Have you heard that God is angry with you?Have you been told that God hates sin?Have you heard messages of “fire and brimstone”?Better yet,have you ever heard the saying,”Misery loves company?”
Well,that’s how some people see God.They seem Him as a creator that is so angry with humans,because of their rebellious deeds,the He is ever waiting to punish them,and pour out judgement and wrath.They see him as angry all the time.This view takes verses out of context,and takes God out of character.
God has chosen to reveal Himself completely and fully in the person of Jesus(John 14:6-9;Colossians 1:15-20).God has chosen to reveal Himself plainly and clearly.He has shown us that his truest desire is to be merciful. Have you ever wondered why God possesses the qualities of mercy and forgiveness? I’ll tell you why…God knew before time began that people would rebel against Him,and already forgave them the sin that would manifest in the earth.It was already in God’s nature to redeem man,whom He had created.For God so loved the world…that before our time began,He already chose to shed the blood of Jesus on the cross,so that whoever believes will live everlasting life,and never perish.
This is the Gospel message.Yes,Jesus will return to the earth one day,and yes,He will bring wrath against God’s enemies.That does not apply to those that believe in Him,it applies to those who are outright enemies of God,and absolutely refuse His mercy,choosing instead to curse Him and worship the beast and its image(Revelation 9:20,21;Rev 16:1,9,11,21;Rev 19:11-21).We read in 1 Thessalonians 5:9, ” For God did not appoint us to suffer wrath but to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ.” So,for a believer, the wrath of God was poured upon Jesus.THAT is the Gospel message.He died a death so impure and so powerful that it fulfilled every death of every human, and all of creation itself,as well.The fact that things die and decay was laid upon Jesus during His beatings and crucifixion. He died one death for every person once and for all,and in return,took all of the curse and sin that was upon us.Instead,He has given us God’s righteousness through His resurrection.
Now,some people believe this story, and yet they are very miserable. They are very angry.They have yet to receive the love of God in their hearts.They are so miserable that they wish for others to walk in the same fear and dread that they do.Misery loves company.They are so bitter that they even choose to believe that God is bitter and angry.
Friends,don’t be one of those people. Don’t be robbed of the joy of the Lord. God is not angry all the time.It is impossible to maintain an angry disposition for any length of time as a human,so God,who is love,cannot remain in such a state either.Even with the people of Israel,God said, “For a brief moment I abandoned you,but with deep compassion I will bring you back. In a surge of anger I his my face from you for a moment,but with everlasting kindness I will have compassion on you, says the Lord your Redeemer.To me this is like the days of Noah,when I swore that the waters of Noah would never again cover the earth.So now I have sworn not to be angry with you,never to rebuke you again. Though the mountains should be shaken and the hills be removed,yet my unfailing love for you will not be shaken nor my covenant of peace removed, says the Lord,who has compassion on you,” (Isaiah 54:7-10).
Interestingly, this was God prophesying of the days of Messiah,the Christ, when He(God Himself) would rescue His people and restore perfect fellowship with them.This is mentioned as the “covenant of peace,” or what we call, “The New Covenant.” Hebrews 8:8-13 reads,”But God found fault with the people and said:
“The days are coming, declares the Lord,when I will make a new covenant with the people of Israel and with the people of Judah.It will not be like the covenant that I made with their ancestors when I took them by the hand to lead them out of Egypt,because they did not remain faithful to my covenant, and I turned away from them,declares the Lord.This his the covenant I will etsblish with the people of Israel after that time,declares the Lord.I will put my laws in their minds and write them on their hearts.I will be their God,and they will be my people.No longer will they teach their neighbor or say to one another,”Know the Lord,” because they will all know me,from the least of them to the greatest.For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more”[Jeremiah31:31-34].
“By calling this covenant “new,” He has made the first one obsolete;and what is obsolete and outdated will soon disappear.”
And this doesn’t just apply to Israel…”In reading this then,you will be able to understand my insight into the mystery of Christ, which was not made known to people in other generations as it has now been revealed by the Spirit to God’s holy apostles and prophets.This mystery is that through the Gospel the gentiles are heirs together with Israel, members together of one body, and sharers together in the promise of Jesus Christ,”(Ephesians 3:4-6).
So,I urge you then,to receive the love and forgiveness of God,in Christ. “If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord” ,and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead,you will be saved,”( Romans10:9).Don’t have the wrong view of God,or believe wrongly about His view of you.God loves you.He always has and always will.He will never leave you, or forsake you.As the prophecy read,you don’t even need me or anyone else to teach you about God…you can get to know Him for yourself,which is His greatest desire, and the reason for which you were created. I hope I’ve inspired you to seek God today.Find out what it means to be His child,and get to know His awesome love for you.

Daniel Carnes
DOC #404-171