The warnings of wrath are for the lost who reject Christ not the church who has embraced Him. Those who do not approach the Scripture with an understanding of grace see wrath when they read them. They see punishment and fearful expectation of judgment. Then they preach these things consistently to the church as though they had not received the grace of God through the Lord Jesus Christ.
They fail to realize that when these things are mentioned in the New Testament letters they are in reference to those rejecting Jesus not the saved and if they are mentioned to the saved it is in the context of, these things will come upon the children of disobedience of whom you once were…, but now in Christ……
When we read the Scriptures without the understanding of grace we tend to leave off the “but now in Christ!"
2Peter 3:14 And so, dear friends, while you are waiting for these things to happen, make every effort to be found living peaceful lives that are pure and blameless in his sight. 15 And remember, the Lord’s patience gives people time to be saved. This is what our beloved brother Paul also wrote to you with the wisdom God gave him––16 speaking of these things in all of his letters. Some of his comments are hard to understand, and those who are ignorant and unstable have twisted his letters to mean something quite different, just as they do with other parts of Scripture. And this will result in their destruction. 17 I am warning you ahead of time, dear friends. Be on guard so that you will not be carried away by the errors of these wicked people and lose your own secure footing. 18 Rather, you must grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. All glory to him, both now and forever! Amen.
Failing to grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ causes us great grief.
It is through this means of expression that came to us through Jesus Christ that we can come face to face with the goodness of God.
Jesus brought to us the tangible expression of God’s goodness and thus the gospel is called the good news. Good news in Christ God is not angry or vengeful. He is not out to get us!
Good news in Christ we are no longer under a curse, we no longer are enemies. Good news all the promises of God are yes and amen in Christ Jesus!
Good news we are more than conquerors through Christ! Good news Jesus paid our sin debt for us by taking upon Himself the wrath of God on the cross for us.
Good news we inherit all that Jesus inherits not because of anything we have done but because of what He has done.
The only we can now displease the Father is to not walk in the faith that knowing His goodness produces.
To not continue to accept His goodness expressed through Jesus and not trust Him is to walk in unbelief.
About The Author
- Tim Atchley
- Knoxville, Tennessee, United States
- I currently serve as Senior Pastor of Harvest Church in Knoxville, Tn. I was sent out from Trinity Chapel of Knoxville in 1993 accompanied by my wife Sheila our four children Sarah, Hannah, Josiah & Isaac and a handful of bold, brave and committed believers determined to plant our first church. Pioneering is hard work but well worth the journey. That is why we desire to make disciples of Christ who will, like us, also embrace the call to plant churches.
