The Wrath of God

Text: Hebrews 10:26-31

 

I.         Romans 1:18 warn of the wrath of God being revealed. How is His wrath revealed?

II.        God directly takes action

            A.        God destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah in His wrath - Deuteronomy 29:23

            B.        When people grumbled against Moses, God sent a plague - Numbers 16:42-46

III.       God allows the consequences of sin to punish sin

            A.        God will also allow sin to serve as its own punishment in hopes that a person will turn from the path he has chosen.

                        1.         For example, concerning homosexuality - Romans 1:27

                        2.         The typical homosexual has half the lifespan of a heterosexual. That fact ought to be a wake-up call.

            B.        When a man refuses to give up sin, God prepares for battle - Psalms 7:12-16

                        1.         How? God removes His protection and the wicked falls into his own trap.

                        2.         This is how societies decay - Romans 1:24, 26-27, 28

                        3.         They do it to themselves - Ephesians 4:19

                        4.         God declines to save the wicked from their wickedness

            C.        This is what God warned the Israelites about - Deuteronomy 31:17-18

                        1.         It is the result of God’s anger against sin

IV.      God will make use of others to punish sin

            A.        When Achan sinned at Jericho, God removed His help so that Israel lost at AI - Joshua 22:20

            B.        If sojourners were mistreated, God stated He would kill with the sword - Exodus 22:24

                        1.         Not that God would personally use a sword

                        2.         But that He would send in others to wield a sword in punishment

                        3.         Example: God sent Saul to punish the Amalekites for what was done - I Samuel 15:

                                    a.         Which he failed to do - I Samuel 28:18

            C.        God allowed Israel to fall on hard times and lose battles when they remained in sin - II Chronicles 29:6-9

                        1.         In essence, God removes His protection and allows the natural consequences of warring nations to take its toll

                        2.         Psalms 89:46 - God withdraws because of his anger

            D.        Governments - Romans 13:4

V.        The ultimate consequence of sin is eternal punishment

            A.        The Jews rejected God’s teachings, so they judged themselves unworthy of eternal life - Acts 13:46

            B.        We can’t say that God is mean or unfair. We did it to ourselves of our own free will - Romans 2:4-6

VI.      God does not want to display His wrath

            A.        I Thessalonians 5:9-10 - God’s goal for us is salvation

            B.        I Thessalonians 1:10 - He sent His Son to rescue us from the wrath to come