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Introduction: Relate the story about the young man and his friends at V.A. Hospital. He was telling about his drinking, sexual escapades, smoking pot, etc. When he walked away, one man said, "He really a swell guy isn’t he?"

A. People forget or do not know that God’s anger against sin is a continual reality.

1. Define Anger: Webster says anger is "a feeling that may result from injury, mistreatment, opposition, etc."

2. Define the wicked: They are those who violate the will of God and become sinners. They miss the mark and do their will instead of God’s will (II Thes. 1:7-9).

3. Are some sins worse than others? In a chain how many links must break to break the chain?

 

A. Unless it is seared over (I Tim. 4:2) (Branding of Cattle)

B. God’s witness is for all. If God had no holy wrath or anger against wrong, He could have no delight in or the approval of goodness and obedience.

A. The gentle person is against cruelty, the truthful person hates lies, the generous person despises stinginess, the just person despises injustice, etc.

B. Any noble quality that humans could possess or imagine is an attribute of God. Therefore, God would have to hate sin and wickedness to be true to His character (Rom 11:22).

A. When a mother sees her child abused, tortured, or murdered or a loyal soldier sees insults offered against his country, etc., they are angry with the offenders.

1. In proportion to the warmth of love is the flame of righteous indignation.

B. It would detract from God’s justice if we denied His righteous anger against sin (sin not the sinner).

C. By His expression of displeasure, mankind is led to turn away from the paths of wickedness.

1. King David in II Samuel 12.

2. Saul of Tarsus in Acts 9.

3. Peter in Matt. 16:21-23.

 

A. Adam and Eve in the garden of Eden (Gen. 3).

B. Cain upon killing his brother, Abel (Gen. 4).

C. The destruction of man by the flood (Gen. 6).

D. Destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah (Gen. 18 & 19).

E. Children of Israel (Ex. 16 ff).

F. Uzzah’s death for touching the Ark of Covenant (I Sam. 6).

G. Death of Ananias and Sapphira for lying to the Holy Spirit (Acts 5).

H. God has never dealt lightly with sin, as the above scriptures point out. Sin destroys man!! God is angry with the wicked that lead themselves to destruction when He gave His Son to save them (John 3:16; II Peter 3:9)

A. Christ made salvation possible. Through His sacrifice we can have salvation (Titus 2:11-14).

B. To treat sin lightly or to reject God’s commandments means that so far as we are concerned, Christ died in vain.

C. No wonder God is angry with the wicked every day. They are preventing Him from saving their souls by remaining in sin.

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