Scribd
Upload
464 views

Questions - Chapter 15

The chapter discusses the concept of God's wrath from the Bible. It argues that God's wrath is a necessary and just reaction to moral evil. It is always judicial in nature, with God administering perfect justice. People bring God's wrath upon themselves by rejecting His truth. For those who accept Christ, His death on the cross saves them from God's wrath. Understanding God's wrath is vital to comprehending the gospel and appreciating Christ's saving work on the cross.

Uploaded by

fergie45315
Copyright
© Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOC, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
464 views

Questions - Chapter 15

The chapter discusses the concept of God's wrath from the Bible. It argues that God's wrath is a necessary and just reaction to moral evil. It is always judicial in nature, with God administering perfect justice. People bring God's wrath upon themselves by rejecting His truth. For those who accept Christ, His death on the cross saves them from God's wrath. Understanding God's wrath is vital to comprehending the gospel and appreciating Christ's saving work on the cross.

Uploaded by

fergie45315
Copyright
© Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOC, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 2

New City Churchs Summer 2012 Online Book Club

JI Packers Knowing God ~ Chapter 15, The Wrath of God Before reading: Honestly, how does the idea of a wrathful God sit with you? What objections present themselves to your mind? How does our culture react to the idea? How would you explain this in simple terms to a friend who says, I could never believe in a God of wrath?

Purpose: To understand the reality of the nature of Gods wrath.

Outline: I. II. III. The Wrath of God What is Gods Wrath Like? Romans on Wrath 1. The meaning of Gods wrath 2. The revelation of Gods wrath 3. The deliverance from Gods wrath IV. A Solemn Reality Key Quotes: Our readiness or reluctance to meditate upon the wrath of God becomes a sure test of how our hearts really stand affected towards Him (AW Pink). The theme of Gods wrath is one about which the biblical writers feel no inhibition whatever. Why, then, should we? Why, when the Bible is vocal about it, should we feel obliged to be silent? Gods wrath is never the capricious, self-indulgent, irritable, morally ignoble thing that human anger so often is. It is, instead, a right and necessary reaction to objective moral evil. God is only an angry where anger is called for. Would a God who took as much pleasure in evil as He did in good be a good God? Would a God who did not react adversely to evil in His world be morally perfect? Surely not. But it is precisely this adverse reaction to evil, which is a necessary part of moral perfection, that the Bible has in view when it speaks of Gods wrath. Gods wrath in the Bible is always judicialthat is, it is the wrath of the Judge, administering justice.each receives precisely what he deserves. Gods wrath in the Bible is something men choose for themselves. Before hell is an experience inflicted by God, it is a state from which man himself opts, by rejecting the light which God shines in his heart to lead him to Himself. Nobody stands under the wrath of God save those who have chosen to do so. The essence of Gods action in wrath is to give men what they choose, in all its implications: nothing more, and equally nothing less. In this process of [cultural] decline we are to recognize the present action of divine wrath, in a process of judicial hardening and withdrawal of restraints, whereby men are given up to their own corrupt preferences, and so come to put into practice more and more uninhibitedly the lusts of their sinful hearts. Between us sinners and the thunder-clouds of divine wrath stands the cross of the Lord Jesus. If we are Christs, through faith, then we are justified through His cross, and the wrath will never touch us, neither here nor hereafter.

No doubt there have been some who have preached of wrath and damnation with tearless eyes and no pain in their hearts. Yet if we would know God, it is vital that we fact the truth concerning His wrath, however unfashionable it may be, and however strong our initial prejudices against it. Otherwise, we shall not understand the gospel of salvation from wrath, nor the propitiatory achievement of the cross, nor the wonder of the redeeming love of God. Reflection Questions: 1. Has your understanding of the wrath of God changed by reading this chapter? If yes, how so?

2. Packer states, Gods wrath in the Bible is always judicialthat is, it is the wrath of the Judge, administering
justice. Why is this important to keep in mind? How does this safeguard against wrong thinking? 3. According to Romans, how is Gods wrath being presently manifested? How does this help us evaluate our culture? 4. Why is it essential to understand the bad news of Gods judicial wrath before we can understand the good news of what Jesus has done for us? Or, to put it another way, is it possible for a person to understand who Jesus is and what His mission was without understanding this key component of the wrath of God? Explain. 5. Packer quotes AW Pink saying, The wrath o fGod is a perfection of the Divine character on which we need to meditate frequently. Why does he make this contention? Is this something you do frequently, or avoid? What would you say is the connection between understanding the doctrine of the wrath of God and the ability to be filled with overwhelming joy for what Jesus has done for you? Review these questions & quotes, and let them direct your thoughts, prayer, and praise.

You might also like