. . . but whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a great millstone fastened around his neck and to be drowned in the depth of the sea.
– Matthew 18:6
As I read the gospels, I continue finding new reminders of why Jesus is so deserving of our love and devotion.
Words are failing me at the moment . . . but reading the passage above reminds me of two things. First, Jesus loves us. He loves the “little ones” that the world despises.
Second, God’s wrath is a good thing. May we understand it, and fear it in love. It is in this that we gain wisdom.
Yup.
I have listened to that Piper sermon snippet (the one currently at the top of my GDC page) several times this past week, and the part that keeps getting me is when he answers the question “Where is God when hostages are beheaded?” (but you could substitute any confounding tragedy in that place), and Piper says, “He is in heaven storing up wrath to pour out…” Or something to that effect.
Of course I’ve always known that. But hearing it preached . . . I don’t know. God is a just God. I am so in love with that.
I think one of the great rubicons to cross for believers is getting to where we are just so in love with who God is, not merely with what He does for us. Not that we shouldn’t be in love with him for that reason too, and Piper is bigger on “getting happy” than I am, but something clicked for me when I made the connection between the God who loves me and the God who is God.
That is the great answer to all the questions: God himself. God is the Gospel, as Piper (again) says.
When will things finally be as they should? When we fully experience God’s love poured out on us in his glorious second coming. And when sin and death fully experience God’s wrath poured out on them in his glorious second coming.
Wow, I rambled . . . 🙂
You’re right: God’s wrath is good.