(Continued from Part 1 and Part 2)
Wrath Unleashed
The Bible says that one day, God will unleash his wrath on all the evil in the world in an earth-shattering way. Nobody will miss it. But for now, the wrath of God is expressed in a way you might not have expected: he allows it to happen. At least for a little while.
In a letter Paul wrote to the church in Rome, he said, “The wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men.” But not through lightning bolts from the sky. Here’s how God currently reveals his wrath: “God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity.” … “God gave them up to dishonorable passions.” … “God gave them up to a debased mind to do what ought not be done.”
When you want to live apart from God’s complete rule over your life, then God says, “OK. You can live apart from my grace now, and for all eternity.” When we willingly take God out of the picture and willingly allow our desires to become our rulers, then we willingly allow ourselves to come under God’s wrath.
Seems pretty hopeless, I know. Which is why the next two words in Paul’s run-on sentence in his letter to the Ephesians might be the best two words ever written:
But God, being rich in mercy,
because of the great love with which he loved us…
Just let those words roll around for a minute.
If God had decided to wipe all of us off the planet and start over with Humanity Version 2.0, he would have been completely justified. But he didn’t, because he’s rich in mercy. Which means it never runs out.
Rich in Mercy
I can be gracious and merciful up to a certain point, then it’s gone. Especially with my kids.
Every kid who’s ever lived has drawn on the wall with his crayons, right? Even the caveman kids scribbled on the walls of their caves. The first time one of my kids does it, I can lovingly say, “You know you’re not allowed to do that, right? You need to help Daddy wash it off, and then never do it again.” But the second time? I’m ready to toss their pull-ups in a suitcase and send that 2-year-old kid off to boarding school.
My mercy is about a sixteenth of an inch deep, but not God’s. He shows love and mercy to people, even when they’re not any more responsive to him than a dead person would be. Check this out:
…even when we were dead in our trespasses,
he made us alive together with Christ.
According to the Bible, Jesus died on the cross as our substitute: he took the wrath God should have given to us. The punishment for our rebellion was transferred to Jesus, and he received the sentence we deserved: death. He rose from the dead three days later to prove what he had done. God’s mission is to bring dead people like us to life, the same way he brought Jesus Christ to life.
Now, here’s where it gets a little Twilight-Zone-ish. If you take Paul’s words literally (as I do), then it means that somehow, God did the same thing for us as he did for Jesus, at the very same time. If you put your faith in Jesus, then that means God actually brought you from death to life 2,000 years ago. You were saved 2,000 years before you were even born.
It’s a crazy thought, but here’s why it’s important: if you were saved before you were even born, that means you had absolutely nothing to do with your salvation. God won’t save you because of your great personality, or your willingness to give up drinking, or even your weekly trips to volunteer at the homeless shelter.
He’ll save you from death for one reason only: his grace. That’s why Paul ends his epic thought with this incredible truth:
by grace you have been saved.
Grace isn’t just something to describe a beautiful dancer, or an elegant woman. It’s an undeserved and unexpected gift. A $1000 check your grandma tucks into your pocket when you aren’t looking. A friend who takes the initiative to restore a relationship, even when you were the one who was being a jerk.
And that’s why those two little words – But God – are the two best words you’ll ever hear. Those two words bridge the unimaginable gap between the greatness of our sin and the greatness of God’s glory by showing us the greatness of God’s grace.