____________________________________________________ THE GOSPEL OBSERVER "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations...teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age" (Matthew 28:19,20). ____________________________________________________ June 11, 1995 ____________________________________________________ God Gets Angry At Sin by Donald P. Ames In Psalms 7:11, David says, ``God is a just judge, and God is angry with the wicked every day.'' There is a lot for us to think about in such a simple statement. Most people tend to think of God strictly as a God of love, but David says he does get angry also. Certainly we should not minimize the fact he is a God of love (1 John 4:10,16; Jn. 3:16). At the same time, we need to take a serious look at the other side of God. Paul says to ``consider the goodness and severity of God'' (Rom. 11:22; cf. Deut. 32:19-22). Why Angry? Just what is there about sin and wickedness that makes God angry? Several ideas come to mind quite readily. People sometimes snub God and his love. They develop the disposition of ``give me what I want, and then just get out of my way.'' This seemed to have been Israel's disposition (read Isa. 1:4). They had no gratitude, just more demands (Psa. 78:29-31). Even when he fulfilled his promise of a Messiah, they snubbed the offer and nailed him to the cross. Is it any wonder God gets angry at such actions? People also choose to follow Satan, as we see in John 8:44. Some seem to do so intentionally; and others perhaps unintentionally. Nevertheless, their actions definitely point to their choice. Considering Satan is the sworn enemy of God (and man too), why would anyone want to join forces against God with such a person? And, if part of the forces of Satan war against God, shouldn't we expect God to wage war against all of Satan's forces? Should he be expected to be thrilled when we align ourselves with his sworn enemy? Their example causes others also to be lost (see Matt. 18:6-7). Not only do they lose their own soul; but the unsuspecting, weak, untaught, etc. are also drawn down with them. Even if they return later in repentance, others affected (or discouraged) by their example will more likely perish anyway. I'm forced to wonder just how many have perished by the actions and teaching of others (2 Pet. 2:2-3), whom we have no way of ever bringing back to God. Since God cares for each one of these precious ones (Luke 15), is it any wonder he would get angry at those whose actions and/or teachings cause these little ones to perish? How would you feel if it was someone very important to you who rejected the Lord because of what they saw a ``Christian'' doing? They deliberately rebel and refuse to do his will (see Jer. 6:16; Isa. 30:8-11). They mock at God, flaunt his instructions, ``trample the Son of God underfoot'' (Heb. 10:29), and go their own way. God does not have to tolerate such! He is the Creator, not the created! Is it any wonder he gets angry at the rebellion of mankind, especially after he has sought to do so much for us? And, God hates sin! The very nature of its practice angers God. It is against all he had tried to do for man, all he wants to offer to man, and all he wants man to be. It is contrary to the very nature of God, and against everything that is good. The two are totally incompatible, at odds, and going in different directions. Is it any wonder David says, ``You who love the Lord, hate evil'' (Psa. 97:10; cf. James 4:4)? yet, sadly, too many want to tolerate and excuse it today instead. Whose side are they on? How Angry? Having established why God gets angry at sin and the wicked, let us consider how angry does he get? Paul speaks of the fact he will execute his ``wrath'' on them (Rom. 2:6-8). Certainly Judges 10:7 and Lamentations 4:10 are good examples of the intensity of God's anger. It is more than a ``minor irritation.'' It is a source of wrath to God! Someone once defined the difference in anger and wrath as this: ``Anger is when you'd like to hit someone else in the nose, wrath is when you lose control and go ahead and let him have it.'' If God is going to release his ``wrath,'' what can we understand about its power? If he could exercise his power and speak the world (and entire universe) into existence, what may we anticipate if that anger, turned to wrath, is released at us? Is it any wonder the writer of Hebrews said, ``It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God'' (10:31)? Or that Paul would say, ``Knowing, therefore, the terror of the Lord, we persuade men'' (2 Cor. 5:11)? Just how much power and might would be generated by his wrath? To what would we compare it? How Dangerous Is It? David told us that God is ``angry with the wicked every day.'' He is not going to tolerate it. Sure, sometimes he waits to execute that wrath (in the hopes we will repent and turn again, as he even waited 120 years in the days of Noah, Gen. 6). But we have no assurance of that (read James 4:13-17). David says, ``I have seen the wicked in great power, and spreading himself like a native green tree. Yet he passed away, and behold, he was no more; indeed I sought him, but he could not be found'' (Psa. 37:35-36). If God is angry ``every day,'' when could he be expected to release that anger? At the Judgment, yet; but might he also release some of it even sooner? Why would anyone in his right mind want to test the limits of God's patience? Why would he want to take any risk of his displeasure (2 Pet. 3:14,17)? Would you want to really see if you could stand up to the fierceness of his wrath? Or dare him to try it? Yet, by our persistence in sinful ways, that is exactly what we are doing! How desperately we need to wake up to our folly! A Just Judge David also reminds us that God is a just Judge. This cuts two ways. If we have done evil, we must remember justice demands we pay the appropriate punishment. God does not lie or warn in vain. We dare not fool ourselves into thinking we are the exception. ``He who does wrong will be repaid for what he has done, and there is no partiality'' (Col. 3:25). ``If you, Lord, should mark iniquities, O Lord, who could stand?'' (Psa. 130:3). Likewise, if we turn from our wickedness and serve him, remember, he hates the sin--not the sinner (Rev. 2:6). He will not carry a grudge because of our past sins and refuse to heed our pleas for forgiveness (see Psa. 78:38; Ezek. 33:11,14-16). When we obey, God forgives and forgets (Heb. 5:9; 8:12). But we too must strive to show that the change is genuine (Ezek. 6:9; Rom. 6:21; Acts 26:20). Remember, he knows if it is genuine or hypocritical; and if we are not sincere, our ``wickedness'' will simply provoke his anger even more. But, he will love and help us if we truly want to escape his fierce anger (Psa. 130:4). Have you truly considered the anger of God? -- Via Guardian of Truth, June 1 1995 ___________________________________________ Count On Jesus If wind or wave should sweep away Those things I now hold dear; If health should flee and sickness come, Or loved ones leave me here. Should fortunes change and hardship come, If dreams should fade away; If tests and trials should plague me sore, And troubles haunt my day. When all is gone, this still I know, Christ's love will never leave us, For when all things have passed away, We still can count on Jesus. -- Author unknown ___________________________________________ ``Regrettable Silence'' ``I have often regretted my speech; my silence never,'' said the Roman Stoic Philosopher Seneca. The statement has been often quoted and considered for thought, but it leaves the impression that silence is never to be regretted. Abraham Lincoln said, ``to sin by silence when they should protest makes a coward of man.'' IF I AM SILENT WHEN... I ought to be teaching friends and neighbors the truth, or I hear what I know to be a false report about another, or I hear error being taught, and I have opportunity to correct it, or, I hear God's Son, His church, His truth, or His brethren being attacked or misrepresented, than I have reason to regret my silence, for you see, I can be guilty of sin by being silent when I should speak. -- Selected (Via The Old Path II, June 19, 1994) ___________________________________________ What God Wants: "This is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth" (1 Tim. 2:3,4). ___________________________________________ A Special Thanks to Our Readers To those of you who are remaining on our mailing list, we want to thank you for continuing as part of our readership. We are happy to share these bulletins with you and pray that they will always be a benefit to you. ________________________________________ Tri-State CHURCH OF CHRIST 1314 Montgomery Avenue, Ashland, Kentucky 41101 Sunday: 10:00 A.M. Bible class 10:50 A.M. Worship 6:30 P.M. Worship Wednesday: 7:30 P.M. Bible study evangelist/editor: Tom Edwards (606) 325-9742 e-mail: tedwards@zoomnet.net Gospel Observer web site: http://www.zoomnet.net/~tedwards/go ________________________________________