Reflections
For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness. (Rom. 1:18)
The Bible speaks of the wrath of God, but it also reveals that God is love. (I Jn. 4:8) But if God IS love, then that means that love is His nature, not just His action. Thus, we must reconcile the fact that God IS love to the fact that there is a wrath of God.
The wrath of God IS His love — the only possible expression of it — towards those who refuse Him. If a person refuses the Light God reveals to them, God will continue to bring that Light. God will never stop bringing Light and never close the door to Redemption. He cannot. There is only ONE Truth and ONE Savior. But if that person continues to love darkness rather than light, God will have to ultimately give them over to exactly what they have chosen: Darkness. And of course, in that darkness, there will be many other consequences. This is the wrath of God – He gives us what we have chosen – even if we have rejected the Truth.
How is this love? It is love because the intent is redemptive. God never stops being faithful to even those who reject Him – He continually seeks their redemption. But the same light God intends for our redemption, will absolutely judge us if we refuse it. This is His wrath. It is not a temper tantrum, or an angry outburst. It is not vindictive. Rather, it is a perfect justice that must be if God is God, and if Jesus Christ died for us.