2-3 May God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ give you grace and peace. All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is our merciful Father and the source of all comfort