Is wrath an attribute of God? Is wrath a feature of God's nature or is it something else? In answering, will we emphasize cultural acceptability or biblical truth?
Today, more than half a century since Pink's death, the debate continues as to whether wrath is a feature of God's nature and character. One argument is that God is perfect, so even his wrath against sin is perfect, not vindictive or malicious. Another viewpoint is that wrath does sound old fashioned and out of touch with our sensibilities.
Nevertheless the Bible plainly associates anger, fury and wrath with God as well as it companions love and holiness and mercy with God. D. A. Carson distinguishes wrath as an outworking of God's holiness or an outworking of God's attribute of justice, rather than as an attribute of God as holiness, righteousness, sovereignty and omniscience are. Wrath then, reflects his righteousness and holiness, his morality and purity. I personally prefer this approach.
Predating Pink, maybe the most notable
sermon ever preached from his point of view was Jonathan Edwards' 'Sinners in
the Hands of an Angry God.' This a mere sample of Edwards' scathing indictment against sinners.
O sinner! consider the fearful danger you are in. It is a great
furnace of wrath, a wide and bottomless pit full of the fire of wrath, that you
are held over in the hand of that God, whose wrath is provoked and incensed as
much against you, as against many of the damned in hell. You hang by a slender
thread, with the flames of divine wrath flashing about it, and ready every
moment to singe it and burn it asunder. …Consider this, you that are here
present, that yet remain in an unregenerate state. That God will execute the
fierceness of his anger implies that he will inflict wrath without any
pity."
Even Pink felt that such a sermon would be considered
unsuitable even in the context of his own times. So are we talking about
cultural acceptability or biblical truth?
This is a great discussion. I think it is permissible to speak, as DA Carson does of wrath being an expression of God's Justice and Holiness. It would be a lot like saying, "part of Johnny's character is anger". I think you can say that Johnny has depression, has jealousy issues, has hotheadedness, but anger is secondary. So, I think is wrath. God has wrath because the Holy God hates sin. God has wrath against sin because he is just and sin is against His righteous standard.
ReplyDeleteAs to Jonathan Edward's message, it is beyond the most heavy messages of our day, but maybe it should not be, on the odd occasion.
Thank you for your musings, once again dear brother.