On account of these, the wrath of God is coming.

Colossians 3:6

Put Off
God’s Wrath

This is not a verse we would typically pluck out of context and discuss or look to in times of distress. The “wrath of God” is certainly not an idea that makes us feel warm and fuzzy on the inside. It is terrifying and can make us uncomfortable and want to avoid the very thought of the omnipotent God having anger towards us. Certainly, the joy and peace that come from closeness to God can only be rivaled by the fear and hopelessness that we feel when God’s face is hidden from us.

In the previous verse, Paul tells us to put off the things that belong to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires, and greed, which is idolatry. Paul juxtaposes the idea of exhibiting a likeness to God with exhibiting an incongruity with God’s nature. Even from infancy, our humanity betrays us with improper desires and distractions from what is true, noble, right, and pure. While we like to think of God as a kind and gentle father figure, we must understand that God is just and does not accept idolatry of any kind.

God’s wrath doesn’t simply mean an end of life on earth, which happens when a heart stops beating. It means eternal death, which is separation from God. God must and will be true to his nature, and if we are not covered in Christ then we are unlike God and will be subject to God’s wrath in judgment. Our earthly nature, our idolatry earns us death. We are hopeless on our own.

Where then are we to look when faced with the prospect of God’s wrath? Should we hang our heads and hide our eyes as we walk towards eternal damnation? No. We look to the Cross where our salvation is found. We look to the death and separation from God the Father that Jesus suffered. Christ’s suffering was real, and it was and is more valuable and powerful than anything we could ever do. It will not be cheapened by our desire to be acceptable and forgiven simply because the thought of a wrathful God makes us squirm.

Because Jesus, through grace, brings us into conformity with God’s nature, we are delivered from the threat of God’s wrath. Our transformation through Christ into God’s likeness enables us to put idolatry of every kind out of our minds, our hearts, our lips, and our actions as we seek to glorify God and live in a way that does not make a mockery of Christ’s suffering. As we consider our sinful nature throughout this season of Lent, remember that our God cannot tolerate idolatry and that he is just – and has also shown the way for true praise. Let us therefore praise God for the Cross and the gift of salvation and the hope that it offers.