Introduction

Paul tells us about the blessed hope of the believer (Titus 2:11-14)

• Paul tells us how believers should live in the last days waiting for the coming of the Lord “the rapture”:
• Paul tells us that we were saved by the grace of God; and that this grace teaches us (V:11).
• Grace teaches us to renounce ungodliness and worldly desires, and to live soberly, righteously and Godly (V:12).
• Grace teaches us to wait and live with a joyful expectation for those who are being trained by the grace of God, in the expectation of the glorious manifestation of the great God and Savior Jesus Christ who saves us from His wrath (V:13-14).

When does the wrath of God begin?

• This is where confusion arises, because many think that God’s wrath is all of Daniel’s 70th week, and hence the belief in the pre-tribulation rapture.
• Not all of Daniel’s 70th week is God’s wrath, there are two sources of wrath; one is Satan’s and the other is God’s (Revelation 8:5-13; 9:1-21; 16:1-17, through Chapter 19:11-21).

The wrath of God comes from all of His perfection of His Holy and Righteous character

• It is sad to know that there are Christians who think they should apologize for God’s wrath, He does not hide the facts.
• God is holy and hates sin, and because He is a righteous Judge, His anger burns against the sin of the wicked (Deuteronomy 32:41; Psalm 7:11).
• Now, God’s wrath is as much a divine perfection as His faithfulness, His power or His mercy.
• For there is no stain in God, not the least defect in His character; yet there would be if wrath were absent from Him.
• How could God, who is the sum of all excellence, look with satisfaction upon virtue and vice, or wisdom and folly?
• How could God, who is infinitely holy, ignore sin and refuse to manifest His severity toward sin? (Romans 11:22).
• How could God, who delights only in the pure and the beautiful, not detest and hate that which is ungodly and vile?
• For the very nature of God makes hell a necessity as an imperative and eternal requirement, just as heaven is.
• The wrath of God is His abhorrence of all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth in unrighteousness (Romans 1:18).
• Robert Haldane comments: That the wrath of God was revealed when the sentence of death was first pronounced upon man, the curse of the earth, and man was cast out of paradise.
• The wrath of God was revealed in the flood and in the destruction of the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah with fire and brimstone from heaven.
• Paul tells us in Romans 8 that creation longs for the manifestation of the sons of God (8:19-21).
• The wrath of God was revealed from heaven when His Son experienced punishment on the cross for the sins of man in His sufferings and death in the most horrible manner which are all the signs that God showed His displeasure against sin.
• Therefore, there are two revelations given from heaven: One is grace and the other is wrath.
• When every person wanders from grace in their hearts so as not to repent and does not want to know His ways; God swore in His wrath, that they would not enter His rest (Psalm 95:10-11).
• There are two occasions when God swears an oath: One when He makes promises, and the other when He pronounces judgment (Genesis 22:16-17; Deuteronomy 1:34-36).
• So the Eternal God swears both by His holiness, as well as by His wrath (Psalm 89:35; 95:11).

I would like us to reflect on the wrath of God

• The wrath of God – is a perfection of the divine character which we need to meditate upon frequently.
• First, the wrath of God leads us to be duly impressed by God’s abhorrence of sin. For we are always apt to regard sin lightly, and to overlook how detestable sin is, and to make excuses for it.
• Second, the wrath of God leads us to have a true reverent fear of God in our souls (Hebrews 12:28-29).
• Third, the wrath of God leads us to dispose our souls in fervent praise for having been delivered from the wrath to come (Romans 5:9; I Thessalonians 1:10).
• If we do not meditate on the wrath and love of God, let us know this: Our willingness or our refusal to meditate on His wrath becomes a sure test of the true attitude of our hearts toward God.
• So, if we do not really rejoice in God for who He is in Himself, how does the love of God dwell in our hearts?
• Each one needs to be on guard and in prayer, against the idea of DEVISING an image of God in our thoughts that is patterned after our own EVIL INCLINATIONS (Psalm 50:21-23).

Conclusion

• Who can stand? When the Son of God Himself trembled under the weight of His wrath (Mark 14:33; Luke 22:41-44; Hebrews 5:7).
• Listen, friend and brother who hears me, if you have not run to seek the refuge of Christ, the only Savior, how will you do if you abuse the goodness of God!
• I never cease to admire the greatest miracle in the world, which is the patience and generosity of God toward an ungrateful humanity.
• Consider a king who pursued an enemy and hid himself in a place, but the king did not send him provisions, on the contrary, he besieged the place and did everything possible to make him die of hunger.
• But the great God, who could bring all his enemies to destruction, nevertheless endures them and maintains them at his expense daily.
• Therefore, run you that hears me, run to Christ! Flee from the wrath to come, and bear fruit worthy of repentance before it is too late! (Matthew 3:7-8; Luke 12:5).