"Is God Angry With Me?"

Isaiah 12:1

By Drew Zuverink

"In that day you will say: I will praise you, Lord. Although you were angry with me, your anger has turned away and you have comfoted me."

If your experience reading Christian books and listening to sermons is anything like mine, then you've definitely heard that, contrary to what we may have heard in the past, God isn't actually angry at people. Of course God is angry at the sin that causes so much damage in this world, and we love him for that. Part of what makes God so good is that he hates evil so much. Every good pastor would agree with that. But when Christian authors tell their readers that they mustn't be turned off by a God who is angry at them - because he's not, and when pastors tell the seekers at their service that God isn't angry with them either, is that true? What would you say if you were a preacher trying to convince people to come to God?

As someone who does preach, and just as a regular Christian who sometimes explains the gospel to curious people, I've wrestled with this question a lot. I've spent so much time thinking about it because my heart's deepest desire is to explain God faithfully and accurately. So on the one hand, if he isn't actually angry with unbelievers, then I definitely do not want to tell them that he is. How horrible that would be! I could be responsible for turning them away from a loving God. On the other hand, if God is angry with them because of their sin, then I definitely do not want to mislead them by saying that he's not. In that case, they would have a real problem that needs to be addressed, and I'd essentially be telling them not to worry about it. So which is true?

The truth is, it's really hard to explain things in a balanced way that doesn't overemphasize some things while underemphasizing others. Instead, balance is often something we quickly swing through on our way to the opposite extreme, and I think that's what's happening when we tell the world that God isn't angry with them. The motive is probably pure, wanting to correctly push back against the fire and brimstone preachers who don't talk enough about God's tender love. Messages like that are an absolute travesty, because God is love and because "the kindness of God leads people to repentance" (Romans 2:4). But passages like Isaiah 12:1 provide balance, reminding us that our joy does not come from the idea that God was never angry with us, but rather our joy comes from the truth that God was angry with us but he isn't anymore. Not in the same way at least. Now when we sin, God's anger is fatherly towards us. That's why Hebrews 12:4-6 says, "he disciplines us because he loves us and accepts us as his children."

Why has God's anger turned away from us? Because of the supremely costly blood of his precious son, Jesus Christ, who took God's anger off of us and onto himself. We had a real problem, a terrible problem, one that we couldn't solve ourselves - but Jesus solved it for us. How comforting that is! Believers have no need to fear the almighty, for he is no longer our foe but our father. We are his beloved and he cares for us, not because God was never angry with us, but because Jesus was "pierced for our transgressions, and crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed." (Isaiah 53:5).

That being said, if you aren't a believer yet, then yes, God is angry with you. And for good reason. We've all hurt people, used people, and objectified people. We've done many things that, if we're honest, deserve a just and angry response. But God isn't only angry with you. In fact, it's probably Biblically accurate to say that he isn't even primarily angry with you. God also pities you with a compassion so tender that it wants to reach into your shame, cover your guilt, and draw you into to his open arms forever.

We'll take a deeper look at God's pity next week.