It is nice and pleasant to think about the love of God. It is very comforting to contemplate His mercy and long-suffering. To spend time reflecting on the grace of God and all that we have as a result of that grace is good for the soul. However, how often do you think about the wrath of God?

To many people there is no such thing as God’s wrath. He is viewed as a Being Who never gets angry at anything or anybody. These people, however, have not read the Bible, or at least not very carefully. A casual reading of the Bible should assure all of us that God’s wrath is real. Let’s notice some of those who will experience it.

Those who do not believe in Jesus (John 3:36) 

John writes that those who believe in Jesus have everlasting life. The truth is it is only through Jesus that the life under consideration can be obtained. God sent His Son to save the world from sin (John 3:16). Sadly, not all will believe on Jesus, and those who do not will not see life. John uses the word “see” to denote experiencing something. For example, in John 3:3 John quotes Jesus as saying, “…Verily, verily, I say unto thee, except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” We know that Jesus is not talking about seeing the kingdom with the physical eye since the kingdom would not be of a physical nature. In fact, Jesus affirmed that the kingdom would not come with observation (Luke 17:20). When Jesus spoke of seeing the kingdom, He was speaking of experiencing citizenship in the kingdom by entering it (John 3:5). It is in this sense that John spoke of seeing life. Only those who believe on Jesus will experience everlasting life, and everyone else will experience the wrath of God.

Those who are ungodly and unrighteous (Romans 1:18)

It is not enough to believe that Jesus is the Son of God. Many people who do so will not be saved in the end (Matthew 7:21-23). A person must live according to God’s will to enter the kingdom of heaven. Walking in the light is the only way to maintain a good relationship with Him (1 John 1:7). Those who are unrighteous will experience the wrath of God. The unrighteous are those who have violated God’s law, either by the life they live or by an impure heart. All who sin are unrighteous until that sin is covered by God (Romans 4:7). How does God cover sin? He does so by forgiving those who obey the gospel of Christ (Romans 1:16). When one obeys the gospel by repenting of his sins, confessing his faith in Christ, and being buried in the waters of baptism, his sins are washed away by the blood of Christ. It is at this time that this righteousness of God is imputed unto him (Romans 4:6), and he escapes the wrath of God (Romans 5:9).

Another group that will experience the wrath of God are the ungodly. They are those who have an improper attitude towards God. Thayer describes it as a “want of reverence toward God.” This ungodliness is eventually demonstrated by one’s actions; that is, the ungodly will eventually live in open rebellion against God and will thus be storing up for themselves wrath (Romans 2:5, 8).

The children of disobedience (Ephesians 5:6; Colossians 3:6) 

All who are in the world are children of disobedience, for they have yet to obey God’s plan of salvation. But, children of disobedience can also refer to wayward members of the body of Christ. Anyone who lives in sin, saint or sinner alike, is a child of disobedience. We all must choose whose child we want to be and who do we want to be our father—God or Satan? Do you want to be called a child of God or a child of the devil? The decision is not only who your father will be, but where you will spend eternity. Children of God will spend eternity with Him. Children of disobedience will spend eternity experiencing the wrath of God in the fire prepared for the devil and his angels.

Yes, God is a God of wrath. The justice e of God demands that He punish those who violate His will; thus, someday His wrath will be poured out on those who believe not in Jesus, live ungodly lives, or who refuse to obey Him. Thankfully, He is also a God of mercy. He has demonstrated His willingness to forgive us and give us another chance when we sin, but we must act. We must work out our own salvation (Philippians 2:12) by responding to the gospel invitation and repenting of our sins when we fall short (1 John 1:7-9). In doing this, we will escape God’s wrath. Do not gamble with the salvation of your soul. If you are not a child of God, accept God’s gracious invitation by obeying the gospel. If you are a wayward child of God, repent of your sin before it is too late. Remember, it is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God (Hebrews 10:31).