John Piper recently said, “the post-modern mind has no place for the biblical truth of the wrath of God (The Supremacy of Christ in a Postmodern World, page 76).”
To the extent this Piper’s evaluation is on target, this is a tremendous problem.
- The fear of God is the beginning of wisdom (Proverbs 9:10).
- A fear of God’s wrath motivates us to live godly lives.
- An understanding of God’s wrath is basic to saving faith and to evangelism.
- Trusting in the justice of God helps us avoid bitterness and feel compassion for enemies. When Bonhoeffer was imprisoned by the Nazis (before they executed him) he wrote to a good friend, “. . . it is only when God’s wrath and vengeance are hanging as grim realities over the heads of one’s enemies that something of what it means to love and forgive them can touch our hearts.
- An understanding of the wrath of God, is basic to understanding the atonement.
The list could go on and on. Pastors must be more willing to proclaim the truth of the wrath of God.
“Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God’s wrath remains on him.”(Jn 3:36, NIV).”
Amen.
I’m reminded of the following summary of the liberal gospel by
H. Richard Niebuhr: “A God without wrath brought men without sin into a kingdom without judgment through the ministrations of a Christ without a Cross.”
Thanks Gunny. That’s a quote worth reflecting on.