How to escape God’s wrath – Part 1

Many people are ignorant about God’s final day of reckoning and as such do not think or talk about it. Many preachers, similarly, refrain from preaching this truth. They dwell so much on the aspects of God’s love, mercy and grace and do not understand the other side of the divine nature. Thus, they fail to understand that God who “loved righteousness” has an opposite attribute of hatred for evil. Though His love provided salvation for humanity through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, those who reject it will definitely face His wrath.

The wonderful thing, however, is that there is a way of escape from divine wrath and perdition through the love of God. He has done everything He needed to do for our salvation: He gave His Son, Jesus Christ to die for our sins. And Christ saves those who receive Him as Lord and Saviour, and believe in His sacrifice, death and resurrection. This is the only way of salvation. While “He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life… he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him” (John 3:18,36). Thus, Christ reveals that God’s wrath abides on people who reject His atonement. This is the only means of escape from condemnation and divine judgment.

Paul the apostle praised God for the Colossian and present-day believers who have been “delivered” from sin and “translated” into God’s kingdom. As a beneficiary, he declared that all believers “have redemption through His blood”. By virtue of this redemption, the wrath of God which believers incurred while living in sin has been blotted out and cancelled. Aside cancelling all judgments written against them, Christ also spoiled principalities and powers that would hold the believer in captivity to sin and demonic affliction.

The literal implication of this is that the old life is buried and a new, risen life begins; the believer is now filled with joy and praise to God for his freedom from defilement and divine wrath. Consequently, his focus shifts from Satan, the world and sin, to Christ and heaven as proof that he is now born again. Besides, his life, thoughts, disposition, pursuit, ambition, dream, goal, aspiration and destination become different from the people of the world.

Another marked difference is that the believer is always thinking of Christ’s impending return. This hope of heaven makes him to continue to “mortify” or crush or get rid of tempting, sinful lifestyle since the grace of God does not excuse or justify ungodliness. Enjoying continual flow of God’s peace, the believer is always “thankful” for all unmerited favours he is enjoying from God. We are called to live this acceptable life which requires that we do everything in public or private, “heartily, as to the Lord” who rewards good and punishes anyone who remains in or returns to sin.

Believers must interact with or preach to others with the purpose of helping them to obtain salvation, abide in the experience and escape God’s judgment. They must live in the consciousness of the impending wrath of God upon the “children of disobedience”. They need to recall that it was by divine grace they have been rescued from being “children of wrath” (Ephesians 2:4,5) and gratefully reciprocate same by preaching the gospel of grace to others, so that they, too, can become “fellow citizens with the saints”.

Further Reading (King James Version): Colossians 3:5,6; Ephesians 5:5,6; Hebrews 1:9; John 3:16-18,36; Colossians 1:13,14; 2:14,15; 3:1-6,15-17,23-25; 1:28; 4:2,5,6; Ephesians 2:1-5,8-10,13-15,19-22; Colossians 3:5-7; Ephesians 5:3-7; Romans 1:18,21,25-32; 2:5-9; 1 Thessalonians 2:16; Revelation 6:12-17; 11:17,18; 14:8-11;19:11-16; Romans 5:8,9; 1 Thessalonians 1:5-10; 5:3-10; Hebrews 3:7-14; 4:1-4,6,11,16; Matthew 3:7-10; Psalm 2:4-6,12.