Q&A I Struggle with God’s Wrath

The following is a question from a youtube user responding to one of our videos. I answered the question below and made it available for all to see.

As a Christian, I struggle with God’s wrath.. I know his Justice is perfect, but he demands moral excellence from all of us, and few will enter through the narrow gate!! Most of us will end up in hell!! I came to Jesus more out of fear than Love and was saved..but why do I want to bring any children into this world knowing that they will likely reject God and end up in hell?? And yet God tells us to be fruitful and multiply.. I struggle with this.

I admire your wisdom in fearing God and the final judgment.  Wouldn’t the world be better off if they shared your fear in God?  We see many scenes in the Bible where people rightly feared being in God’s presence such as at the foot of Mt. Sinai, or like in the final judgment. I also admire that you recognize that such fear rightly led you to Jesus which is where I would help you find an answer to your struggle if I could.

According to my understanding of the Bible fear of God is good for a sinner to feel because it causes them to think about their place with God.  To “feel” the flames of hell while not actually being there can provoke a response to the Gospel if they’ve heard it, or at least cry out to God for help.  Obviously, God could hide from us the notion of judgment and we would be blissfully unaware that hell awaited us, but God is the kind of God that took the courses of action that would warn us.  As the scripture as said, “As I live, saith the Lord God, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way and live: turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways; for why will ye die…?” (Ezek. 33:11)

We know that God’s heart for us is to have life and abundant life that we can enjoy. Jesus said, “I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.”  (John 10:10)

But how can we ever experience such life if we are ruled by fear? Isn’t it right to fear God? Yes, it is right, but in the provision of the Gospel, God transforms our fears into peace.  Because of fear one like yourself may turn to Christ and the Bible say, “Now, therefore, there is no condemnation in Christ.” (Rom. 8:1).  My fear is judgment is gone along with my condemnation.  Because Jesus absorbed all of God’s wrath for my sake, there is nothing left of God’s wrath for me to fall under.

But the second part of your question spoke of fear for your children?  I don’t know if you have children yet or not.  If you did, you may already be able to understand what I’m about to say.  It is right for a parent to fear for their children’s salvation.  We fear them getting to close to the road, getting to close to the oven, getting to close to the edge of a cliff, should not the more fear them rejecting God?

If only we looked on the lost world who needs Jesus the same we fear for our children, then we might be more emboldened to stand in their way between them and hell.

I cannot see into your heart, but usually, when someone observes that many people go to hell, there is usually a secret question in the heart that says something like, “How can God be all the good if He really sends people to hell for eternity?”

Well, that is why there is a judgment day, a day at the end of this world to show who has rejected God and who is accepted.  But that day is not for our sakes, it is for His namesake.  Since the beginning of creation, humanity has put God’s name in a questionable light.  Eve pondered it in her heart, “I can eat this and be like God, I’ll decide what’s good and what’s evil.”  Humanity has questioned God’s judgment ever since, and so that is why there is a judgment day.  Yes, that’s the day when people are divided between righteous and good, but more importantly, that is the day when everyone’s mouth is stopped.  In other words, God’s name will be vindicated upon every thought or accusation that ever smeared His name.  In the end, we will be shown the guilty ones and God will be shown righteous.

Romans 3:19

¹⁹ Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God.

We should rightly fear for our children that they do not follow with the rest of humanity making senseless charges against God.  They will sin yes, and they will need Jesus, but won’t they have you to show His goodness to them?

Though you now have no reason to fear God yourself, because in Christ you are no longer under any condemnation, yet we fear for them.  It is important that our children can see the love and grace that has replaced our fear.  I no cower before God in fear, but boldly approach Him as a child might approach their parents.  I know that in Christ, God has no wrath over me and I do not feel the threat of His anger any longer. His wrath has been satisfied and all that is left is His love and grace which I continue to grow in.

I would hope you have continued to pursue Christ in that mindset, knowing there is no more “disapproval” over you because of sin. Because when you live in His grace then those closest to you will have the greatest living testimony of God’s love and forgiveness over one who was once a sinner. The more you grow in Christ the less we operate in fear of Him.

1 John 4:18

¹⁸ There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love.

2 Timothy 1:7

⁷ For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.

There is no torment in the “fear of God” because Jesus is always there to alleviate the fear through His work on the cross.  Let me know if you have other questions.