By Brother Michel Lankford
The Wrath of Man
When God does something it comes out of His nature. God is love, (1 John 4:7-8). God is also perfectly righteous, (Deuteronomy 4:32). When God experiences wrath, it is because His Standards of Love and Righteousness have been repeatedly violated. We human beings experience wrath out of our own nature as well. The problem is that we are not yet perfected. So, it is equally likely that when we experience wrath it could be out of our sinful and selfish nature, rather than love and righteousness. God can experience wrath without losing an ounce of righteousness, but we as human beings might not be capable of that. That’s why we little children of God should not given to our temptations toward wrath; because we are likely to sin, where God would never sin. For a human being, wrath is more likely to be a loss of control and a glorified temper tantrum, more than it is an expression of true righteousness before God.
As It Is Written:
“This you know, my beloved brethren. But everyone must be quick to hear, slow to speak and slow to anger; for the anger of man does not achieve the righteousness of God. Therefore, putting aside all filthiness and all that remains of wickedness, in humility receive the word implanted, which is able to save your souls. But prove yourselves doers of the word, and not merely hearers who delude themselves.
(James 1:19–22 NASB95)
The Wrath of God
When used in reference to YHWH Almighty God, the word wrath refers to His absolute opposition, and fierce anger or hostility toward sin and evil. The idea behind this word is that the anger is so pronounced that it guarantees absolute punishment if the thing causing the wrath is not repented from.
What Invokes the Wrath of YHWH Almighty God?
Refusing to obey Yahshua/Jesus (ישוע) the Messiah:
As It Is Written:
““He who believes in the Son has eternal life; but he who does not obey the Son will not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him.” (John 3:36 NASB95)
All who practice ungodliness and unrighteousness, (see Romans 1:18-32), including the following:
Suppressing or trying to undermine righteousness with wicked efforts.
Trying to suppress the truth with unrighteousness, (Romans 1:18-19).
Refusing to acknowledge YHWH as being God, (Romans 1:21).
Refusing to be grateful to YHWH Almighty God, (Romans 1:21).
Futile speculations, and foolishness of heart, (Romans 1:21)
Pretending and claiming to be wise, while thinking and behaving foolishly, (Romans 1:22).
Exchanging the glory of the incorruptible God, for earthly incorruptible things, (Romans 1:23).
If this kind of stuff continues long enough, God will turn us over to the sinfulness which we repeatedly choose to indulge in, (Romans 1:24)
People our turned over to sexual immorality and lust, (Romans 1:24).
People who prefer to believe lies, instead of believing the truth, (Romans 1:25; 2 Thessalonians 2:7-12).
People who worship THINGS that God created, instead of worshiping God himself, (Romans 1:25).
Because people continue to do these evil things, God gives them over to their own lusts and degrading passions, including homosexuality and all manner of sexual immorality, (Romans 1:26-27; Leviticus 18:22; Leviticus 20:13; 1 Corinthians 6:9-10).
As people continue to do what God considers to be wicked, God gives them over to a depraved mind, so that they will give into their self-indulgence, and they will do things which are not proper, (Romans 1:28).
Being filled with all manner of unrighteousness and wickedness
Being Filled with Greed
Being filled with evil
Being full of envy
Being full of murder
Being full of strife/contention
Being full of deceit
Being full of malice
Being gossips
Practicing slander against people
Hatred against God, (Rejecting His Standards, and rejecting His Commandments, (Deuteronomy 7:9; Isaiah 5:20-24).
Being insolent/insulting
Being arrogant
Being boastful
Inventing or looking for and finding evil things to do
Being disobedient to parents, (or promoting rebellion).
Refusing to gain understanding
Being untrustworthy
Being unloving, [as God defines that term; 1 Corinthians 13:4-8].
Being unmerciful
Treating evil things as though they were good, and giving praise and honor to evil things even when we know that those evil things will produce God’s judgment and wrath against people, (Romans 1:29-32).
Those who operate within selfish ambition, (Romans 2:8).
Those who seek their own revenge, (Romans 12:19)
Immorality and impurity, (Ephesians 5:3)
Filthiness, silly talking, and dirty jokes, (Ephesians 5:4)
Immorality, impurity, and coveting, and idolatry (Ephesians 5:5)
As It Is Written:
“Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience. Therefore, do not be partakers with them; for you were formerly darkness, but now you are Light in the Lord; walk as children of Light (Ephesians 5:6–8 NASB95; cf. Colossians 3:1-6).
Ephesians 5:6–8 NASB95;
Beloved, that is just the briefest overview of what invokes the wrath of God, even according to the New Testament. We must take it seriously and repent from these things, because the wrath of God is coming on the children of disobedience.
Within Galatians 5:20 are the works of the flesh, how would you define Wrath?