Emotionally, God Detests Evil, Is Long-Suffering, Is Compassionate
A. H. Strong says God is devoid of passion and caprice. Indeed, God
is devoid of caprice, injustice, or emotions out of control. We have
earlier sought to negate any passions unworthy of God. Strong rightly
adds that there is in God no selfish anger. However, God is personal
and ethical, and both senses call for healthy emotions or passions.
One who delights in justice, righteousness, and holiness for the
well-being of His creatures can only be repulsed by the injustice,
unrighteousness, and corruption that destroy their bodies, minds, and
spirits. Hence, the Bible frequently speaks of God’s righteous
indignation at evil. Righteous indignation is anger aroused not by
being overcome by emotions selfishly but by injustice and all the
works of fallen “flesh.” God detests evil.
Jesus and the Scripture in general speak more often of God’s wrath at
injustices such as persistent mistreatment of the poor and needy than
of love and heaven. Although the Lord is slow to anger, He will in no
way leave the guilty unpunished but will pour out His fury upon them
(Nahum 1:3). None can withstand His indignation, which is poured out
like fire and shatters rocks before Him (1:6). Apart from
understanding God’s wrath against evil, it is impossible to understand
the extent of divine love in the incarnation, the extent of Christ’s
suffering on the cross, the propitiatory nature of His sacrifice, the
prophetic Scriptures speaking of the great day of God’s wrath, the
great tribulation, or the book of Revelation.
God is patient and long-suffering. Properly jealous for the
well-being of the objects of His love, God is angry at injustice done
to them but suffers without losing heart. Long-suffering with
evildoers, God, without condoning their sin, graciously provides them
with undeserved temporal and spiritual benefits. God promised the
land to Abraham, but the iniquity of the Amorites was not yet full
(Genesis 15:16). After over four centuries of long-suffering
restraint, God in the fullness of time allowed the armies of Israel to
bring just judgment upon the Amorites wickedness. Later Israel
worshiped the golden calf and deserved divine judgment like other
idolaters. But God revealed Himself at the second giving of the law
as “the Lord, the Lord, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to
anger, abounding in love and faithfulness” (Exodus 34:6). The
psalmist could write, “You, O Lord, are a compassionate and gracious
God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness” (Psalm 86:15).
However, the day of God’s grace has an end. Eventually, without
respect of persons, God’s just judgment fell upon Israel for her
pervasive evils. God’s long-suffering is a remarkable virtue, but it
does not exclude or contradict God’s justice.
The Scriptures do not hesitate to call God compassionate. Because of
His great love, we are not consumed, for His compassions never fail
(Lamentations 3:22). Even after Israel’s captivity, God will again
have compassion on Israel (Micah 7:19). The God of the Bible is not
apathetic but deeply cares when the sparrow falls. Jesus beautifully
displayed this divine-human compassion for the hungry (Matthew 15:32),
the blind (20:34), the sorrowing (Luke 7:13). And Jesus taught the
importance of compassion in the account of the good Samaritan (Luke
10:33) and that of the father’s concern for his lost son (15:20).
The incarnate Christ felt what humans feel in all respects but did not
yield to the temptations involved. As God in literal human
experience, Jesus wept with those who wept and rejoiced with those who
rejoiced. He remembered the joyful glory He had with the Father
before the world’s foundation (John 17:5, 13). The divine-human
author of our salvation, however, was made perfect or complete through
suffering in this life (Hebrews 2:10). Because He Himself suffered,
He can help those who suffer and are tempted (2:18). The God revealed
in Jesus Christ is not uninvolved, impersonal first cause. The Father
disclosed by Jesus is deeply moved by everything that hurts His
children.
-By Gordon R. Lewis from The Portable Seminary
- send to me by Mick (US)
A. H. Strong says God is devoid of passion and caprice. Indeed, God
is devoid of caprice, injustice, or emotions out of control. We have
earlier sought to negate any passions unworthy of God. Strong rightly
adds that there is in God no selfish anger. However, God is personal
and ethical, and both senses call for healthy emotions or passions.
One who delights in justice, righteousness, and holiness for the
well-being of His creatures can only be repulsed by the injustice,
unrighteousness, and corruption that destroy their bodies, minds, and
spirits. Hence, the Bible frequently speaks of God’s righteous
indignation at evil. Righteous indignation is anger aroused not by
being overcome by emotions selfishly but by injustice and all the
works of fallen “flesh.” God detests evil.
Jesus and the Scripture in general speak more often of God’s wrath at
injustices such as persistent mistreatment of the poor and needy than
of love and heaven. Although the Lord is slow to anger, He will in no
way leave the guilty unpunished but will pour out His fury upon them
(Nahum 1:3). None can withstand His indignation, which is poured out
like fire and shatters rocks before Him (1:6). Apart from
understanding God’s wrath against evil, it is impossible to understand
the extent of divine love in the incarnation, the extent of Christ’s
suffering on the cross, the propitiatory nature of His sacrifice, the
prophetic Scriptures speaking of the great day of God’s wrath, the
great tribulation, or the book of Revelation.
God is patient and long-suffering. Properly jealous for the
well-being of the objects of His love, God is angry at injustice done
to them but suffers without losing heart. Long-suffering with
evildoers, God, without condoning their sin, graciously provides them
with undeserved temporal and spiritual benefits. God promised the
land to Abraham, but the iniquity of the Amorites was not yet full
(Genesis 15:16). After over four centuries of long-suffering
restraint, God in the fullness of time allowed the armies of Israel to
bring just judgment upon the Amorites wickedness. Later Israel
worshiped the golden calf and deserved divine judgment like other
idolaters. But God revealed Himself at the second giving of the law
as “the Lord, the Lord, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to
anger, abounding in love and faithfulness” (Exodus 34:6). The
psalmist could write, “You, O Lord, are a compassionate and gracious
God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness” (Psalm 86:15).
However, the day of God’s grace has an end. Eventually, without
respect of persons, God’s just judgment fell upon Israel for her
pervasive evils. God’s long-suffering is a remarkable virtue, but it
does not exclude or contradict God’s justice.
The Scriptures do not hesitate to call God compassionate. Because of
His great love, we are not consumed, for His compassions never fail
(Lamentations 3:22). Even after Israel’s captivity, God will again
have compassion on Israel (Micah 7:19). The God of the Bible is not
apathetic but deeply cares when the sparrow falls. Jesus beautifully
displayed this divine-human compassion for the hungry (Matthew 15:32),
the blind (20:34), the sorrowing (Luke 7:13). And Jesus taught the
importance of compassion in the account of the good Samaritan (Luke
10:33) and that of the father’s concern for his lost son (15:20).
The incarnate Christ felt what humans feel in all respects but did not
yield to the temptations involved. As God in literal human
experience, Jesus wept with those who wept and rejoiced with those who
rejoiced. He remembered the joyful glory He had with the Father
before the world’s foundation (John 17:5, 13). The divine-human
author of our salvation, however, was made perfect or complete through
suffering in this life (Hebrews 2:10). Because He Himself suffered,
He can help those who suffer and are tempted (2:18). The God revealed
in Jesus Christ is not uninvolved, impersonal first cause. The Father
disclosed by Jesus is deeply moved by everything that hurts His
children.
-By Gordon R. Lewis from The Portable Seminary
- send to me by Mick (US)
