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 Introduction and Index To All Four Sections
On This Page
The Wrath of God
The Wrath and Judgment of God
God's Wrath Is His Response to Sin
God Hates Sin, But How Does He Define Sin and What Penalty Do Sinners Pay?
What is Sin?
The Price Of Sin.
With Prescribed Animal Sacrifices In Place, Why Did Jesus Have to Die?
Why Were the Old Testament Sacrifices Inadequate?
With Prescribed Animal Sacrifices In Place, Why Did Jesus Have to Die?
The blood of animal sacrifices was woefully inadequate
The Love of God
What exactly does this mean? Does He get all warm and gooey when He thinks of us or...
What Exactly is It That We Need Saving From?
The modern method of preaching the Gospel is not only shallow and horribly abbreviated, but it is also a perfect example of putting the cart before the horse.
The message should begin with the wrath of God. The bad news has to come before the good news. Telling someone that they can be saved is completely ridiculous if they neither know they are lost nor what it is they need to be saved from. Telling someone that there is a pardon available is an absolute waste of time, if the person does not know they are already condemned.
So, what do we need to be saved from?
The short answer is that we need saving from the wrath of the Father Himself.
The Wrath and Judgment of God
Tragically, we in the modern church have lost our fear of God.
Today's bumper sticker theology that says, "Smile, God Loves You!" is a gargantuan lie. People, both in the church and without, delude themselves that they are "not that bad" and because that benevolent grandfather in the sky loves them, He will overlook their 'small' mistakes. Because He is exceedingly patient, we fondly imagine He is okay with the way we live our lives. Nothing, but nothing, could be further from the truth. As said by David Servant...
There is not a single case in the book of Acts where anyone preaching the gospel told an unsaved audience that God loved them. Rather, the Biblical preachers warned their audiences that God did not approve of them, that they were in danger, and that they needed to make dramatic changes in their lives" [01].
(One of the most common 'opening statements' when sharing the good news of the gospel with an unbeliever about is to tell them that 'God loves them'. Is this accurate and is it even Biblical?) HERE
In both Old and New Testaments, the Bible labors the point that God is good to those who trust, follow, and obey Him and is terrible to those who do not. Both Testaments emphasize the reality and terror of God's wrath. Yet, in line with the modern philosophy of not offending anyone, today's largely sickly sweet, sentimental, and completely ineffective Christianity babbles on and on about the goodness and love of God, but almost totally ignores His wrath and judgment.
Unfortunately the English words "anger" or "wrath" can imply a very negative emotion. So we have to ask whether God is an endlessly angry Being that constantly flies off the handle, entertains vindictive personal feeling and unreasonable whims thus is constantly having to be appeased and mollified.
Actually not.
God's Wrath Is In Response to One Thing, and One Thing Only
From cover to cover, the Bible makes it clear that God hates sin and evil. See The Wrath of God Yet, there is little or no emphasis on sin in the modern church. It lies breathing its last, buried below mega star preachers, flamboyant preaching, worship teams that could find work in many Broadway productions, large "crusades", exciting "revivals". Glitz and glamour that Hollywood could be proud of. Regardless of the cost, the western world will have their entertainment..
See The Mile Wide And Inch Deep Flashy Mega-Churches - Their Very Expensive Entertainment,
Wealthy Celebrity Pastors With Deep Pockets And Self Serving Shallow Theology
While today's preferred view of God is to see Him strictly as a God of love, always bestowing wonderful things upon us and never causing any grief whatsoever, the fact remains that He Himself says He actually hates and withdraws from people who practice evil. Nor will He have the slightest qualm about judging them according to their deeds.
For You are not a God who takes pleasure in wickedness; No evil dwells with You. The boastful shall not stand before Your eyes; You hate all who do iniquity. You destroy those who speak falsehood; The Lord abhors the man of bloodshed and deceit. (Psalms 5:4-6 NASB)
The Lord tests the righteous and the wicked, And the one who loves violence His soul hates. (Psalms 11:5 NASB)
"I have forsaken My house, I have abandoned My inheritance; I have given the beloved of My soul Into the hand of her enemies. "My inheritance has become to Me Like a lion in the forest; She has roared against Me; Therefore I have come to hate her. (Jeremiah 12:7-8 NASB)
"I, the Lord, have spoken; it is coming and I will act. I will not relent, and I will not pity and I will not be sorry; according to your ways and according to your deeds I will judge you," declares the Lord God.'" (Ezekiel 24:14 NASB)
Their deeds will not allow them to return to their God. For a spirit of harlotry is within them, And they do not know the Lord. Moreover, the pride of Israel testifies against him, And Israel and Ephraim stumble in their iniquity; Judah also has stumbled with them. They will go with their flocks and herds To seek the Lord, but they will not find Him; He has withdrawn from them. (Hosea 5:4-6 NASB)
All their evil is at Gilgal; Indeed, I came to hate them there! Because of the wickedness of their deeds I will drive them out of My house! I will love them no more; All their princes are rebels. (Hosea 9:15 NASB)
Yet, for the most part, today's 'Christian' world immersed in their endless round of 'Christian' concerts, conferences, bingo games, coffee klatschs, men's breakfasts, choir practice, and Christmas pageants seems to have lost sight of what God thinks of sin. The never ending supply of 'Christian' books so devoured by churchians are largely focused on self-improvement, becoming a leader, and 'being the best you can be'. No wonder they are so popular. See Why The Fire Hasn’t Fallen
What they rarely or never warn people about is His wrath.
But we wont be able to ignore it too much longer.
In Genesis 15:13-16 God told Abraham that Israel would endure slavery in Egypt but would return to the Promised Land after four generations. The reason God gave for the long period of time was because "the iniquity of the Amorite" was not yet complete. This tells us that much as God abhors all sin, the iniquity of the entire nation had to reach a certain level before He would act. When their evildoing reached its limit, He would allow the descendants of Abraham to dispossess them and take their land.
It is exactly the same with us. As of right now the iniquity of the Gentiles is not yet full, but there is a day looming on the horizon when mankind will push the boundaries and exhaust the Father's patience. When that happens, His fury at man's cruelty, greed and sheer inhumanity will spill over.
Thus I will punish the world for its evil and the wicked for their iniquity; I will also put an end to the arrogance of the proud and abase the haughtiness of the ruthless. I will make mortal man scarcer than pure gold and mankind than the gold of Ophir. (Isaiah 13:11-12 NASB)
There will be tribulation and distress for every soul of man who does evil, of the Jew first and also of the Greek, but glory and honor and peace to everyone who does good, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. For there is no partiality with God. (Romans 2:9-11 NASB)
For this you know with certainty, that no immoral or impure person or covetous man, who is an idolater, has an inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God. Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience. (Ephesians 5:5-6 NASB)
The pictures of Jesus as a rather ascetic, gentle, and - may I say it? a soppy looking individual cradling a lamb have so influenced our perspective of Him that we are apparently quite blind to His other side. Yes, He is gentle with His flock but the book of Revelation paints a metaphorical yet very alarming picture of the 'King of kings' who, in the final moments of this era, will ride down on a white horse followed by the armies of Heaven. He will be clothed in a robe dipped in blood, His eyes will be a flame of fire, and He will carry a sharp sword to strike down the nations and treads the wine press of the fierce wrath of God. On His robe is written, "King Of Kings, and Lord Of Lords" (Revelation 19:11-16) See The Day of The Lord
How bad will it get? Pretty horrible when the Savior Himself stressed that even being maimed is preferable to continuing in sin and incurring the Father's wrath.
If your hand or your foot causes you to sin cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life maimed or crippled than to have two hands or two feet and be thrown into eternal fire. And if your eye causes you to sin, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life with one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into the fire of hell" (Matthew 18:7-9). See What and Where is Hell?
Having established that God hates sin and will punish evildoers the trillion dollar question that has to be asked is
What Is Sin?
Over the last few decades the word "sin" has become increasingly obsolete - often considered a holdover concept from some primitive and/or rather naive religious beliefs. Even those who believe in a higher power have very varied ideas about sin and its consequences - or lack of.
I have little doubt that most people in the western world do not see themselves as sinners, but as 'not perfect'. 'Sinners' usually defined as the murderers, terrorists, rapists and child molesters of the world.
Many believe that there is no absolute moral law. And if there happens to be a God against whom we sin, He is too "loving" to actually hold our 'mistakes' against us, much less punish us for them.
In an almost universal 'Santa Claus' mentality many believe that, when we die, our good and bad deeds will be weighed on a pair of divine scales to determine whether we will spend eternity balancing on a white fluffy cloud strumming a harp, or in a blistering cauldron being constantly poked by a guy in a red suit and horns.
The problem is that none of these views come anywhere near agreeing with what the Bible tells us.
In the New Testament sin as a noun has been overwhelmingly translated from the Greek noun Hamartias (derived from the verb hamartanó) is defined by Strongs lexicon as...
to miss the mark (and so not share in the prize), that is, (figuratively) to err, especially (morally) to sin:
Paul’s use of hamartano in Romans 3 makes it very clear that the "mark" or target that the Scriptures refer to is the perfection of God Himself. He is the standard of holiness.
for all have sinned (Gk. hamartano) and fall short of the glory of God, (Romans 3:23 NASB) (See Sin)
Considering that the Bible doesn't mince words when it speaks of the consequences of sin, the people who consider themselves 'not perfect' have a bigger problem than they may be aware of
For More See What Is Sin? - Old Testament Word Study. But please let us not forget that the Father has offered us forgiveness for any and ALL sins - large or small. See Repentance
If you think the Bible is preposterously harsh when it says that even a tiny infraction deserve death, you may never have taken the time to envision a world completely free of any wrong doing (sin). Perhaps you should do so now - Footnote I has a few thoughts to get you started. Regardless, an idyllic world free from the ravages of all evil, disease, and death is, and always has been God's ultimate plan for our planet. He calls it "Heaven".
See What and Where is Heaven?
Christians who believe they will spend an eternity in "heaven", seem to have little or no idea where this heaven is, what it will look like, or what they will do there. Either they have fleeting, half formed ideas about some ethereal place 'out there', or resort to pious phrases that amount to little more than spiritual gobbledy gook. If this is the best we can do then it is little wonder that non Christians are not in the slightest bit interested in our "heaven", and Christians themselves so rarely seem to look forward to the coming of the day of God. Everyone has the same access to His mercy provided we repent AND turn from whatever wrongdoing we are guilty of.
The Price Of Sin
Not only did Romans 6:23 clearly state that the consequences of sin is death, but the animal sacrifices of the Old Testament were a vivid reminder that God demanded death as a punishment for every wrongdoing. As Hebrews 9:22 says
"..all things are cleansed with blood, and without shedding of blood there is no forgiveness."
Thus whenever a person sins he or she immediately comes under the death penalty - that is they pay with their life. This was first seen as far back as Genesis 2:17 when God told Adam and eve
"But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die."
Because atonement for sin is only made by the shedding of blood the animal functioned as a substitute for the offender and bore the punishment of the person who had sinned whether mistakenly, inadvertently, due to moral weakness, or those committed willfully or "with a high hand". Note:because life is in the blood rather than the flesh it is considered a "blood sacrifice".
With Prescribed Animal Sacrifices In Place, Why Did Jesus Have to Die?
Anyone who has asked the question why Christ had to come to earth to shed His blood and die for for our sins will want to read Hebrews 10:1-4. However, although these four verses give us important information they do not really answer the question of why the OT sacrifices failed to make the offerer perfect, nor why animal blood could not take sin away.
For the Law, since it has only a shadow of the good things to come and not the very form of things, can never, by the same sacrifices which they offer continually year by year, make perfect those who draw near. Otherwise, would they not have ceased to be offered, because the worshipers, having once been cleansed, would no longer have had consciousness of sins? But in those sacrifices there is a reminder of sins year by year. For it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins. (NASB)
So perhaps the following will provide clarification.
Yom Kippur: the daily animal sacrifices only covered sins (Heb. châtâ), not the evil inclinations of the heart (âvôn) nor wilful and knowing rebellion (pesha). See What Is Sin? - Old Testament Word Study. The only atonement for iniquity and rebellion was on Yom Kippur - the Day of Atonement observed once a year.
"On this day shall atonement be made for you, to cleanse you; from all your sins you shall be clean before the Lord" (Leviticus 16:30).
On this the most solemn and important holy day on the Jewish calendar, the High Priest offered an atoning sacrifice for the sins of the people. It was a day on which no food or drink could be consumed and all work was forbidden. The momentousness of the occasion was highlighted by the fact that God said that anyone who did not "afflict his soul" on that day would be cut off from the community.
Leviticus 16 tells us that on Yom Kippur the high priest Aaron took two goats and presented them before the Lord at the doorway of the tent of meeting. He then "cast lots for the two goats, one lot for the Lord and the other lot for the scapegoat" (Vs. 7-8). As in all the other sin offerings one goat was sacrificed as a sin offering (Heb. chattâ'âh), but the other was sent alive into the wilderness after Aaron confessed all the nations iniquities (Heb. âvôn) and transgressions (Heb. pesha) over it.
In other words, people's rebellion and evil inclinations (not just their actual actions) were symbolically placed on the head of the goat and sent away.
However, we come back to the statement made by the author of Hebrews in chapter 10 - "it is impossible that the blood of bulls and goats should take away sins"
The Old Covenant's Fundamental weakness
In the second verse of chapter 10 the author of Hebrews also said the "sacrifices which they offer continually year by year" could never make perfect those who draw near. He then went on to ask
Otherwise, would they not have ceased to be offered, because the worshipers, having once been cleansed, would no longer have had consciousness of sins?
In other words, the fact that the blood sacrifices had to be offered over and over again points to the Old Covenant's inherent weakness. If the blood of bulls and goats had procured complete forgiveness and totally cleansed the sinners by removing past sins there would have been no need for the sacrifices to be repeated year after year.
Note: The phrase "no longer have had consciousness of sins" does not mean that the person would forget that that he was a sinner, but that he would no longer be concerned that he or she would be the target of God's wrath.
The Blood of Animal Sacrifices Was Woefully Inadequate
The word atonement translated from the Hebrew kâphar is found nearly 80 times in the Pentateuch alone and has both a literal and figurative meaning. Literally it means to cover (specifically with bitumen *). Figuratively it means to expiate or condone, to placate or appease, to make atonement for.
However, the author of Hebrews tells us with very good reason that "it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins". In fact, Hebrews 10:6 says the Father took no pleasure in the Old Testament burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin and two verses later (V. 8) informs us that God "did not desire nor had pleasure in them.
Although all the sacrificial animals were valuable, their lives were not worth as much as a human's life was. Because one simply cannot redeem something of greater value with something of lesser value. The sacrifice had to be worth at least as much or more than the sinner's life. Thus the animal sacrifices of the Old Testament only 'covered over' or temporarily hid the sins of the people. A sacrifice much greater than a mere bull or goat was required to ensure the sin of all mankind were forgiven, removed, and forgotten. The only blood sacrifice that was worth much, much more than required to pay for sins of the entire planet past and future was that shed by Jesus Christ.
Note: To buy something means to acquire in exchange for money or its equivalent. However, to 'redeem' means to recover ownership by paying a specified sum. In other words, to buy back. As Peter wrote "we were not redeemed with perishable things like silver or gold but with precious blood - the blood of Christ. (1 Peter 1:18 NASB)
Yom Kippur Was a 'Type'
Nonetheless, the animal sacrifices of the Old Testament - especially Yom Kippur was important - very important.
It was a "type" - a temporary measure put in place in anticipation of the main event that, at the time, was far in the future. Yom Kippur foreshadowed the death of the coming Messiah - "the Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world" (John 1:29). (See Typology)
That the Suffering Servant came so that our sins and iniquities would be forgiven was vividly described by Isaiah many centuries before Jesus' birth.
But He was pierced through for our transgressions (Heb. pesha), He was crushed for our iniquities (Heb. âvôn); The chastening for our well-being fell upon Him, And by His scourging we are healed. All of us like sheep have gone astray, Each of us has turned to his own way; But the Lord has caused the iniquity (âvôn ) of us all To fall on Him. (Isaiah 53:5-6 NASB)
Sent by the Father, Jesus Christ saved us from the death penalty by dying in our place, offering safety from the wrath of God Himself for all those who choose to put their trust in and follow Him. If that sounds a little odd to you look at it this way - God Himself said the penalty of sin is death.
Perfect justice means He doesn't break His own laws.
Infinite love means He sent His own Son to pay the penalty that the law demands.
Under the New Covenant sins are not only forgiven but also forgotten. As Hebrews 10:17 (quoting Jeremiah 31:34) goes on to say "their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more.'"
Note: Jesus is not one of many ways to heaven; He is the ONLY way. As He said in John 14:6... "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me". See All Paths One Destination?)
But lets talk about the love of God for a moment.
The Love of God
Please note that the word love in the New Testament, usually translated from the Greek Agape, has little to do with affection, fondness, or mushy sentimentality that never says a harsh word. In fact, it has nothing at all to do with feelings.
Agape is stretching out ones hand to another person whether or not you approve of them, or even like them.
For example, most people would throw a life jacket to a drowning man, even if the person in the water was someone they had few good feelings for. Thus the Bible's instructions for us to love our neighbour does not mean we are always going to like them - which would be impossible considering we sometimes find ourselves very inclined to hit them over the head with something large and heavy.
Loving our neighbour means feeding them if they are hungry, clothing them if they are cold or, most importantly, telling them the glad news of the Gospel if they are unbelievers. It often entails putting another's needs before our own.
This is exactly the kind of love that God has demonstrated. When the Bible says 'God loves us' let us please not delude ourselves that He thinks humans are pretty cool and gets all warm and gooey when He thinks of us. God's love means that He cares enough to want us not to perish. In fact, He cares so much that in His Grace (defined as unmerited favor), gave His Son's life so that we didn't have to. You did notice the word "unmerited". Of course you did.
However, we also need to note that, on the other hand, the Bible speaks of many, many righteous people of whom He approved.. including Abraham, Noah, Job, Daniel, David, Cornelius etc. See
Filthy Rags
Isaiah 64:6 has long been used as a 'proof-text' to establish the idea that everything the natural man does is wicked... even good deeds. The problem being that everyone seems to ignore both the textual and historical context. To say nothing of the fact that the Bible often speaks of "righteous" people.
None That Seeketh?
Romans 3:11-18 is often quoted to bolster the claims of universal depravity - that no one ever seeks after God. However, if you were to examine the source of Paul's quotes, you would realize that the Psalms in question often spoke of God's protection and favor towards the virtuous people of the day. The million dollar question then is why Paul presented one side of the coin, but ignored the verses that speak of God's support and favor for those who feared Him. The answer is very simple ...
Footnote I - A World Without Sin
What would it be like to never have to worry about the safety of our children, and never have to lock the doors to our homes or cars. A young woman could walk home late in the evening and know she would get there safely. What would it be like if our leaders and public servants told nothing but the truth? Children would be raised in the security of two parents who are committed to one another. Think about it! No theft, vandalism, arson, drug addiction, abuse of any kind, rape, murder, or pornography. In fact no crime period
While there is little doubt that some crimes arise out of need and desperation, the vast amounts of funds we would save on our police force, judiciary, armed forces, jails and related organizations would ensure that no one would be in want. Are we getting the picture yet?
Perhaps the Bible has a point after all.
However, I am sure many can understand why a murderer or rapist does not deserve to live but fail to comprehend how a tiny infraction can deserve death. So perhaps it would be useful to ask the question of where one draws the line between a 'big sin' and a 'small' one?
If I as a 'friend' of yours, picked up a paper clip from your desk without permission, you probably wouldn’t give it a passing thought. If, instead of a paper clip I walked off with a dollar bill you probably would give it a second thought, or two, or three. But ultimately are likely to forget about it. However, I doubt that would be quite your attitude had it been a hundred dollar bill and, as awkward as it might be, you would not be likely to let it go.
So where shall we draw the line between a paper clip and a hundred dollar bill? At a penny? A dime? A fiver? And how much are you willing to bet that, if asked, ten people would give ten different answers.
Cultures and people across the globe have different standards - So whose standard shall we judge by?
God made it simple. He set the standard... He said 'No sin'. Think of it this way as pastor Greg Koukl put it,
If you sinned just once a day, for 60 years (Not necessarily rape and murder, but the so called smaller sins... lust, envy, greed etc.) the total number of sins, added up over your lifetime, would be 21,900. Do you seriously think any judge would let you off the hook with that kind of rap sheet?
But please let us not forget that the Father has offered us forgiveness for any and ALL sins - large or small. Everyone has the same access to His mercy provided we repent AND turn from whatever wrongdoing we are guilty of. See Repentance. (PLACE IN TEXT)
Continue On To Part II - Repentance, Biblical Faith and the Lordship of Christ.
It is hugely important to understand that salvation involves more than simply affirming in one's mind that Jesus is Lord and Savior - repentance and faith both being absolute requirements for forgiveness. Also close to 60% of the New Testament books never mention Jesus as Savior even once. Instead, He is referred to as "Lord" over six hundred times in the New Testament, but the Greek word soter (deliverer or savior) is used a mere 24 times in the New Testament.. Bearing this in mind let us remember that it isn’t enough to just acknowledge Jesus as Savior. HERE.
End Notes
[01] God's Love/Hate Relationship with the World. © Shepherd Serve 2013 – The Teaching Ministry of David Servant.
http://www.heavensfamily.org/ss/e_teachings/2005_07
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