Throughout human history, God has patiently warned people to turn from evil. And mankind has consistently ignored God's warnings.(1)
Imagine how grieved God was when mankind became so evil that everything people thought or desired was sinful (Genesis 6). To prevent the world from becoming permanently evil, God sent the flood, sparing righteous Noah.
God never punishes people or nations until He's given them every chance. He knows exactly when they've fully hardened their hearts, when they've reached "the full measure of their sin" (Genesis 15:16).
God's wrath isn't like human anger. It's perfectly timed, completely justified, and fully deserved. He accurately understands every secret sin, every circumstance, and every intention of our hearts.
God would rather save us (1 Timothy 2:4), but He won't allow heaven to be filled with those who reject His loving grace. He will send the stubbornly unrepentant to hell (2 Peter 2:4-9).(2)
We should never underestimate God's incredible grace and mercy, nor should we underestimate the purpose and perfection of His holy wrath (Romans 1:18-20).
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(1) See Psalm 103:8-18 and God's Gracious Love.
(2) For multiple scriptures about hell, see What Jesus Said about Hell.
Note: God also disciplines his children to get us back on the right path (Hebrews 12:5-11; Revelation 3:19). For further explanation see Loving Discipline.
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Bible Love Notes
Gail, I often think that God is too patient with mankind! We get so disgusted at so many things happening now; yet God stays on the throne giving more & more chances..Amazing!
ReplyDeleteIf you were God and wanted the world know just how rich your Grace is then how would you do it? Remember Grace is favor when you deserve destruction. 2000 years of Grace being shown when destruction is what is called for.
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