We are told by many who have prominence in the Church that we live in a day when the anger and wrath of God are no longer relevant. If you are in agreement with this sentiment, then I wish to ask you the following (very simple) question:
From what, then, do we need to be saved? If the wrath of God is an outdated concept (somehow remanded to antiquity), then so also is salvation, yes? Who needs to be saved from a danger that is no longer relevant?
Of course, I'm illustrating absurdity by being completely absurd. So let’s break it down...
TRUTH: Jesus did not die to save us from a wrath that MIGHT have happened – a wrath that was pacified by some past event. The Bible is clear that Jesus made atonement for our sins in order to save us (anyone who will turn to Him) from HIS COMING wrath.
Wait-what??
Yes, you read that right - Jesus' coming wrath.
Beloved of God, the One who sacrificed Himself for our sins is the VERY ONE whose wrath will (in the end) consume anyone who refuses His gracious gift of eternal life. How do we know this? The book of Revelation reports the following anecdote that should prove fascinating for those who picture Jesus as a pacifistic beat-nick hippy neither capable nor interested in judging the world:
“They called to the mountains and the rocks, “Fall on us and hide us from the face of him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb!” (Revelation 6:16)
Okay, hold up – what is this Revelation of which you speak? You mean the Bible doesn’t end with the Book of Jude?
No, Beloved - I’m happy to report that it does not.
This scripture (extracted from Revelation) paints as bleak a scenario as you can possibly imagine – a coming event that will provide the final dramatic crescendo of Earth history and redound with the destruction of the planet. Imagine it – the skies have been pealed away to reveal the undiluted glory of God in all His wondrous beauty. But the reception that The King receives is intriguing – for the masses are so overwrought with abject terror by the sight of Jesus that they are running into the caves, begging the rocks to fall and crush them to death.
We really need to re-think our perception of the One we serve. Jesus Christ is The King of Glory, resplendent and lovely beyond our ability to reason or imagine. The title is NOT ceremonial. I assure you, He rules all of creation with absolute and unquestioned authority with billions at His beck-and-call.
Please don’t misunderstand. It is very true that God is love – that God is all good all the time. Abba is the very source of all goodness, and even in our finest hour we are still little more than reflections of His radiant goodness. But this only magnifies His role as The Righteous Judge. God is just – He is Holy – He is righteous and pure. He is the judge of all and His judgments are always correct.
Jesus has already proven (in the most astonishing manner conceivable) that He will go to ANY length to save even one soul from the eternal horrors of hell. None of His children were ever meant to go to that awful place, but He is honor-bound to acknowledge their gift of free will even if they are determined to make hell their eternal home. It is of our own free will that we either give ourselves to our Creator in love and fellowship, or (by removing ourselves from His love) are remanded to the ravages of eternal torment and fire. It is our choices that do this – and if we should perish, we have only ourselves to blame.
So what’s the point? Glad you asked…
We find ourselves in perilous times of luke-warmness and apostasy in the Body of Christ. Thus we are locked within an unfortunate paradigm in which it has become sadly necessary to make a case for looming judgments that are very soon to come upon the Earth. Whole divisions of the Body of Christ (comprising millions of believers) no longer believe that wrath has anything to do with God. They foolishly assert that Jesus has somehow recused Himself from judgment because of His great affection for us. Because of this – because God’s children now so grossly misunderstand Jesus’ nature (the kindness and sternness of God – Romans 11:22), they have deluded themselves into thinking that there will be no judgments for this wicked world despite a moral free-fall that everyone can plainly see.
But Judgments are coming. They will begin in America, and in the very house of God.
Thankfully, these judgments are also redemptive in nature. America will be redeemed in the fullness of time, but woe to us for what must come until the cup of judgment is drained to the dregs.
Watch carefully what is coming upon this earth over the next couple months. The fourth Blood-moon of the current tetrad occurs during the Feast of Tabernacles, next month – which will inaugurate great and terrible things for the Body of Christ and shake every nation around the world.
Bottom-line: Snuggle up to Jesus while you still have time. Give Him everything – dedicate every part of your life to Him. Walk with Him in fellowship each day, making straight paths before your God in love and unity. Do this with an honest heart of true devotion and you will be delivered from all that is to come.
Your brother and servant in Christ Jesus our Lord,
Mark Scott Grimmett
GoldenLight Ministries
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