The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness, since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. — Romans 1:18-19
Here the apostle Paul embarks on a profound journey through the realities that govern the universe. There is a holy God. There are moral absolutes. All have fallen short. All are without excuse. All of us were enemies of God. Yet while we were still God’s enemies, Jesus entered our world, endured ridicule, scorn and death for us. Now, by faith, in Christ, we walk in the Spirit, apart from any condemnation. Christ has triumphed, and, in Christ, we are more than conquerors.
There is a place for God’s wrath. Those who inhabit heaven know this well. Remember that the souls of those who gave their lives for the gospel cried out to God to avenge their blood. (Revelation 6:9-11) And, though vengeance does not belong to us, it does belong to God. (Romans 12:19)
In fact, without God’s wrath, there would be no salvation. There would be no vehicle to purge sin from our world and bring us into the New Jerusalem. God’s wrath will connect with every evil deed, word and thought that has ever been or ever will be committed. God’s wrath will be fully expressed against every one.
We who are Christians know that God’s wrath for our own evil has already been poured out on our Savior as He sacrificed His life for us.
By returning to the wrath of God, we remember that we have a God who cares. He cares about children who are neglected or abused. He cares about those who have been violated. He cares about those who have been deceived. He cares about those who have been traumatized or mistreated. There is almost no way to overstate the depth of his caring.
He cares so much about you that He is at war with everything that corrupts you. And you – whether you love God as His child or hate Him with all your heart – you will experience the totality of His victory.
Be encouraged!
Dwight
Dwight Clough is the author of four Christian books and is an active member of Lake City Church in Madison. This devotional is also available via email and you may review the archives back to 2002. To contact Dwight or Kim, use their contact form. You may also support their ministry.