Angry God

How does God feel (not think) but how does God feel about us after we’ve sinned?

This is not a salvation question, that is to say, this not a question whether one is saved or not.

This is a deeply relational question.

I think many of us, I know I have, developed a sense that we are disappointing God, letting him down. 

I think many of us believe that when we sin God becomes angry at us and pulls away from us.

I read this article[1] that has blown me away – or rather God’s great love for me has blown me away!

The argument in this article is that in all our fickleness and failures, through all our cold and callous days, in all our wandering and waywardness, the heart of God in Christ is drawn out all the more warmly to us. 

The article argues that God is not angry at us when we sin, but rather all his anger is against sin. Rather like a parent of a child with cancer would never be angry at the child for having cancer, but rather is angry at the cancer and wants to rid the child of the cancer, not get rid of the child! Likewise God is angry at sin in our lives and wants to rid our lives of sin but not be rid of us!

Of all the “diseases,” sin is the greatest! Jesus loves us, and hates our sin, because he loves us and wants us to be free of the destruction and death that sin brings! 

I think some of us believe (even if we don’t realize we believe this) that God has to “muster up” love for us, because we are such wretched creatures that keep screwing it up!

This is not true. 

As we read in both the Old Testament:

“Then the Lord passed by in front of him and proclaimed, “The Lord, the Lord God, compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in lovingkindness and truth.” (Exodus 34:6)

And the New Testament:

“God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions.” (Ephesians 2:4)

The father of the lost (or prodigal) son is a great illustration of God’s heart towards us when we have sinned … the Father comes running to the son, yes the son came towards the father but the father went running to him before the son could even make it to the father. So it is with God he comes running to us. 

All we have to do is turn towards God, and God will come running! 

Actually I think we will discover God is running after us before we even turned, like we read in the parables about the lost sheep and the lost coin found in The Gospel According to Luke chapter 15, just before the parable of the lost son.

So you see our sins do not push God away from us, but rather they pull him closer, like a father who wants to embrace his hurting child.

I can already hear the accusations of this being a “cheap grace” message. 

Let me finish by quoting the Apostle from  Romans chapter 6 “What shall we say, then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? By no means!” (Romans 6:1-2) And later in chapter 7 “Wretched man that I am! Who will set me free from the body of this death? Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! ... Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” (Romans 7:24-25; 8:1).

---

[1] “Does God Like Me? Thomas Goodwin on Our Deep Insecurity” by Dane Ortlund; https://www.desiringgod.org/articles/does-god-like-me