Becoming a theologian: God's Wrath

We come today to look at God's wrath. In Grudem's Systematic Theology, he says God's wrath means that he intensely hates all sin. The two themes we will be looking at are:

1. God hates sin
2. God is slow to anger

The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness,

Romans 1:18

• This verse talks of the wrath of God against godlessness and wickedness. What are these?
• godlessness is "want of reverence towards God, impiety, ungodliness"
• wickedness is "a deed violating law and justice, act of unrighteousness"
• If people aren't properly respecting God, do you think He has a right to be angry?
• If people are violating His law, do you think God has a right to be angry?
• Do you remember ways that God has expressed His wrath?
• What did He do to Sodom and Gomorrah?
• When people touched the Ark of the Covenant (which was against the Law), what happened to them?
• Do you want God to take out His wrath on You?

God is slow to anger

¹⁸ 'The LORD is slow to anger, abounding in love and forgiving sin and rebellion. Yet he does not leave the guilty unpunished; he punishes the children for the sin of the fathers to the third and fourth generation.' ¹⁹ In accordance with your great love, forgive the sin of these people, just as you have pardoned them from the time they left Egypt until now."

Numbers 14:18-19

• God is slow to anger. That doesn't mean He doesn't get angry, but it does show that He has patience with us.
• God still will punish sin. He doesn't let it slide
• Yet, because of His love, He does forgive our sin.
• Let's consider the following vague scenario:
• If you were to do something bad that Mom and Dad saw, would you expect us to get angry?
• If instead of getting angry, we lovingly pointed out what you did wrong and forgave you?
• If you did it again, would you expect us to get angry?
• And if we again corrected you and forgave you, but maybe in a firmer tone of voice than the first time, would you like that?
• If finally after a THIRD time, we punished you, do think that would be expected?
• Do you think that is like how God is "slow to anger"?