What is the biblical understanding of the wrath of God?

Answer

Wrath is defined as “the emotional response to perceived wrong and injustice,” often translated as “anger,” “indignation,” “vexation,” or “irritation.” Both humans and God express wrath. However, there is a vast difference between the wrath of God and the wrath of man. God’s wrath is holy and always justified; man’s wrath is never holy and rarely justified.

In the Old Testament, the wrath of God is a divine response to human sin and disobedience. Idolatry was most often the cause for divine wrath. Psalm 78:56-66 describes Israel’s idolatry. God’s wrath is consistently directed towards those who do not follow His will (Deuteronomy 1:26-46;Joshua 7:1;Psalm 2:1-6). The Old Testament prophets often spoke of a future day, the “day of wrath” (Zephaniah 1:14-15). God’s wrath against sin and disobedience is perfectly justified because His plan for mankind is holy and perfect, just as God Himself is holy and perfect. God provided a way to receive divine favor—repentance—which turns God’s wrath away from the sinner. Rejecting that perfect plan means rejecting God’s love, mercy, grace, and favor, and incurring His righteous wrath.

The New Testament also upholds the idea of God as a God of wrath who judges sin. The parable of the rich man and Lazarus illustrates God’s judgment and the severe consequences for the unrepentant sinner (Luke 16:19-31). John 3:36 states, “Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God’s wrath remains on him.” Those who believe in the Son will not face God’s wrath for their sin, as the Son bore God’s wrath when He died in our place on the cross (Romans 5:6-11). Those who do not believe in the Son, who do not receive Him as Savior, will be judged on the day of wrath (Romans 2:5-6).

Conversely, human wrath is warned against in Romans 12:19, Ephesians 4:26, and Colossians 3:8-10. God alone is able to avenge because His vengeance is perfect and holy, whereas man’s wrath is sinful, opening him up to demonic influence. For the Christian, anger and wrath are inconsistent with our new nature, which is the nature of Christ Himself “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.”, (2 Corinthians 5:17). To realize freedom from the domination of wrath, the believer needs the Holy Spirit to sanctify and cleanse his heart of feelings of wrath and anger. Romans 8 shows victory over sin in the life of one who is living in the Spirit (Romans 8:5-8). Philippians 4:4-7 tells us that the mind controlled by the Spirit is filled with peace.

The wrath of God is a fearsome and terrifying thing. Only those who have been covered by the blood of Christ, shed for us on the cross, can be assured that God’s wrath will never fall on them. “Since we have now been justified by His blood, how much more shall we be saved from God’s wrath through Him!” “Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him.”, (Romans 5:9).