Everyone wants to talk about God’s love. No one wants to talk about His wrath. I wonder how many “hell, fire, and brimstone” messages brought folks to God? Think about it. If you don’t know or believe there is a hell, why would you give much thought about heaven?
Revivals in the past have been started with messages that contained the truth. There is a hell, and God’s wrath is very real.
Revival came to Enfield, Massachusetts in 1741 when Jonathan Edwards preached a message entitled, Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God.
Many Christians don’t like to talk about God’s wrath because we are afraid we might offend someone, or that we may make someone uncomfortable. It’s no wonder more folks don’t know the truth. They simply aren’t hearing it.
Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.
Romans 5:1-2
But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him.
Romans 5:8-9
I recently saw someone become very uncomfortable at the mention of “God’s Wrath.” She felt it was a personal matter . . . I’m not sure what she meant.
God’s wrath is a reality. It’s really not a personal matter. How you deal with it could be considered a personal matter. You can either come to know Jesus as your personal Savior and be justified by His blood, or you can – at the appointed time – receive the wrath of God. That choice is a personal one.
When the Holy Spirit does the drawing, you can either opt in or opt out. If you don’t opt in, you are technically opted out.
For if God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast them down to hell, and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved unto judgment; And spared not the old world, but saved Noah the eighth person, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood upon the world of the ungodly; And turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrha into ashes condemned them with an overthrow, making them an ensample unto those that after should live ungodly; And delivered just Lot, vexed with the filthy conversation of the wicked: (For that righteous man dwelling among them, in seeing and hearing, vexed his righteous soul from day to day with their unlawful deeds;) The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations, and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment to be punished: But chiefly them that walk after the flesh in the lust of uncleanness, and despise government. Presumptuous are they, selfwilled, they are not afraid to speak evil of dignities.
2 Peter 2:4-10
Romans 2:11 reads, “For there is no respect of persons with God.” In the past, God did all the afore mentioned to the wicked – even the angels that sinned suffer. Why would you assume He’d treat others differently?
LIFE APPLICATION
Today’s challenge is to ask yourself if you have been open and honest about eternity with yourself and with others.