That isn’t the God of the Bible. That god would have never flooded the world in the days of Noah, he never would have sent his children away into exile; and he would have never sent a Messiah who spoke so often about hell and anguish. But the God of Scripture is holy and pure, and He gets angry at sin. He takes sin so seriously, in fact, that He sent His Son into the world to die a brutal death under the weight and judgment of sin. The True God never compromises His love, and He never compromises His perfection. But the compromises of His people sometimes make Him angry.
“The Spirit then lifted me up and took me away, and I went in bitterness and in the anger of my spirit, with the strong hand of The LORD upon me.” (Ezekiel 3:14))
People often attribute the anger of the prophets to the prophets themselves, as if Jeremiah and Ezekiel got up on the wrong side of the bed more often than not. But the passage is clear: Ezekiel, lifted up and taken away by God’s Spirit, went in bitterness and anger – with the strong hand of God upon him. God and His prophets – and all who are conformed to His character – are to have A Holy Hostility toward every contradiction to God’s Kingdom. When sin thwarts a genuine relationship with God, it should bother us a lot.
Have you ever been angry at sin? Not just ashamed or regretful, but angry? It’s an appropriate reaction, supported by the Spirit of God Himself. Whether our own sin or someone else’s, the spirit within us is bothered. He doesn’t want us to condemn anyone over it, but He does want it dealt with. There’s a huge difference between a god who tolerates everything and The God who will forgive anything. Let’s approach The True God with a sin-sensitive heart.
Have a holy weekend. Make it better by worshiping The LORD with those whose heart breaks for what breaks His heart and have promised to live every day for His pleasure.
All For Jesus – Nothing More, Nothing Less, Nothing Else.
Vic Alvarado 