But you, you are to be feared! Who can stand before you when once your anger is roused? (Psalm 76:7)
When we think about the attributes and qualities of God, we tend to focus on His mercy, love or faithfulness. However, we may shy away from God’s righteous wrath and justice towards sinners because it makes us feel uncomfortable. We then end up creating a god in our minds based on our preferences instead of who trusting in who God revealed Himself to be in His word.
God’s anger and wrath are not the same reactions of an abusive parent or hot-headed authority figure. John Piper defines the wrath of God as His “settled anger toward sin expressed in the repayment of suitable vengeance on the guilty sinner.”
God’s wrath is good news, because it means that God will rightly repay those who have oppressed and abused other people. But God’s wrath also means that we are deserving of it too because we all rebelled against God’s perfect rule. But in God’s great love, He saves those who humbly come to Him. When we trust in Jesus who took the wrath of God for us, we receive the blessings that are deserving of Jesus for His perfect obedience. Let’s respond to God’s righteous wrath by standing in awe of His greatness and expressing gratitude to Him for His kindness in Jesus.