Psalm 7 Pt. 3 God is angry with the wicked every day!
Good morning to each one of our Readers!
We will only get through one verse of Psalm 7 today because there is significant truth that needs to be carefully brought before us.
God is angry with the wicked!
Psalm 7:11 God judgeth the righteous, and God is angry with the wicked every day.
We previously talked about two resurrections and two judgments that will occur. One judgment and resurrection will happen at the rapture when Christ calls His bride home to heaven. The other judgment and resurrection will happen about 7 years after the rapture culminating in the great Day of the LORD.
We see both aspects of judgment in this verse. The judgment of believers who are called the righteous takes place at the Bema seat where Christ will reward us for our service to Him (1 Corinthians 3:9-17).
A Christian who chooses to live for self instead of living for Christ may suffer a loss of reward but will be saved.
It is the second part of this verse that arrests my attention. Think about this statement: "God is angry with the wicked every day."
There are those who say that God is love and that He loves everyone. It is true that God so loved the world that He freely gave His only Son to be crucified to pay for the sins of all mankind. It is true that God is not willing that any should perish because He wants them to come to Christ with repentant faith.
But this text says that God is angry with the wicked every day! God has His Holy wrath waiting to be poured out on the unbelievers, the Christ rejecting sinners. God was angry with me until the moment that I was born again.
John 3:36 He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.
John 3 is the chapter where Jesus tells Nicodemus that he must be born again. It is the chapter where we read that "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish but have everlasting life" (John 3:16).
Life and death are contrasted in many texts.
John 3:16-21 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. 17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. 18 He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. 19 And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. 20 For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved. 21 But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God.
In this paragraph from John's gospel we see those who die without Christ perish and those who are born again receive everlasting life. Christ came to save the world not to condemn it. Unbelief leads to eternal condemnation while belief leads to salvation. Light from God flooded into the world but evil doers hated the light and ran into darkness. Those who believed came to the light.
The will of God is clear. He does want all people to be born again and He made the perfect provision for this through the work of His Son, Jesus Christ. However, each person must choose to acknowledge his or her sin before holy God and call upon the name of the Lord for salvation.
The wrath of God is ready to judge unbelievers.
Romans 1:18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness; 19 Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them. 20 For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse: 21 Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.
God's wrath is revealed against all the wicked, sinful people because they despise God's truth. God's wrath is revealed because they reject the clear and strong testimony of creation. This fiery, wrath of God sits like a sword dangling by a thread over the head of all unbelievers.
It is by the grace of God that He does not bring all things to an end right now. As long as He allows the gospel to be preached He will restrain His wrath. But, the fact remains He is still angry with the wicked every day. Only when we bow the knee to Jesus Christ and are born again is that hot wrath removed from hanging over our lives.
Ephesians 5:6 Let no man deceive you with vain words: for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience.
The wrath of God is presently ready to send each unbeliever to eternal condemnation the moment that they die. This is a stark and sobering reality and underscores the importance of sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ with the lost people that we know. (See also Colossians 3:5-9).
Half of the references to the wrath of God are found in the book of Revelation. That book tells us about the last 7 years of life on earth after the rapture of the believer. It is a time when God progressively pours out His wrath on all Christ rejectors.
Revelation 14:10 The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb:
Revelation 14:19 And the angel thrust in his sickle into the earth, and gathered the vine of the earth, and cast it into the great winepress of the wrath of God.
Revelation 15:1 And I saw another sign in heaven, great and marvellous, seven angels having the seven last plagues; for in them is filled up the wrath of God.
Revelation 15:7 And one of the four beasts gave unto the seven angels seven golden vials full of the wrath of God, who liveth for ever and ever.
Revelation 16:1 And I heard a great voice out of the temple saying to the seven angels, Go your ways, and pour out the vials of the wrath of God upon the earth.
Thoughts to Ponder...
First, the born again believer has much to be thankful to God for. The moment that we are born again the wrath of God no longer hangs over our head! God tells the believer that there is no condemnation to those who are regenerated by God's Spirit (Romans 8:1).
Second, many people think that God is all about love and that He will not judge anyone. This is not true as we have seen. The wrath of God is very real and we must make sure that those we share the gospel with understand what will happen if they die without being born again.
Third, we must share God's living truth with everyone that we can. The gospel is what God uses to call the lost to Himself.
Bob
We will only get through one verse of Psalm 7 today because there is significant truth that needs to be carefully brought before us.
God is angry with the wicked!
Psalm 7:11 God judgeth the righteous, and God is angry with the wicked every day.
We previously talked about two resurrections and two judgments that will occur. One judgment and resurrection will happen at the rapture when Christ calls His bride home to heaven. The other judgment and resurrection will happen about 7 years after the rapture culminating in the great Day of the LORD.
We see both aspects of judgment in this verse. The judgment of believers who are called the righteous takes place at the Bema seat where Christ will reward us for our service to Him (1 Corinthians 3:9-17).
A Christian who chooses to live for self instead of living for Christ may suffer a loss of reward but will be saved.
It is the second part of this verse that arrests my attention. Think about this statement: "God is angry with the wicked every day."
There are those who say that God is love and that He loves everyone. It is true that God so loved the world that He freely gave His only Son to be crucified to pay for the sins of all mankind. It is true that God is not willing that any should perish because He wants them to come to Christ with repentant faith.
But this text says that God is angry with the wicked every day! God has His Holy wrath waiting to be poured out on the unbelievers, the Christ rejecting sinners. God was angry with me until the moment that I was born again.
John 3:36 He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.
John 3 is the chapter where Jesus tells Nicodemus that he must be born again. It is the chapter where we read that "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish but have everlasting life" (John 3:16).
Life and death are contrasted in many texts.
John 3:16-21 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. 17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. 18 He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. 19 And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. 20 For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved. 21 But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God.
In this paragraph from John's gospel we see those who die without Christ perish and those who are born again receive everlasting life. Christ came to save the world not to condemn it. Unbelief leads to eternal condemnation while belief leads to salvation. Light from God flooded into the world but evil doers hated the light and ran into darkness. Those who believed came to the light.
The will of God is clear. He does want all people to be born again and He made the perfect provision for this through the work of His Son, Jesus Christ. However, each person must choose to acknowledge his or her sin before holy God and call upon the name of the Lord for salvation.
The wrath of God is ready to judge unbelievers.
Romans 1:18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness; 19 Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them. 20 For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse: 21 Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.
God's wrath is revealed against all the wicked, sinful people because they despise God's truth. God's wrath is revealed because they reject the clear and strong testimony of creation. This fiery, wrath of God sits like a sword dangling by a thread over the head of all unbelievers.
It is by the grace of God that He does not bring all things to an end right now. As long as He allows the gospel to be preached He will restrain His wrath. But, the fact remains He is still angry with the wicked every day. Only when we bow the knee to Jesus Christ and are born again is that hot wrath removed from hanging over our lives.
Ephesians 5:6 Let no man deceive you with vain words: for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience.
The wrath of God is presently ready to send each unbeliever to eternal condemnation the moment that they die. This is a stark and sobering reality and underscores the importance of sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ with the lost people that we know. (See also Colossians 3:5-9).
Half of the references to the wrath of God are found in the book of Revelation. That book tells us about the last 7 years of life on earth after the rapture of the believer. It is a time when God progressively pours out His wrath on all Christ rejectors.
Revelation 14:10 The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb:
Revelation 14:19 And the angel thrust in his sickle into the earth, and gathered the vine of the earth, and cast it into the great winepress of the wrath of God.
Revelation 15:1 And I saw another sign in heaven, great and marvellous, seven angels having the seven last plagues; for in them is filled up the wrath of God.
Revelation 15:7 And one of the four beasts gave unto the seven angels seven golden vials full of the wrath of God, who liveth for ever and ever.
Revelation 16:1 And I heard a great voice out of the temple saying to the seven angels, Go your ways, and pour out the vials of the wrath of God upon the earth.
Thoughts to Ponder...
First, the born again believer has much to be thankful to God for. The moment that we are born again the wrath of God no longer hangs over our head! God tells the believer that there is no condemnation to those who are regenerated by God's Spirit (Romans 8:1).
Second, many people think that God is all about love and that He will not judge anyone. This is not true as we have seen. The wrath of God is very real and we must make sure that those we share the gospel with understand what will happen if they die without being born again.
Third, we must share God's living truth with everyone that we can. The gospel is what God uses to call the lost to Himself.
Bob
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