The Fall, Sin, & The Wrath of God

The earth, a beautiful marble of blue and white swirls hanging in a space surrounded by twinkling stars, was perfect. It was set apart for the glory of its Maker. On land there was a green valley full of rich dark soil and countless plants blooming with brightness. Through the valley ran a river teeming with life; colorful scales of swimming creatures sparkled through the clear waters as the sun filled the earth with its rays. In the trees, a man and woman could be seen walking with God. They and the entire garden were covered by His glory.

Man was in covenant with his Creator, having one rule to keep. Should this command be kept, life would go on and on, each day more beautiful than the last. If the rule should be broken, divorce from God and death would ensue. When put to the test, man chose to fail. Both he and his wife sinned by breaking the one simple rule, eating fruit from a forbidden tree.

Evil gained a place in the garden of God and defiled His sanctuary. The presence of the Holy One was immediately forced to withdraw. The man and woman were stripped of the glory they once wore, and found themselves seeking shelter, trying in vain to regain that glorious covering with leaves from a fig tree.

In Adam, all have sinned; we would have done the same were we in his skin. As humans, we are to bear God's image, displaying to the universe who He is, but instead we resemble our father the devil; this is an abhorrence and revulsion to God, who is intolerant of wickedness. His response to our rebellion is hatred and furious wrath, cursing and condemnation.

There is coming a day of wrath (Zephaniah 1:15), when sinners will receive their reward of death and eternal suffering in hell, a lake of fire where God's wrath and the devil's torments meet and are poured upon man without dilution (Romans 3:23, Revelation 20:10). This is a perfectly just payment for those who have rebelled against the God who deserves our loyalty, honor, and praise.

Johnathan Edwards, in his sermon Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God, said, “[...E]very unconverted man properly belongs to hell; that is his place; from thence he is, John 8:23. 'Ye are from beneath.' And thither he is bound; it is the place that justice, and God’s word, and the sentence of his unchangeable law assign to him.”

What can our God do? He is a God who is loving and gracious, long-suffering, not willing that any should perish, but He is also holy, holy, holy; intolerant of sin and displaying wrath upon those fitted for destruction (Romans 9:22). He cannot simply ignore the fact that we are unholy; for He can have no part with sinners. He hates sin and holds sinners in derision (Psalm 2:4). He is a God who has chosen to be both merciful and just, and it will kill Him.