The third deadly sin is wrath. Wrath is a bit confusing because it is an attribute of God. We know God is love, but he is also righteous and holy. As Christians we anticipate the day of judgment when the wrath of God will punish sin.
This is why Jesus came. He did not come to save us from the devil, but from the wrath and judgment of God. The question that is asked is why is wrath considered a sin? If God possesses wrath, does this mean God sins when he expresses wrath?
We know God does not sin. So there must be a difference between the wrath of God and the sin of wrath. Exodus 34:6–7 helps us to differentiate:
The LORD passed before him and proclaimed, “The LORD, the LORD, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness, keeping steadfast love for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin …
The difference is God’s wrath is consistent with his love. The text says he is slow to anger. The reason God is slow to anger is because he leads with love. We deserve nothing from him other than his wrath, but instead he gives us Jesus. He offers us a way out. He gives us love. His wrath is only towards those who reject his love shown through Jesus.
God’s wrath is righteous indignation. What I mean by that is that his anger is directed at injustice. He hates suffering. When one human causes another to suffer, that brings out his wrath. Part of being a loving God is to ensure injustice does not persist, but is brought to an end.
The other thing is that is slow to anger and he is quick to forgive. He relents. He does not hold on to his wrath. The moment a person turns to Jesus for forgiveness, God’s wrath melts away.
The difference with human wrath is that it’s not consistent with love. Our wrath and anger are often unpredictable. Our anger is not directed at injustice but towards inconvenience. We are more upset about the driver that cut us off than we are towards children going hungry.
We also hold on to our wrath and will not let go. It is not reconciliation and forgiveness we seek but revenge. We want an eye for and eye and we will not settle for less even if it costs us much. When we hold on to that anger and resentment it will darken our hearts and nothing good ever comes from that.
Our anger is often unreasonable. It is an emotional overreaction to what we perceive to be an affront. Our wrath comes about because we are quick to speak and quick to take action, but slow to listen and even slower to forgive. The sin of wrath is not about seeking to understand. Human wrath craves blood to quench its thirst.
I want to leave you with Ephesians 4:26–27:
Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, and give no opportunity to the devil.
In this verse Paul acknowledges there are times we will be angry. He does not condemn anger in itself. What he says is do not sin in anger. Don’t hold on to your anger. Give it to Jesus and let it go. Practice reconciliation. Practice forgiveness. Be willing to suffer injustice if necessary. The relationship is so much more important than proving your point. Life is too short to go around being angry all the time.
Jason Lennon says
I think one of the things getting old helps, is dealing with Wrath. I’m not as quick to anger, and most times I look back at the times I was angry and wonder what I was thinking. Like you said, it is an emotional overreaction. I’m slower to anger these days and I am grateful for that.