Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God… Romans 12:19
5. God’s wrath is stored up
“Because of your hard and impenitent heart you are storing up wrath for yourself on the day of wrath when God’s righteous judgment will be revealed” (Rom. 2:5). The whole Bible story leads up to a day when God’s judgment will be revealed—fully, finally, and forever. This will be the day of wrath, the day when God will recompense every evil and bring to judgment every sin.
God will do this in perfect justice. No one will be indicted on a single sin that they did not commit. The punishment for every sin will match the crime. When the judgment is done, every mouth will be stopped, because everyone will know he (or she) was judged in righteousness and with justice. Then God will usher in a new heaven and a new earth—the home of righteousness.
6. God’s wrath is on sinners
“Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him” (John 3:36). John does not say, “The wrath of God will come on [the disobedient].” He says, “The wrath of God remains on him.” It is already there. Because by nature we are children of wrath (Eph. 2:3).
Here we stand face-to-face with the human problem. If you ask, “What is the greatest human problem?” It is not that we are lost and need to find our way on a spiritual journey. It is not that we are wounded and need to be healed. The core problem is that we are sinners under the judgment of God, and the divine wrath hangs over us, unless and until it is taken away.
How has this challenged/strengthened your view of God’s wrath?
