There is a growing belief in the Church that God does not need to punish people for sin and that His wrath is directed specifically against all the ungodly behavior and unrighteousness of humanity that is damaging them, hurting them, causing them to sin against each other, and anything contrary to His nature.
Beginning in the 16th century, teaching began that Jesus became sin, rather than becoming a sin sacrifice and paying the penalty by taking upon Himself the punishment of God's wrath against sin.
The sacrificial death of Jesus was not to appease an angry, wrathful, distant deity somewhere way up there in the sky who uses pain, sorrow, suffering, or sickness to punish people. The Bible tells us that God doesn't want or need sacrifices (Jeremiah 22:23). It is fallen human beings who need them.
The Cross is the plan of God from before the foundation of the world to bring reconciliation of the universe, making peace with all things and redeeming humanity from being lost and remaining in the grip of the enemy and their sinfulness by casting down the principalities and powers that enslave and oppress them (Colossians 1:9).
The Wrath of God
The English word “wrath” is translated from the Hebrew “chemah,” a noun that occurs 120 times in the OT as "wrath, heat, rage, anger, venom and denotes a strong emotional state (See Genesis 27:44; Ezekiel 3:14; Deuteronomy 32:33). The word indicates a strong state of anger and is used most often involving God's "anger" and "wrath" (See Deuteronomy 9:19; Psalm 6:1; Lamentations 4:11).
The Hebrew word ‘chemah’ is associated with ‘qinah,’ which means "jealousy," and also with ‘naqam,’ which means "vengeance." God was jealous of His holy name when dealing with Israel, which is why He had to deal justly with idolatrous Israel by avenging Himself and Israel against their enemies (See Ezekiel 24:8; Nahum 1:2). God is angered by the sins and pride of people because they insult His holiness.
Nowhere in the Bible does it explicitly say or teach that God poured out His wrath on Jesus. There are those who believe that the opposite is true and quote from the book of Isaiah who prophesied that the Messiah would be “stricken,” “afflicted,” “pierced,” crushed,” and “pierced,” by God for the sins, rebellion, and iniquities of humanity (Isaiah 53:4-6,10). Even though the Hebrew word “chemah” was not used, many believe that God poured wrath on the promised Messiah because He willingly died on the Cross as the final sacrifice for sin, and “became sin,” which caused the “wrath of God” to be “revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of people, who suppress the truth by their wickedness” (2 Corinthians 5:21; Romans 1:18 NIV).
It is important to note the Bible says God’s wrath was ‘revealed’ (Gk: ‘apokaluptó’ = uncovered, brought to light), but it does not say or insinuate that it was poured out on Jesus for any reason, including because He died under the Law for all people.
“For if those who depend on the law are heirs, faith means nothing and the promise is worthless, because the law brings wrath. And where there is no law there is no transgression.” (Romans 4:15 NIV)
The Bible does not say that the Law provokes, stimulates, or incites God's wrath, but it does say “the law brings wrath,” which will ultimately be poured out at the end of the Great Tribulation (Revelation 16-18). The Greek word for “brings” is ‘katergazomai,’’ which means to work out, accomplish, produce, to bring about something to completion, such as spiritual growth.
The Bible says that those who do not abide by the law are under a curse. However, on the Cross, Jesus took upon Himself all curses by “becoming a curse” and offered “redemption from the curse of the law” to those who repent of sin and place their trusting-faith in Him (Galatians 3:10-14).
There is no verse in the Bible that says that because God is holy, He must express wrath against sin. Nor does it say that because of His mercy, He delayed that wrath until the Cross. There are many verses that speak of God’s wrath, and that Jesus will deliver Christians “from the wrath to come” (1 Thessalonians 1:10), but there is no verse that says God’s wrath was satisfied at the Cross. It is to come when “destruction will come on them suddenly, as labor pains on a pregnant woman, and they will not escape” (1 Thessalonians 5:3 NIV).
Jesus delivered those who become Born-Again from the final day of wrath when He transformed them into “children of light, children of day.” … “For God has not destined us for wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us so that whether we are awake or asleep we might live with him” (1 Thessalonians 5:5,9-10).
The Born-Again Christian is the object of God’s mercy rather than His wrath (Romans 9:22-23). They receive “eternal life” and have fled “from the wrath to come” (Matthew 3:7; Luke 3:7). It is those who reject the truth who receive “wrath and fury” (Romans 2:7-8).
“As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our flesh and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature deserving of wrath. But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved.” (Ephesians 2:1-5 NIV)
It is because of Jesus's sacrifice on the Cross, that God showed “the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses” (Ephesians 2:5 NIV). God views Christians differently because of the Cross. As a result of the sacrifice of Jesus;
“God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do” (Ephesians 2:6-10 NIV)
There was no transfer of wrath onto Jesus. Nowhere in the Bible does it say that the Cross is described as the place where God punished Jesus for our sins. The crucifixion was not a divine punishment by God but a Roman punishment for those who rebelled against “the rulers of this age” (See 1 Corinthians 2:6-10).
“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16 NIV)
Jesus was “presented” by God, the Father as the propitiating (Gk: ‘hilasterion’ = Mercy Seat). God is the merciful and gracious propitiator who provides for the satisfaction of His holy wrath. He is both the object of propitiation and its subject; the sacrifice is given BY Him before it was given TO Him; His love provides what His holiness demands.
The Father was the one who “loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins” and “presented Christ as a sacrifice of atonement, through the shedding of his blood to be received by faith” (1 John 4:10; Romans 3:23-25 NIV). His shed blood saves the Born-Again Christian from the wrath of God to come (Romans 5:8-9; 1 John 2:2). Jesus is the Lamb of God who, by His voluntary sacrifice, appeased God's wrath until the end of days (Genesis 8:21; Leviticus 1-7; John 1:29).
God saves a person from His wrath when they repent of their sin and receive Jesus as Lord and Savior. Propitiation completely satisfies the demands of God’s wrath and justice, which is what the final sacrifice on the Cross was all about. Jesus did not take upon Himself the wrath that human beings deserve or pay a penalty that was due for their guilt to satisfy the demands of God’s justice.
The Garden of Gethsemane
The Garden of Gethsemane is mentioned in all four Gospels, where Jesus would go for rest and prayer. On His last visit there, Jesus told the disciples to "sit here while I pray" (Mark 14:32 ESV). He asked them to keep watch because His "soul" (Gk: psuche – in context, regarding the body and emotions, not the eternal spirit) was "overwhelmed with sorrow (Gk: 'perilipos'- intense grief and sadness) to the point of death" (Gk: thanatos' – the death of the body)" (Vs. 34).
Take This Cup
During His ministry, Jesus’ spoke of His coming death in graphic detail (Matthew 16:21, 17:22-23; Mark 10:32-33; Luke 9:22). He also used the imagery of drinking deeply from a cup to describe this painful suffering and death He would endure (Matthew 20:22-23).
Throughout history, there have been several explanations given regarding why Jesus asked the Father to remove the cup from Him. Most of them infer that Jesus was afraid to die and wanted another way to be a sin offering so He could avoid the suffering to come and drink the wrath of God. There is also a provocative theory that Gethsemane was the last temptation of Jesus by the devil, even though there is no direct Scriptural evidence of this taking place.
In the Old Testament a ‘cup’ is often used figuratively as a symbol of God’s judgment against sin. He is pictured punishing wicked, rebellious people by making them drunk (Isaiah 51:17, 22; Jeremiah 25:15-16; Ezekiel 23:31-34; Mark 14:36). In the Gospels we learn more about what this cup means for Jesus (Matthew 26:39; Mark 14:36; Luke 22:42).
Jesus shared the Passover meal with the Disciples. They would have deeply drunk the equivalent of four cups of wine from one large communal cup before passing it on to the next person at the table. If it became empty, it would be filled again before passing to the next person.
With Passover in mind, Jesus did not pray in the Garden to avoid the cup but rather to take on as much of it as He possibly could and, if it was God's will, to let Him drink every drop as deeply as possible.
Jesus walked about a stone's throw from them, "fell on His face and prayed for about an hour and said, "My Father," (Gk: 'pater' from the root "pa" meaning nourisher, protector, upholder) "if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will" (Matthew 26:39 ESV).
Jesus returned to the Disciples and found them sleeping even though they had previously promised to be faithful to death. He said to Peter, "So, could you not watch with me one hour? Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak" (Vs. 40-41).
Jesus left the Disciples to pray again for a second time, saying, "My Father, if this cannot pass unless I drink it (Gk: 'pino' to consume fully), your will be done" (Mark 14:40 ESV)
Once again, for the third time, Jesus went back to His closest friends and "found them sleeping, for their eyes were heavy" (Vs. 43) and went to pray "for the third time, saying the same words again (Vs. 44). After praying, Jesus went to them and said with unwavering resolve, "Sleep and take your rest later on. See, the hour is at hand, and the Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. Rise, let us be going; see, my betrayer is at hand" (Matthew 26:45-46 ESV). Jesus may have spent up to three hours praying in the Garden.
Luke, the physician, includes a fascinating medical observation about what Jesus underwent when He prayed the third time.
"...Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me. Nevertheless, not my will, but yours, be done." "And there appeared to him an angel from heaven, strengthening him. And being in an agony he prayed more earnestly; and his sweat became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground." (Luke 22:43-44 ESV)
The Greek word translated as "remove" is 'paraphero' which means to bear along or aside to carry off. Matthew and Mark use the Greek word 'parerchomai' which is translated as "pass" and means to come near or aside and pass by (Matthew 26:39; Mark 14:35). The wording of His prayer indicates that the ordeal is in His immediate presence and not in the future.
Luke noted that an Angel came to render aid to Jesus during His ordeal. The Greek word for "strengthening" is 'enischuo' and is a medical term found only twice in Scripture, meaning to invigorate powerfully, to be made strong again (transitively or reflexively) [See also Acts 9:17-19]. The word is used in the context of doctors administering first aid like CPR or surgery to heal a sick or injured patient.
Jesus stated that His body was at the point of death as blood was bursting out of His skin, so the Angel was sent to render first aid so that He would not die prematurely (Mark 14:34). This thought is supported by Jesus saying to the Disciples, because He just had first-hand experience, "The spirit indeed is willing (Gk: ‘prothumos’ = eager and enthusiastic), but the flesh (Gk: 'sarx' = human body) is weak (Gk: ‘asthenes' = physically infirm, sick") (Mark 14:38 ESV).
The great sweat drops of blood are a medical condition known as hematidrosis, hematohidrosis, or hemidrosis. It occurs when someone is under such extreme physical and mental stress and pressure that the body goes into a fight-or-flight response that could cause their capillaries to rupture and blood to get into the sweat glands. If the rupturing is severe enough, internal bleeding can result in death.
The Greek word translated as "agony" is 'agonia' and is found only once in the Bible. It comes from the word 'agon,' which is a place of assembly for a contest, fight, or race. It was used among the Greeks as an alternative to 'agon' for the contests or games that took place there and to indicate maximum concentration, intense emotions, physical struggle, and strain. The Greek word 'agonizomai' also comes from it and means to struggle to compete for a prize or contend with another to accomplish something. The Greek word translated as "great drops" is 'thrombos' and is used in the sense of thickening like a blood clot.
Jesus prayed to the Father because that is how humans communicate with God. If He had not prayed, He would not have been 100% human. When He asked the Father to take the cup, it was not because He was afraid of the horrific beatings and death a person would naturally be terrified of (See Mark 14:32-42). There was NO fear of death or aversion to pain and suffering in Him nor fear of being separated from the Father and Holy Spirit because they never left Him. It was “For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God” (Hebrews 12:2 NIV).
Jesus said He would not pray for the Father to save Him from the suffering that was to come (John 12:27-28). God cannot contradict Himself, so Jesus wasn't asking to avoid being crucified because there would be no atonement. The facts are that, because Jesus is omniscient, He knew from eternity past He was going to die, how He was going to die, and why (Matthew 10:45; Mark 10:45; Hebrews 9:22; Ephesians 1:4; Revelation 13:8). He came to Earth to die. That was His sole mission. When He died on the Cross, His body died. But then, when He returned to life, the resurrection proved He was God (Romans 1:4).
There was no fear or uncertainty in Jesus. For the joy set before Him, He went to the Cross (Hebrews 12:2). Because Jesus is the omniscient God, He knew what He would be facing and went toward it willingly and resolutely. He predicted it many times. He said He would willingly lay down His life and that He had the authority to lay it down and take it up again if He so desired (John 10:18). No one, including the devil, could kill Him.
Jesus said about His life, "No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This charge I have received from my Father" (John 10:18 ESV). He told the disciples that He would rise again the third day after He was crucified, according to the Scriptures (Matthew 12:40; 16:21; 17:23; 20:19, 26:32; see also Psalm 16:10; Isaiah 25:8). He told the Jews that He would raise up the temple (His body) in three days after they destroyed it (Matthew 27:63; John 2:19).
Nowhere in the Bible does it say that "the cup" Jesus would drink from was the wrath God would pour out on Him or even that it would be appeased. On the Cross, God, the Father, punished human sin on Jesus, God the Son. The Father received this sacrifice and accepted it (Isaiah 53:10-12). The Cross is not an experience for Jesus alone (John 14:8-11). God did not pour out His wrath or turn His back on Himself (John 8:29; 16:32). It is fallen human beings who rejected Him (Isaiah 53:3-5).
The Father and the Holy Spirit were with Him and never rejected Him. Jesus said the Father would be with Him in His suffering (John 16:32). Contrary to much humanistic teaching on the subject, God's wrath is not some divine child abuse or an angry, vindictive, temper tantrum of a deity who didn't get their way so that fire and brimstone must be poured out as punishment on a wicked world. Instead, it is God's reaction and resistance to sin.
The Cross IS the wrath of God and was not about human sacrifice to Him, but His sacrifice to humanity. It is the focal point of everything and the lens through which all else can be seen because it is the wisdom and the power of the Triune God, who is love (John 3:16; 1 John 14:8). It is the centerpiece of His plan for all creation because it is the glorification of Jesus and reveals what true endless love is (John 12:23).
The Cross was the highest and ultimate revelation of love that God took the shame and corrupting power of death into Himself and did away with it. When people look at Jesus on the Cross, they see God, the Father, in Jesus revealing His merciful love and pouring out forgiveness on the entire world for their salvation (Zechariah 12:10; 1 John 3:16; 2 Corinthians 5:18; Colossians 2:9; Hebrews 1:3). There is no hope for anyone apart from the Cross. The ultimate magnitude of God's love is manifested in the Cross, where Jesus experienced wrath on behalf of everyone who has, is now, or will ever live in this world.
Jesus said, "No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him" because it is by grace alone they are saved through the faith of Jesus alone, and not by any work they could do because it is a gift of God” (John 6:44; Galatians 2:17; Ephesians 2:8 ESV).
Nowhere in the Bible does it say that "the cup" Jesus would drink from was the wrath God or even that it would be appeased. The Father did not punish Jesus on the Cross for the sins of humanity. Jesus became the sin-bearer and took upon Himself our punishment for sin and delivered those who would repent of their sin and receive Him as Lord and Savior from the wrath that is still to come (1 Thessalonians 1:10). The Father received this sacrifice and accepted it (Isaiah 53:10-12). Jesus described His own death as a ransom, and not the way God would take out His wrath. His death was the payment to the Father to redeem us from the enemy (Matthew 20:28; Mark 10:45).
Why Have You Forsaken Me?
While on the Cross, Jesus quoted from the book of Psalms when He said, “My God, My God, why have you forsaken me?” which He knew would be understood by any Hebrew to be about the promised Messiah. Jesus was confirming once again He was the Messiah (vs 22:1-31). Jesus drank the cup of our sin.
Jesus died as a substitute, bore the sin and guilt of every human being, was sacrificed for their forgiveness and died in their place (Isaiah 53:4-5, 10; Romans 3:23-25; 2 Corinthians 5:21; Hebrews 2:17; 9:26; 1 John 2:2). He willingly experienced the full consequences of sin that would have happened to every human without His sacrifice.
The Cross was not about human sacrifice to God, but His sacrifice to humanity. It is the focal point of everything, and the lens through which all else can be seen because it is the wisdom and the power of the Triune God, who is love (John 3:16; 1 John 14:8). It is the centerpiece of His plan for all creation because it is the glorification of Jesus and reveals what true endless love is (John 12:23). Jesus said, "No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him" because it is by grace alone they have been saved through the faith of Jesus alone, and not by any work they could do because it is a gift of God alone (John 6:44; Galatians 2:17; Ephesians 2:8 ESV).
The Cross is the highest and ultimate revelation of love that God took the shame and corrupting power of death into Himself and did away with it. When a person looks at Jesus on the Cross, they are seeing God, the Father, in Jesus revealing His merciful love and pouring out forgiveness on the entire world for their salvation (Zechariah 12:10; 1 John 3:16; 2 Corinthians 5:18; Colossians 2:9; Hebrews 1:3). There is no hope for anyone apart from the Cross.
Contrary to much humanistic teaching on the subject, the wrath of God is not some sort of divine child abuse or an angry, vindictive, temper-tantrum of a deity who didn't get their way so that fire and brimstone must be poured out as punishment on a wicked world. Rather, it is God's reaction and resistance to sin.
The death of Jesus guaranteed that those who would repent and receive Him as Lord and Savior would be saved from God's future wrath to come on the day of judgment against those who REJECT God's offer of salvation through Jesus Christ (Romans 1:16-18, 5:8-9; 1 Thessalonians 5:9; Ephesians 2:3).
Because God is love, He does not delight in executing His wrath on sin. Understanding the nature of God's love reveals that He does get angry at those who do things against others (including Himself) that hurt or cause suffering (See Matthew 21:12; Mark 1:15; John 2:15). Jesus is the Creator God, Lord of the Universe, and is holy and just.
The words 'God is love' do not mean it is some sentimental, touchy-feely emotional infatuation that tolerates evil so that all people can just get along with each other (1 John 4:8). It is an absolute truth that God desires to give only the best to His people and is clearly is not the author of pain, sorrow, suffering, or sickness.
The Bible reveals that the wrath of God is actually an expression of His love (See Jeremiah 10:24; Ezekiel 23:1; Amos 3:2). It is always regarded as the natural manifestation of the most holy and righteous nature of God, and His just and righteous indignation against sin, and the sinner, because of their transgression. It must be maintained under all circumstances and at all costs (See 1 Peter 1:17; Hebrews 10:29; Numbers 11:1-10; Deuteronomy 29:27; 2 Samuel 6:7; Isaiah 5:25, 42:25; Jeremiah 44:6; Psalm 79:6).
The Bible says that there is only one thing that can save a sinner from the outpouring of God's righteous anger against sin, and that is placing their wholehearted trust in Christ Jesus:
"He who believes in the Son has everlasting life, and he who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him." (John 3:36 NKJV)
God, the Holy Spirit gives a startling warning:
"It is impossible for those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, who have shared in the Holy Spirit, who have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the coming age, if they fall away, to be brought back to repentance, because to their loss they are crucifying the Son of God all over again and subjecting him to public disgrace." (Hebrews 6:4-6 NIV- emphasis mine)
The Bible declares that all human beings are "by nature children of wrath" (Ephesians 2:3 NIV). The eternal truth of God is that those who continually reject Jesus Christ as Creator and Lord of the universe:
"..are storing up wrath against yourself for the day of God's wrath, when his righteous judgment will be revealed. God "will give to each person according to what he has done. To those who by persistence in doing good seek glory, honor, and immortality, he will give eternal life. But for those who are self-seeking and who reject the truth and follow evil, there will be wrath and anger. There will be trouble and distress for every human being who does evil…" (Romans 2:5-9 NIV - See also John 3:36; Romans 1:16-18, 5:9)
Jesus gave a frightful warning to those who would reject Him - be afraid of the "One who can destroy both soul and body in hell" (Matthew 10:28-29; Luke 12:5 NIV). However, those who place their trusting-faith in Jesus are "justified by His blood" and "shall be saved from wrath through Him" (Romans 5:9 NIV). The ultimate magnitude of God's love is manifested in the Cross, where Jesus became the ransom payment for every person who has, is now, or will ever live in this world.
The Triune God
The Bible teaches that there is only one God (Deuteronomy 6:4; Isaiah 43:10; 44:6-8; 45:6; James 2:19). Yet, God is three persons: God, the Father, God, the Son, and God, the Holy Spirit. He is triune. This mystery is known only to Himself, and no human being can wrap their head around this truth, so it is an act of futility to try and explain it.
When Jesus prayed in the Garden, He wasn't afraid, worried, stressed out, or trying to avoid the Cross. Worry and fear are practical atheism and the opposite of trust. Jesus is the same yesterday, today, and forever (Hebrews 13:8). He demonstrated perfect trust throughout His life. His mission from eternity past was to come to Earth to die as a sacrifice because of His great love for us. God knows the end from the beginning. He couldn't have been afraid of God turning His back on Him or being abandoned because God can never be separated from or turn His back on Himself (Psalm 16:10, 23:4).
The Fear of God
The Bible uses the word 'fear' over 300 times in reference to God, so it should not be downplayed like so much cotton candy Christianity taught today in the church that is sweet to the taste, full of fluff, with no substance.
The word 'fear' in relation to God can mean a profound respect or reverential awe of Him. However, it can also mean dreadful terror. It depends on the context, so it is important to exegete the verses to get a clear understanding of what is being said. It is true that fear can save a person from being controlled by their own sinful nature and look to God (See Genesis 42:18; Exodus 1:17, 9:29-31, 18:21, 20:20; Leviticus 19:14, 32; Matthew 10:28; Romans 3:18; 2 Corinthians 7:1). However, taking a text out of context becomes a pretext for a proof text to twist God's written Word, the Bible, in order to conform it to a person's presupposition and confirmation bias.
The Bible says that perfect love expels all fear (1 John 4:18). At first glance, that appears to be a contradiction. The truth is that the Bible tells us that fearing God is a positive rather than a negative thing. The fact is that the first words heard every time God appears in one's life are: "Don't be afraid," because it is His peace that passes all human understanding (Isaiah 41:10; Philippians 4:7).
When the fear of God is preached it is important that the message is not just one of fearful punishment because that is not the real message of the Gospel a person hears or experiences when Jesus enters their life.
A great example of fear and perfect love working together was when Jesus warned numerous times to fear God and not humans when people needed to confront their sinfulness and repent (Luke 12:1-5). At the same time, He demonstrated love beyond human understanding and said that "There is no greater love than to lay down one's life for one's friends” (John 15:13).
There are two types of fear of God. One is terror and trepidation. The other is respect and reverence, which is extremely important to the health of the Born-Again Christian. It is the proper view of God being love, and those that live that love actually live in God and He in them (1 John 4:16). This kind of 'fear' "is the beginning of knowledge…because fools (those that are not Born-Again) despise wisdom and instruction" (Proverbs 1:7). It will give a person a proper view of God that will lead them to love, serve, and obey Him (Deuteronomy 10:12-13). The only people who are to "fear" God, in the sense of being afraid in terror and trepidation, are those who have not placed their faith in, and rejected, Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior (Luke 7:16, 23:40-41).
God will "cast out" all fear of the future for divine retribution and condemnation when a person becomes Born-Again and He gives them a healthy view of Himself based upon His merciful grace, kindness, and love which will lead them to walking daily in repentance and compel them to naturally yearn for a greater desire to know Him more in deep intimacy (Luke 1:50, 12:5; John 3:16; Romans 2:4; Ephesians 2:8-9; Hebrews 10:31; 1 John 4:16-18).
A person doesn't need to be terrified of the only one who has the authority to forgive sins and thoroughly wash them all away and make them positionally clean and perfectly holy before God (Hebrews 10:14; 1 Corinthians 6:18-19).
Having a proper and healthy fear in reverential awe and respect of God's might, majesty, and power, in holy trembling to worship before Him for all eternity is most important in the life of a Born-Again Christian and will keep them living in obedience, naturally producing good fruit (Matthew 7:17-18; Revelation 14:6-7,15:4, 19:5. God will discipline and correct those whom He loves just as a earthly father would his own children (Acts 9:21; Hebrews 12:6, also Proverbs 3:12). That kind of 'fear' does not conflict with a loving relationship with God (2 Corinthians 5:10-11, 7:1; 1 Peter 2:16-17).
When the manipulative tactic of legalistic fear and punishment in hellfire and damnation is employed to try and change a person's behavior, it might help for a time, but it is no different than using intimidation or brainwashing. God is compassionate, understanding, and, most importantly, forgiving. The greatest mystery of the universe is that the mighty and majestic Creator of all things knows everything about us and still loves us anyway. A god who is to be feared for their punitive threats is a god with whom a person will never find warm intimacy.
The 'fear' of God must be preached within the context of unbridled love so that, by His grace and merciful kindness, a person will genuinely repent and come to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, who will come and take up residence within them (Rom 2:4; Ephesians 2:8-9). There is a lot to be feared about the Creator of all things, but there is nothing of Him to be afraid.
The Judgment of God
It is commonly believed that God ' judges' people today by causing good things to happen to people who do good things and bad things to happen to people who do bad things. This belief is nothing new and is seen in Job, the oldest book of the Bible.
Every use of the word 'judgment' referring specifically to God in the New Testament is regarding salvation and His eternal punishment for those who reject Jesus as Lord and Savior. Receiving Him is the only way to escape it. The love of God for the Born-Again Christian that accepted, justified, sanctified, declared them holy, and made them the righteousness of Christ, gives them confidence for the Day of Judgment, and it is His love that casts out any fear of it (Romans 5:1, 15:7; 1 John 4:17; 1 Corinthians 1:2, 6:11; 2 Corinthians 5:21; Hebrews 10:10). They are not considered wrongdoers who will deny Jesus (Colossians 3:23-25).
"For it is time for judgment to begin at the household of God; and if it begins with us, what will be the outcome for those who do not obey the gospel of God?" (1 Peter 4:17 ESV)
The Greek word translated as ‘judgment’ is “krima,” which means a decision or a verdict was made and is not the ACT of judging. The verse does not say that the first verdict of God shall strike His own house, the Church, and after that, a second verdict shall strike the wicked in the world. It also does not mean that false Christians are to be exposed, and the house of God is to be purified by removing them, or that Born-Again Christians are to be purified by suffering from any sins that are still in them.
The image of the time has come for judgment beginning at God's household comes from the Old Testament (Ezekiel 7:7,12,9:6; Jeremiah 25:18-29; Amos 3:2). The Born-Again Christian also experiences the judgment of earthly courts (1 Peter 4:6), and God can use it to bring discipline to His Bride, just as persecution has refined and strengthened the church throughout history.
The purification, or progressive conditional sanctification, of the Born-Again Christian, is never called "the verdict." The emphasis is on God's verdict on humanity as a result of the crimes that are committed against every Born-Again Christian, just as every court verdict starts from the object involved in a crime. It is not for the Born-Again Christian, who is the house of God, but for those who deserve it because of their treatment of the Gospel and the Born-Again Christian
"And now, little children, abide in him, so that when he appears we may have confidence and not shrink from him in shame at his coming. If you know that he is righteous, you may be sure that everyone who PRACTICES righteousness has been born of him." (1 John 2:28-29 ESV - emphasis mine)
No Born-Again Christian lacks a spiritual gift or blessing that would keep them from living a life that is pleasing to God (1 Corinthians 1:7; Ephesians 1:3). They were once "alienated and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds," but, at the moment of salvation, they were "reconciled in his body of flesh by his death, in order to present" them "holy and blameless and above reproach before" Jesus. The proof a person has been justified and Born-Again is that they actively continue "stable and steadfast, not shifting from the hope of the gospel" (Colossians 1:21-23 ESV; also 1 John 2:19; Philippians 1:6).
No Condemnation
"There is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus" (Romans 8:1 ESV).
The word "condemnation" (Gk: "katakrima") means an adverse verdict, judgment, and sentence pronounced after a detailed investigation. It was at the Cross that God pronounced judgment on the unbelieving world and against satan, the father of lies (John 8:4). Jesus said shortly before the Cross, "Now is the judgment of this world; now will the ruler of this world be cast out" (John 12:31 ESV). The Greek word here for 'judgment' is “krisis” and means the decisive verdict of the court.
God wants every Born-Again Christian to evaluate themselves (1 Corinthians 11:28). They do this by prayerfully practicing self-examination, honestly assessing their spiritual condition, and repenting of behavior that they know to be wrong before the eyes of an all-holy God, so they can be more like Jesus (Ephesians 4:21–23). God will lovingly correct and chasten His children by disciplining them (Hebrews 12:5–11; Revelation 3:19). God will bring them to a place of repentance and restoration when they sin to show they are not of this world, "But when we are judged by the Lord, we are disciplined so that we may not be condemned" (Gk: "kataknno” to cast a verdict) along with the world" (1 Corinthians 11:32 ESV).
When a Born-Again Christian sins, (and they will because it is in their DNA [i.e. old nature] to do so) they are implored to "confess" their "sins," and God who is "faithful and just," will "forgive" their sins and "cleanse" them "from all unrighteousness." If they say they do not sin they "make him a liar, and his word is not in" them (1 John 1:9-10 ESV).
The Born-Again Christian abides in Christ, and when sin is present, they have an "advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world. And by this we know that we have come to know him, if we keep his commandments. Whoever says "I know him" but does not keep his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him, but whoever keeps his word, in him truly the love of God is perfected. By this we may be sure that we are in him: whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked" (1 John 2:1-6 ESV).
The Second Coming of the Lord
Both Scripture and life make it clear that God is not continually judging humanity's sins now, but He is waiting for the final judgment in the future, which starts after the 7th Seal is broken and culminates when Jesus reveals Himself with His mighty angels (Revelation 14:7; 18:20).
The Second Coming of Jesus is the blessed hope of the Church (Titus 2:3; also Amos 5:18). The first “coming of the Lord” was through Mary. Jesus told the Disciples that He would return in power and “descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel,” for His second “coming” immediately after the seventh, and final trumpet sound of the Tribulation, which begins the day of His wrath that will be unleashed on those who have rejected Him as Lord and Savior, as He ‘gathers’ all His people; both the righteous living and those who have died, and take them with Him in spectacular power and glory to Israel to fight and defeat the Antichrist and his armies, and then begins His Millennial reign as “all things are subjected to Him” to establish the “Kingdom of Heaven” (2 Peter 1:16; Matthew 24:29-31, 37-39; John 6:40, 44,54; Romans 2:5; 1 Thessalonians 4:4:16,13-18,5:1-10; 2 Thessalonians 1:7-11, 2:1-4; Revelation 11:15-19, 19:20; see also 1 Corinthians 15:23,28,51-54; Zechariah 14:2; Jeremiah 6:11).
The Great Tribulation / Jacobs trouble is not the day of God’s wrath. The final judgment of those who have rejected Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior begins afterward (Revelation 20:11-15; also Jeremiah 30:7). The Bible speaks of a single final UNIVERSAL judgment just before Jesus returns (Matthew 3:7-10, 13:24-50; 24; 25:31-46; 1 Corinthians 3:10-15; 2 Thessalonians 1:5-12; Revelation 20:11-15). Jesus came to Earth because people were already under condemnation (John 3:17), and whoever rejects Him remains under God's wrath (John 3:36; Romans 1:18; 2:1-3:20).
Trusting-Faith in Jesus as the promised Messiah is the only way to escape that judgment, just as Lot and Noah, along with his family, were saved from destruction (Luke 17:26-30). God promised Abraham that if he found just ten righteous people, He would not pour out judgment and destroy Sodom. I am pretty confident to say that there are at least ten righteous people in the world today. Jesus first came to earth because people were already under condemnation and whoever rejects Him remains under God's wrath (John 3:17, 36; Romans 1:18; 2:1-3:20)
Jesus said, "Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does NOT come into judgment, but has passed from death to life" (John 5:24 ESV – emphasis mine).
The New Testament is written from the viewpoint that each Born-Again Christian has already been judged in Christ and continuously stands justified before Him. God identifies them with Jesus Christ and that when He died, they died with him (Romans 6:1–8).
The only reason the Born-Again Christian is predestined to go to Heaven is that they have believed in and received Jesus Christ as their personal Lord and Savior and have accepted the fact that their sins were already judged and atoned for by His sacrifice on the Cross.
At-One-Ment
Jesus became human according to God's will "to give His life a ransom"… "for all" (See Acts 2:23; 1 Peter 1:20; Mark 10:45; 1 Timothy 2:6 NIV). God "laid on Him the iniquity of us all" (Isaiah 53:6; also 2 Corinthians 5:21; Galatians 3:13 NIV), yet Jesus "has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God" (Ephesians 5:2 NIV), so that those who believe in Him might receive atonement and "be saved from [God's] wrath" through "the precious blood of Christ" (1 Peter 1:19 NIV - See also Romans 3:22, 5:9 NIV).
When Jesus became the perfect covering and absolute substitute sacrifice for sin the love of God toward sinful mankind was poured out. The intent of the sacrificial death of Jesus on the Cross was not to influence the morals of mankind but rather, to satisfy the demands of divine justice (See Romans 3:25-26; 5:6-8; John 3:16; Hebrews 9:12, 15).
Throughout the Old Testament, all the symbols and examples of atonement sacrifice are complete and fulfilled in the New Covenant brought about by Jesus's shed blood. This was clearly understood by His disciples (See Hebrews 9:22; compare 2:17, 7:26, 9:24-28; Matthew 16:13; 26:28; Luke 19:10; John 6:33, 53, 10:10; 14:6,9; 17:2; Hebrews 12:24).
The violent death and perfect sacrifice of Jesus brought about reconciliation - or at-one-ment - between mankind and God. It reinstated the intimate position humanity was destined to enjoy with God before the fall in the Garden of Eden. The atonement cleanses the repentant person from sin and also eliminates its effects on their life. This change starts within the new Born-Again Christian and works its way out into their attitudes, actions, behavior, beliefs, perspectives, etc., and can help them to be an effective spiritual warrior and a catalyst of change in the world where they live.
Jesus became the peacemaking sacrificial Lamb of God, who represents liberation, reparation, righting wrongs, and reconciliation, and who was slain from the foundation of the world to take away its sins, and by His shed blood, defeat, once and for all, the works of the devil, sin, and death, and ransom all people from the power of the devil and declare the good and loving nature of God (Hebrews 2:14; 1 John 3:8, 14:7-10; Romans 5:8).
By His death on the Cross Jesus forgave all sin (Acts 13:38; Ephesians 1:7); healed human beings from their sin-diseased nature (1 Peter 2:24); reconciled all things to Himself (2 Corinthians 5:18–19; Colossians 1:20–22); gave an example to follow (Ephesians 5:1–2; 1 Peter 2:21); and gave the Holy Spirit to empower those who entrust their lives to Him to live in an intimate relationship with Him (Romans 8:2–16).
The Cross is the pinnacle of divine love! Every knee shall bow, and every tongue confess the name of Jesus because He emptied Himself to death in self-sacrificial love by His grace (Philippians 2; Ephesians 2:8-9). It is the patient, merciful, and endless love of the Lamb of God that is a threat to every power, religious, and political system of this world.
Guilt causes alienation from God when a person violates His laws and makes them the captive of the devil and death. The only remedy was Jesus' death on the Cross, who then descended into the realm of Death and was resurrected from the dead, which shattered the gates of Hell and set captive humans free from eternal death to join Him for all eternity.
The great mystery of salvation is accomplished not just on the Cross but from the very moment of the incarnation when the Only Begotten and Co-Eternal Son became 100% human while remaining 100% God, united Himself forever with humanity in the womb of a young girl, and culminates in the Resurrection.
God's wrath and anger are against sin and its effects on a person's relationship with Him. He desires to lovingly remove sin from them to restore the relationship. His love for every human being drives His hatred of sin because it separates them from Him. Because He is love, He wants them to be united with Him for all eternity, starting now!
Salvation unifies human beings with their Creator if they willingly choose to stop trusting in themselves and cast off their unbelief in order to approach Him by accepting Jesus Christ as their personal Lord and Savior. When a person does that, Jesus frees them from the bonds of sin and death that held them, and they begin immediately to experience eternal joy and peace that passes all human comprehension and understanding.
From the moment of His incarnation, Jesus did all it took to free every person on the planet from slavery to the powers of this world. This culminated in His sacrificial death and victorious resurrection from the dead! The Born-Again Christian has been called to advance the Kingdom of God by living a life that is completely counter to the kingdom of this world (Ephesians 3:10).
The Gospel is a love story and not a courtroom. God delights in mercy, not retribution, and wants to free each human being from the power and weight of sin and change them through the power of His love. The shed blood of Jesus on the Cross delivered the Born-Again Christian, once and for all, from their sin, guilt, corruption, and death (Romans 6:23; Hebrews 2:5-6).
CONCLUSION
Jesus was not punished by God for humanity's sins, nor did He pay the “wages of sin.” He committed an “act of righteousness” or “obedience” that was more powerful than Adam’s act of disobedience. Because of the sacrifice of Jesus, the Born-Again Christian died to sin and can now experience the gift of eternal life (See Romans 6:1-7; 20-23; Hebrew 9:13-22).
The shedding of blood is not about punishing the animal but about providing blood, which has the power to “purify.” The shed blood of Jesus has the power to eternally purify, so His death was absolutely critical for salvation, not because God needed to punish someone, but because it was Jesus’ blood that was the offering He used to restore their relationship with God. Jesus did not take the Father’s wrath upon Himself so that a Christian will never need to experience or face it.
When Jesus became the perfect covering and the absolute substitute sacrifice for sin, the love of God toward sinful humanity was poured out. The intent of the sacrificial death of Jesus on the Cross was not to influence man's morals but to satisfy the demands of divine justice. Throughout the Old Testament, all the symbols and examples of atoning sacrifice are complete and fulfilled in the New Covenant. Jesus's disciples clearly understood this.
The Second Coming of Jesus is the Church’s blessed hope (Titus 2:3; Amos 5:18). The first “coming of the Lord” was at His birth. Jesus told the Disciples that He would return in power and “descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel,” for His second “coming” immediately after the seventh and final trumpet sound of the Tribulation, which begins the day of His wrath that will be unleashed on those who have rejected Him as Lord and Savior, as He ‘gathers’ all His people; both the righteous living and those who have died, and take them with Him in spectacular power and glory to Israel to fight and defeat the Antichrist and his armies, and then begins His Millennial reign as “all things are subjected to Him” to establish the “Kingdom of Heaven” (1 Corinthians 15:24,28 -See also 2 Peter 1:16; Matthew 24:29-31, 37-39; John 6:40, 44,54; Romans 2:5; 1 Thessalonians 4:4:16,13-18,5:1-10; 2 Thessalonians 1:7-11, 2:1-4; Revelation 11:15-19, 19:20, 1 Corinthians 15:23,28,51-54; Zechariah 14:2; Jeremiah 6:11)
Jesus came to Earth as 100% fully God and 100% fully human simultaneously (Philippians 2:6-8). As a human, He was made lower than the angels so that His physical body of flesh and blood could die (Hebrews 2:14). Because He is God, His spirit could never die.
Jesus did not pray to avoid the Cross or to experience God's wrath against sin, nor was it to help win the battle of the enemy's last temptation. He was not praying to bypass pain and death but to end the reign of sin and death once and for all, in Himself, on the Cross. Jesus was praying to finish the plan, to bring it to completion.
Given the facts, it seems impossible that Jesus, the Creator of all things, had a moment of weakness and asked not to die on the Cross (John 1:3). Jesus was under extreme physical duress and asked not to die in the Garden before the Cross, yet, if that was God’s plan, His will be done.
Jesus did not change His mind about the Cross, nor did the Father or the Holy Spirit. Together, they endured the Cross, despising its shame, so that Jesus could once again sit down at the right hand of the Father in Heaven so that we could be offered eternal life by repenting of our sins and receiving Jesus as Lord and Savior.
