What attitude does God have towards the unrepentant?

[xdisciplex]

Does he hate them or does he still love them?
When I read this here I feel like God doesn't love them, he seems to be really really angry at them.

Isa 63:1 Who is this that cometh from Edom, with dyed garments from Bozrah? this that is glorious in his apparel, travelling in the greatness of his strength? I that speak in righteousness, mighty to save.
Isa 63:2 Wherefore art thou red in thine apparel, and thy garments like him that treadeth in the winefat?
Isa 63:3 I have trodden the winepress alone; and of the people there was none with me: for I will tread them in mine anger, and trample them in my fury; and their blood shall be sprinkled upon my garments, and I will stain all my raiment.
Isa 63:4 For the day of vengeance is in mine heart, and the year of my redeemed is come.
Isa 63:5 And I looked, and there was none to help; and I wondered that there was none to uphold: therefore mine own arm brought salvation unto me; and my fury, it upheld me.
Isa 63:6 And I will tread down the people in mine anger, and make them drunk in my fury, and I will bring down their strength to the earth.

To me this seems like God has an "I'm either your best friend or your worst enemy" attitude. Does this mean that if you repent God loves you and rejoices but if you don't repent then he becomes totally furious and directly wants to smash you? Somehow this scares me because this makes God look as if he's totally impatient and sullen. Either he gets what he wants or he reacts with anger.
How am I supposed to have a normal relationship with God when I don't even know how he really is? I think that such verses are scary. What if God is indeed scary? I mean what if God simply has characteristics which are scary and which are simply present and which cannot be denied? What if it's impossible for a human to feel comfortable in the presence of God because God is so different?
God is much more strict and he has a totally different attitude towards everything which I can't even comprehend. What if the difference between me and God is simply too big and this way I can never really understand him?

 

[webdog]

Mat 23:37"O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it! How often would I have gathered your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you would not!

 

[Su Wei]

xdisciplex,

perhaps your confusion stems for the idea that you've been fed at church that God is a God of love. And that seems to contradict the God who is presented in the verses you quoted.

You see, the modern Church has become so "seeker friendly" that she doesn't want to offend the un-believer by telling him that God is a holy God and His wrath is upon unrepentant sinners. That's the truth, my friend.

John 3:36 He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.

John 3:18 He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.

We need to know that first of all, all the world has sinned against God, rebelled, and are at enemity with God. And God's relationship with this wicked world is that of wrath and condemnation because He is Holy.

We need to know that in order to make right with God, we need to realize that our terrible sin has made us enemies with God. And we need to repent and turn from our wicked ways.

In the light of our rebellion against God, can we see the great love of God:
Romans 5:8 But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

God offered a path back to Him through the death of own His Son, the only possible payment of our sins and the satisfaction of His wrath.

I sincerely hope this helps.

Suwei

 

[webdog]

xdisciplex,

perhaps your confusion stems for the idea that you've been fed at church that God is a God of love. And that seems to contradict the God who is presented in the verses you quoted.

You see, the modern Church has become so "seeker friendly" that she doesn't want to offend the un-believer by telling him that God is a holy God and His wrath is upon unrepentant sinners. That's the truth, my friend.

John 3:36 He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.

John 3:18 He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.

We need to know that first of all, all the world has sinned against God, rebelled, and are at enemity with God. And God's relationship with this wicked world is that of wrath and condemnation because He is Holy.

We need to know that in order to make right with God, we need to realize that our terrible sin has made us enemies with God. And we need to repent and turn from our wicked ways.

In the light of our rebellion against God, can we see the great love of God:
Romans 5:8 But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

God offered a path back to Him through the death of own His Son, the only possible payment of our sins and the satisfaction of His wrath.

I sincerely hope this helps.

Suwei

God's wrath against the unrepentant does not mean he doesn't love them. If he's been "fed" that God is love from his church...he's been fed right. Maybe it is you that has the growling stomach

 

[Su Wei]

Never said that to preach God's love is wrong but there needs to be a balanced view of the character of God. We will never understand the extent of the Love of God if we don't understand the vileness of our depravity and the wrath of God, and how God made the first move to RESTORE our broken relationship with Him. To the extent He crucified His only Begotten Son for our sin. That's how much He loves us.

But we must first of all come before Him and REPENT.

Matthew 4:17 From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.

Mark 1:15 And saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel.

Mark 6:12 And they went out, and preached that men should repent.

Acts 3:19 Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord;

Luke 13:3 I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.

This is important because unless we know we have sinned against God, we will never know the need to repent. And without repentance, there will be no salvation.

And if the churches preach that God is a God of Love and He loves us whatever we do habitually even after we "profess" Christ, and He has no standards of Holiness, there is no requirment for us to turn away from sin.. then we are greatly deceived and perhaps we know not the God of the Bible.

 

[xdisciplex]

Hi!
I know this whole stuff, that God is holy and righteous and so on. But these verses still scare me because they show such an angry and furious God and this scares me. Imagine you see your father become totaly angry at someone else wouldn't seeing him so angry also somehow scare you?
Sometimes I feel like God isn't calculable but rather like an untamed lion who might be calm the one moment and the next moment he attacks.
I simply don't know how God really is. Maybe I imagine God to be so and so and the truth is he's totally different. How do I know if God is angry at me or not? Maybe I think he's satisfied with me and the truth is that he's totally angry because of things which I think are okay? What if I am too lax? Most likely I am. But the thing is also that I cannot even have the same attitude towards sin which God has because I'm not God.
And somehow I also think that the thought that no matter what we do it's never good enough for God because he has such high standards is also depressing somehow. This means that everything we do is nothing in his eyes because the bible says our righteousness is like dirty rags.

 

[Su Wei]

God is not the unpredictable person you are imagining. Thank God for that.
I fear, reading your responses that you need to read your Bible more to know who God really is and His character.

This is a long shot but I wonder if you grew up with unpredictable adults and somehow think God is that way?

No. God's not going to bite His own children for whom His Son already paid the price of their sin. His wrath was already settled on the cross of Calvary. The question still is, have you repented from your sin? If not, the wrath of God would still abide upon you. I cannot give you the assurance that you are already on the right side of the door of the ark. And yes, you ought to be scared if you're on the wrong side of God's justice.

But praise God:
Proverbs 9:10 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the holy is understanding.

But if indeed you have repented of your sin, embraced the finished work of the cross, start learning what the Bible says about what pleases God, how to change your life and live according to the will of God.

Romans 4:7-8 Saying, Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered. Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin.

Will He revoke this blessing suddenly because we didn't meet His standards? No. He loves His children even when they sin. But staying ignorant is not an option and habitual sin, God will chastise because He loves His children and wants to bring His children back in fellowship with Him.

Hebrews 12:7-8 If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not? But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons.

The Christian life is a process of sanctification. We may start off very filthy and as we walk along the path of righteousness, He will show us things that we need to change and turn away from, and how to follow His way. He does the cleaning up from inside out.

God is a patient teacher. He will not push his children beyond what they are able to bear.

1 Corinthians 10:13 There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.

I have an 8 mth old baby. I do not get him to take out the trash or do the dishes. But i am in the process of teaching him not to stick his fingers into the fan.

As for your reference to filthy rags:
Isaiah 64:6 But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.

That's right and true. We can never depend on our own righteousness to please God or some even think that by doing good works, we can get to heaven.

We are but nothing, yet God loved us so much, regarded our poor estate, bought us with the blood of His Holy Son.

Does that mean nothing we do is good enough? No. We are known to be His disciples by our good works: It pleases Him for His children to do His work with a heart of obedience and love and gratefulness.

Matthew 5:16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.

2 Timothy 3:16-17 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.

(There's your answer right there....study the scripture and you will learn doctrine, be corrected, be instructed. Go to a Bible preaching church. Listen to biblical preaching and teaching. That's the way to grow.)

And there's a reward for work well done! :
1 Corinthians 3:12-15 Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble; Every man's work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is. If any man's work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward. If any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire.

 

[webdog]

I know this whole stuff, that God is holy and righteous and so on. But these verses still scare me because they show such an angry and furious God and this scares me. Imagine you see your father become totaly angry at someone else wouldn't seeing him so angry also somehow scare you?

Not so much fear as great respect. God's wrath against us (believers) was taken out on Christ on the cross...so I'm comforted by the fact that God will never take His wrath out on me.

 

[xdisciplex]

Thanks Su Wei,
the problem is that the bible also has scary passages about judgement and other scary things which scare me. Jesus also told some scary analogies about branches being cut off and burned. When I read such things I become scared. This is the problem. Such verses somehow repel me and make me become scared of God because I don't know what God thinks about me. Maybe I think he's satisfied while he's not. I never know.

@ webdog

what about Ananias and his wife? they sinned and were killed by God.
This means God still took out his anger on them right?

 

[Su Wei]

I'll tell you the problem here. There's a difference between the judgement wrath of GOd that will fall on the unrepentant and God's chastisement of His children.

The parts about fire and brimstone, branches being cut off and thrown into the fire... those are for the unrepentant, not for God's children. Read such passages carefully and in context and decide whether or not Jesus was referring to the saved or unsaved!

Now as for God's punishment of Annaias and Saphiras, they lied to the Holy Spirit knowingly. They were severly punished. But did they go to hell? If they were saved, no.
But God will chastise His children and bring them back into fellowship with Him. Sometimes, it may mean death to bring the child home to Him.


"Such verses somehow repel me and make me become scared of God because I don't know what God thinks about me. Maybe I think he's satisfied while he's not. I never know."

But you can know what God thinks about you! By reading His word.

One burning question, xdisciplex, how do you know you are saved?