God’s wrath is a topic I’ve been more interested in exploring these last few months. A few months back I felt much closer to the idea that it didn’t seem fair or loving, but through this book and re-reading the pages in Systematic Theology about it, I was reminded of God’s justice and holiness, and everything fell back into place.

The quote that resonated most with me in this chapter was that “the fruit of our growing love for Him is the increase of reverence for His name.” I find my journey in faith, which is similar to a few others I know as well, is that we first knew God as a strict father who punished us if we sinned or did something wrong. As a child, this was how I understood it taught by my parents and church. After discovering the person of Jesus and opening my heart to relationship with Him in college, God became much more relatable and close, and over the years, as Lee mentioned, I began feeling comfortable. While God is certainly personal, it is not at the expense of His holiness. As I continue to mature in my faith, my reverence for His name continues to increase, and the personal aspects grow alongside my understanding and fear of His holiness.

In the beginning of this great chapter, Dr Sproul spoke of the great old cathedrals where God was worshipped. I grew up in one of those old cathedral type churches. There wasn’t anything antiseptic at all about the building. Everything in it spoke of the glory and magnificence of God. It was indeed an “inner sanctum”. When you walked down the marble isles you could hear every step echoing through the cathedral. There was an inherent fear of God in the building. Not so much anymore. The new God of the modern liberal Christian movement carries the title of a loving God who has no wrath. He is an idol of our own making. It is only those who are born again by the regeneration power of the Holy Spirit who can be called true believers. I cannot know for sure the timing when that happened to me but I know many friends who “answered the alter call” that no longer fear God. Second Peter 1:10 says to make sure of our calling. Reading this book is greatly helpful in obeying that verse.

Listening to/reading the news everyday, seeing the sadness, fragility and evil amidst mankind, “How could God possibly be anything else but angry with us? We consider Him unworthy of our total devotion; by nature the love of God is not in us. There still resides a corner of the soul that takes no delight in God.” : ( And so I really appreciated Sproul’s highlighting of Edwards’ sermon. Yes I’m sure too many consider the sermon “utterly sadistic (yet it’s) blow after blow
to conscious stricken hearts, stirring the soul to moral anguish; out of compassion it’s meant to be an awakening to peril.” I just happen to be reading through Jeremiah and Ezekiel presently and you can’t help feeling how heavy and deeply they felt for God’s people, (us), as did Edwards. How many of us can not only truly emphasize with their feelings but are stirred to action as a result? In trying to encourage a few people recently to share share the gospel message, especially hearing them say how badly they feel for certain earthly conditions people they love are struggling with, I questioned what about concern for their eternal lives, aren’t they concerned about that? We “could not stand to hear the cries of the damned for 5 seconds”!
“God’s hand has held (us) up by a slender thread, we have no interest in any Mediator. We long for blissful slumber and continue to be at ease of future punishment; people flatter themselves that they’ll escape it.”
In relation to Edwards’ sermon,the resounding accent falls not on the fiery pit but on the hands of the God who holds us and rescues us from it.” Praise God for that gracious saving rescue!

Thankfully “in Christ (our Mediator) we are awakened yet we still have ‘sleepers’ in our eyes and at times we’re walking around like zombies.” That imagery makes me think how popular it is among many to be attracted to that zombie kind of culture, in movies and Halloween characters but tragically a real parallel to where too many are spiritually.
And as we sing and pray, Lord, wake us from that slumber.