Thursday, October 19, 2006

Wrath: A function of Holiness

Wrath, like love, includes emotion as a necessary component. Here again, if impassibility is defined in terms of the complete absence of all “passions,” not only will you fly in the face of the biblical evidence, but you will tumble into fresh errors that touch the very holiness of God. The reason is that in itself, wrath, unlike love, is not one of the intrinsic perfections of God. Rather, it is a function of God’s holiness against sin. Where there is no sin, there is no wrath—but there will always be love in God. Where God in his holiness confronts his image-bearers in their rebellion, there must be wrath, or God is not the jealous God he claims to be, and his holiness is impugned. The price of diluting God’s wrath is diminishing God’s holiness.
[Carson, D. A., The Difficult Doctrine of the Love of God (Crossway Books, 2000), pg. 67].

1 comment:

Eddie said...

Hi Mike.

I feel that today, it is not at all popular to talk about the wrath of God, His righteous anger against sin. People would rather quote 1 John 4:8. "God is love."

As His people we should understand that God's wrath is continuously against sin because people continue to sin. And yes, God's Holiness demands that there be wrath against sin.

However, how blessed are we that God tempers His Wrath with Mercy! God delights in Mercy. We need only look to the cross.

However, we cannot allow ourselves to remain in sin. That would, as is mentioned, make the Holiness of God less than it is and show contempt for His Mercy.

Just Thoughts.

God Bless.