Sometimes people talk about sin as if the only reason it is wrong is because God does not like it. Since God is good, that is a logical approach I suppose, but it makes God look like some kind of arbitrary rule maker. Then they talk about God being angry about sin and His wrath sounds bit pompous and unreasonably judgmental. But I do not think God is arbitrary or pompous. What if we shift the starting point a little? What if we look at God as a lover in relation to the subject of sin and wrath?This came from a post called "Wrath and Love," by a missionary to Japan and fellow colleague of mine from Asbury College, Zach Motts. His post comes to my mind from time to time. I was only going to quote bits and pieces, but I just had to share the whole thing it's so good. His thoughts are right on and so different from most anything I or others think about sin and God. Since reading this post three years ago, whenever I read of some forbiddance in the Bible that I don't quite understand, instead of thinking, "Oh, God must not like that," I now try to think, "Hmm, what might God be protecting me from by saying this?" It's a rather life-altering paradigm shift really. But I find it true and awe-inspiring and so much more comforting to follow God with a perspective like this. I know I had heard this perspective before, but it hit home with Zach's post.
There is an organization called Mothers Against Drunk Driving (M.A.D.D.). Why would these mothers form an organization against drunk driving and give it an acronym of anger? Is there anger arbitrary? No. They formed this organization because they are women who love their children or loved children that were killed by drunk driving. They stand against something that caused pain, injury, or death to their loved ones. Their position against drunk driving is in relation to their beloved.
A lover can quite easily become angry at anything that would harm the beloved. A lover would do anything possible to protect the beloved from pain and injury. If anything makes a person ready to leap to someone’s defense, it is love. If God is a lover, then anything that would harm us would be something that He hates. God would want to destroy whatever would cause us torment, destruction, or death. That is what sin does to us. Sin destroys us, so God hates it. God’s wrath toward sin is the most righteous and loving wrath that is possible, because He is angry because He
loves us so much. He loves us too much to pass over anything that is eating away
at us and killing us. A lover would not ignore a fault that is destroying his beloved. That would not be possible. God hates sin because He loves us. God is angry about sin because He cannot stand anything that would destroy us. God is a lover.
If you liked this post, check out more of Zach's work on his blog, Peregrine. He writes rather distinctly and always with profundity--and sometimes he's funny. If you find yourself enjoying more of his work, perhaps you'll be moved to follow and support Zach in other ways. He and his Japanese wife, Esther, and their daughter, Zoe, could use help in returning to Japan as full-time missionaries. Financially, they are still looking for $3,000 more in monthly support. That's 100 new partners at $30/month or 60 new partners at $50/month. To help them follow the link to their World Gospel Mission page. Even if you cannot financially give, prayer is free of charge and it's always much better as any hard-core missionary will tell you. So in your prayers remember the work of Jesus in Japan and three of his servants spreading the good news there of a God who truly loves.
