Week #5: God the Judge and the Wrath of God

Presupposed Truths (Week #1)

1. God has specifically revealed Himself through His Word (Hebrews 1:1).
2. The Lordship of God over all He rules everything (I Cor. 5:18)
3. God is a redeeming God, actively seeking to save through Christ.
4. God is Triune, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, redemptively active.
5. Man is sinful and must respond to Gods salvation in faith, obedience, worship, praise and service.

God the Judge

What thought comes to your mind when I tell you that God is Judge?

1. Scripture that tell of His Judging.

a. Genesis 18:25 - Judging of Sodom, how is this accomplished?
b. Judges 11:27 - What quality do we see describe here?
c. Psalm 75:7 & Psalm 82:8 What is described here?
d. Hebrews 12:23 How is God pictured?
e. Matthew 21:43-44: 1 Thessalonians 2:14-16 What awaits those who fail to believe?
f. James 5:9, 1 Peter 4:5 - Where is God and what is He ready to do?
g. Acts 10:42 What assigned task is given to Jesus?
h. Acts 17:30-31 What is declared by God?

Characteristics of the Judge

1. The Judge is a person with authority
a. The King
b. The Maker/Owner
c. Lawgiver and Judge
2. The judge is a person identified with what is good and right
a. Modern idea is cold and impassionate, not found in the Bible
b. Biblical judge is expected to loved justice and fair play
c. An unjust judge is a monstrosity by biblical standards
3. The judge is a person of wisdom, to discern truth.
a. First task is to ascertain the facts
b. Bible pictures Gods omniscience and wisdom as the searcher of the hearts and finder of the
facts. Genesis 18:20-21
c. God the judge will know the secrets of man 2 Corinthians 5:10
4. The judge is the person of power who can execute the sentence
a. Modern judge just pronounce the sentence
b. God is His own executioner
c. He legislates, sentences and punishes

Retribution
1. How do you define retribution?
a. Packer states it this way, The rendering to persons what they have deserved, to reward good
with good, and evil with evil, it is the nature of God.
b. When the NT speaks of the final judgment it always represent it in terms of retribution. Matt.
16:27; Rev. 20:12-13; Rom. 2:6-11
c. Our appearance before the judgment seat of Christ. 2 Cor. 5:10
Packer states that Gods commitment to judge people is the final proof of his moral perfection. (pg 143)

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 2. Gods work as Judge is part of its witness to his character.
a. God is not indifferent to right and wrong.

Jesus the Fathers Agent

1. What is the relation of Jesus Christ to Gods judgment?
a. Matt. 7:13-27; 10:26-33; Matt. 25:31-34

Index of the Heart

1. What is the significance of works in the last judgment?
a. John 5:24
b. 2 Corinthians 5:10
c. Revelations 20:11-15

The Wrath of God

1. What do you think of when you hear the word wrath? What does the word mean?
a. Wrath is defined as deep intense anger and indignation. Anger is defined as stirring of resentful
displeasure and strong antagonism by a sense of injury or insult.

2. Why does the Bible speak of God Anthropomorphically? What pitfall can this lead us into when we
consider the issue of Gods wrath?

3. Examine Nah1:2-8, What biblical considerations meet the charge that Gods wrath is cruel?
a. Gods love, as the Bible view it, never leads him to foolish, impulsive, immoral actions in the
way that its human counterpart too often leads us.
b. Gods wrath in the Bible is never the capricious, self-indulgent, irritable, morally ignoble thing
that human anger so often is. It is a right and necessary reaction to objective moral evil (pg 151)
c. Gods wrath is always judicial, that is, it is the wrath of the Judge, administering justice.

4. Gods wrath in the Bible is something which people choose from themselves. Jn. 3:18-19

Wrath in Romans

1. The meaning of Gods wrath denotes Gods resolute action in punishing sin. Rom. 2:5; 4:15
2. The wrath of God revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold
down the truth of unrighteousness. Rom 1;18, 28, 32
3. The deliverance from Gods wrath is proclaimed. Rom 5:9, 3:24-26

A. W. Pink states wrote: The wrath of God is a perfection of the Divine character on which we need to mediate
frequently. First, that our hearts may be duly impressed by Gods detestation of sin, that we see the hideousness
of sin. Second, to get a true fear in our souls for God. (Heb. 12:28-29). Third, to draw out our soul in fervent
praise [to Jesus Christ] for having delivered us from the wrath to come. 1 Thess. 1:10 (pg 156-157)

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