Get ready. A storm is coming. A big one. The biggest one this world has seen in thousands of years. In fact, it's going to destroy the world. Why? Because of God's anger toward sin. Think "Noah's Ark: Part Two." Rubber rafts won't do. This thing is going to last almost six weeks.What? You don't believe me? Why not?
Consider this passage from Isaiah 54:9-10:
"For this is like the days of Noah to Me, When I swore that the waters of Noah would not flood the earth again; So I have sworn that I will not be angry with you nor will I rebuke you. For the mountains may be removed and the hills may shake, but My lovingkindness will not be removed from you, and My covenant of peace will not be shaken," says the Lord who has compassion on you.
God spoke in this text about the "Covenant of Peace" He was making with his people. What was included in that covenant? 1.I will not be angry with you. 2. My lovingkindness won't be taken away from you. 3. My covenant of peace toward you won't ever be disturbed.
Can you see how this covenant of peace was a foreshadowing of the New Covenant that Jesus came to ratify and activate? Did He succeed? Of course, He did. You and I live under a covenant of peace now, through God's grace.
Why, then, are we still often taught that God is angry with us about our sins? God, Himself, said, "This reminds me of Noah's day." Just like then, He has given us His Word that He won't ever become angry with us again.
If you go to church Sunday and the pastor tells the people that another flood is coming, nobody will believe Him. They know better. Let him tell those same people that God is angry because of their sins and many of them will say "Amen!" and believe every word of it.
Let's believe God's complete word. He's not angry with you and never will be. He has give us His Word on that. You don't have to build an ark. In fact, you don't even have to buy an umbrella. It's all good.
Steve,
ReplyDeleteI know many pastors who would read this and shudder and exclaim, "Don't tell people that God's not mad with them about their sin, or they'll think they can do whatever they want to!" The sheep will run wild.
Thanks for sharing the truth. Knowing that God isn't angry with me actually encourages me NOT to sin, rather than vice versa.
Mark
I also agree that we should believe "God's complete word". Hebrews 12 says that God rebukes, disciplines and punishes those whom He loves. And the parable of the unmerciful servant in Matt 18 speaks of God's anger toward the unforgiving. 1 Thess 4:3-7 says the following:
ReplyDelete"It is God's will that you should be sanctified: that you should avoid sexual immorality; that each of you should learn to control his own body in a way that is holy and honorable, not in passionate lust like the heathen, who do not know God; and that in this matter no one should wrong his brother or take advantage of him. The Lord will punish men for all such sins, as we have already told you and warned you. For God did not call us to be impure, but to live a holy life."
So it's not really so cut and dry as saying everybody that "believes God's complete word" would agree that God will never get angry with sin again. If we are going to look at God's complete word, let's really look at His complete word, instead of just the portion that supports your claim.
Rusty, I too believe that God becomes angry with sin. In fact, He hates it, but He doesn't become angry with us. Does He chastise? Of course, but it's in love not anger. He hates sin in our lives like I've hated the cancer in friends whose lives were devastated by it. I hated the cancer, not them. God is angry with sin, not the believer who sins.
ReplyDeleteThe verse you quoted about HEATHEN proves my point. They will be punished for their sins. We have been forgiven, so let's not act like those who haven't accepted God's acceptance and stubbornly cling to their sins all the way to punishment for them in the end.
Your accusation that I only have looked at passages that "support my claims" comes from the fact that you don't know me. I might respond by saying the same about you, but rather than do that, I suggest that we give each other the benefit of the doubt and both assume that we each have sincerely studied God's Word and come to different conclusions on the matter.