President Franklin Roosevelt famously said, “the only thing we have to fear is fear itself.” He was referring to the run on US banks and how fear was exacerbating the economic crisis. While we understand the context of what FDR meant, that quote has been used often in relation to the stresses and fears of life.
But, it does beg the question…is fear really the only thing we have to fear? Isn’t fear sometimes a healthy thing. Like if you’re at African Lion Safari, shouldn’t you fear getting out of your car in the lion area? Or, shouldn’t you be afraid to go through a STOP sign because you might get T-boned? Conversely, there is fear that is unhealthy…like stress over work, finances, health, family issues, the future, security, and a long list of things we fear in society.
Recently, Pastor David Platt preached a fanastic sermon on the fear of the Lord. In it he said that “perhaps we fear so many things in life because we do not fear God’s wrath.” Let that sink in… “perhaps we fear so many things in life because we do not fear God’s wrath.”
Does that sound a little shocking? Well, it’s because it’s not a very popular sermon subject in today’s church. It’s sort of taboo and no one really likes bad news and it’s awkward. But, how dangerous it is not to draw attention to the very truth that God’s wrath is real. We can see God’s wrath throughout the Old Testament from the story of the golden calf to the Israelites captivity. In the New Testament, we are told that His wrath is righteous and is a necessary result of man’s sin…which we are all guilty of as we violate God’s holiness. So, what does God’s wrath look like and should we really fear it?
Well, as David Platt further said “we should be pointing out that you need to fear the One who can cast you into Hell?” Luke 16 says that hell is place of torment and anguish, Matthew 22 says it’s a terrifying place of outer darkness, 1 Thessalonians tells us it’s a place of eternal destruction. So, ya, that’s a fear that’s real and worth having. God’s wrath is a very real thing for those who are not covered in the righteousness of Christ. We should indeed fear God’s wrath and it should remind us of His holiness, for His wrath is right. JI Packer wrote in Knowing God that “God’s wrath in the Bible is never the capricious, self-indulgent, irritable, morally ignoble thing that human anger so often is. It is, instead, a right and necessary reaction to objective moral evil.”
God’s holy wrath is real and is to be feared.
Ah, but there’s good news. The Bible says that there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ (Romans 8:1). And, 1 Thess 1:10 says that Jesus saves believers from God’s wrath. Romans 5:9 says we are justified by Christ’s blood and saved from God’s wrath.
So, the reality of God’s wrath being poured out on those who have not received Christ should put Christians in high-gear to share the wonderful news of the salvation that’s available only through faith in Jesus Christ. Fellow followers of Jesus Christ, let us not forget to point out the reality of God’s wrath and the urgency that it should give us to tell others about his great love and salvation through the gospel of Jesus Christ.
