wrath of God

Paul associated being led by the Spirit with being children of God (Romans 8:14). Paul said, “The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children God, and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him” (Romans 8:16-17). Being led by the Spirit implies that action or motion is taking place and that believers are the ones who are following. Paul talked about in his own life how he had finished his course and had kept the faith (2 Timothy 4:7). Paul also said in his letter to the Ephesians that before we were saved, we were dead in the trespasses and sins in which we once walked, “following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience, among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind and were by nature children of wrath like the rest of mankind” (Ephesians 2:1-3).Paul contrasted the course of his life with following the course of this world to show us that being a child of God should change the course of our lives and that this is evidence that we have truly been saved.

Paul made the distinction between walking according to the flesh and walking according to the Spirit to illustrate his point that we must make an intentional effort to align ourselves with God’s will. Paul said:

For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh, in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit.For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace. For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God’s law; indeed, it cannot. Those who are in the flesh cannot please God. (Romans 8:3-8)

The Greek word that is translated set their minds, phroneo (fron-ehˊ-o) means “to exercise the mind, i.e. entertain or have a sentiment or opinion; by implication to be (mentally) disposed (more or less earnestly in a certain direction); intensive to interest oneself in (with concern or obedience)” (G5426).

The indwelling of the Holy Spirit makes it possible for believers to set their minds on the things of the Spirit. Paul said, “You, however, are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if in fact the Spirit of God dwells in you” (Romans 8:9). The Greek word that is translated dwell, oikeo (oy-keyˊ-o) means “to occupy a house, i.e. reside (figurative, inhabit, remain, inhere); (by implication) to cohabit” (G3611). Paul referred to believers as God’s temple in his first letter to the Corinthians. Paul asked, “Do you not know that you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in you? If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy him. For God’s temple is holy, and you are that temple” (1 Corinthians 3:16-17). Jesus told his followers that the Holy Spirit would come and would dwell in them. Jesus said, “I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper. To be with you forever, even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you” (John 14:16-17).

Jesus referred to the Holy Spirit as “the Spirit of truth” (John 14:17) and said, “When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth” (John 16:13). The Greek word that is translated guide, hodegeo (hod-ayg-ehˊ-o) means “to show the way” (G3594). When believers are led by the Spirit, the Holy Spirit shows them the way that they need to go. Jesus identified himself as the way, the truth, and the life, and said, “No one comes to the Father except though me” (John 14:6). The Greek word hodos (hod-osˊ), which is translated way, means “a road; (by implication) a progress (the route, act or distance); (figurative) a mode or means” (G3598). The book of Hebrews tells us the way or means that Jesus was referring to, was the way of access into the direct presence of God (Hebrews 9:8). It says, Jesus, “entered once for all into the holy places not by means of the blood of goats and calves but by means of his own blood, thus securing an eternal redemption” (Hebrews 9:12). The writer of Hebrews tells us the truth about all of this is that Jesus, “offered himself without blemish to God, purifying our conscience from dead works to serve the living and true God” (Hebrews 9:14).

Paul’s declaration that believers must suffer with Christ, “in order that we may also be glorified with him” (Romans 8:17) provides insight into why it is difficult for us to be led by the Spirit. Speaking of the believer’s future glory, Paul said, “For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God. For the creation was subjected to futility not willingly, but because of him who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God” (Romans 8:18-21). The sufferings of believers serve the purpose of setting God’s creation free from its bondage to corruption. Sufferings are things that believers go through that produce hardship or pain (G3804). Bondage is the condition of those who are subject to death and of those who are subject to the fear of death (G1397). Hebrews 2:14-15 indicates that it is the devil who has the power of death and that he makes those who fear death subject to lifelong slavery. Through suffering, believers are delivered from the fear of death and are perfected in their faith (Hebrews 2:10-11), resulting in their future glorification with Christ (Romans 8:17, 30).

Paul encouraged believers to look at the suffering that leads to their future glorification through the lens of God’s everlasting love. Paul compared the redemption of believers’ bodies to the process of childbirth and said that the Spirit intercedes for us according to the will of God. Paul said:

Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, becausethe Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God. And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified. (Romans 8:26-30)

Paul indicated that believers are called according to God’s purpose, which is to be conformed to the image of Jesus Christ (Romans 8:29). Being conformed into the image of Christ means that there should be a likeness between us, our lives should resemble his (G1504).

Paul described the process of being conformed into the image of Christ in his letter to the Colossians. Paul said believers must put off the old self and put on the new self through intentional acts of obedience to the leading of the Holy Spirit. Paul stated:

Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. On account of these the wrath of God is coming. In these you too once walked, when you were living in them. But now you must put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk from your mouth. Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old selfwith its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator. Here there is not Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave, free; but Christ is all, and in all.

Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. (Colossians 3:5-17)

Paul said that we must put off anger, wrath, malice, slander and obscene talk from our mouths and put on love, “which binds everything together in perfect harmony” (Colossians 3:8, 14). The goal of believers being led by the Spirit through the process of sanctification is to achieve perfect harmony.

Paul assured believers that their sufferings could not separate them from the love of Christ (Romans 8:35). Jesus alluded to this when he told his disciples that the Helper would be with them forever (John 14:16). Jesus said, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid” (John 14:27). Paul said that believers have the assurance that they will be victorious in their sufferings because of God’s everlasting love. Paul asked, “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? No in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us” (Romans 8:35, 37). Paul concluded his discussion of being led by the Spirit with the statement about the Holy Spirit’s ability to keep us connected to God’s love. Paul said, “For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 8:38-39).

Jesus’ ministry on earth began when he was declared by John the Baptist to be, “the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” (John 1:29). After Jesus was baptized, Matthew tells us that a voice from heaven said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased” (Matthew 3:17). Not long before he was crucified, Jesus revealed to his disciples his purpose for coming to earth. Jesus told them, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them. It shall not be so among you. But whoever would be great among you must be your servant, and whoever would be first among you must be your slave, even as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many” (Matthew 20:25-28). The Greek word that is translated ransom, Lutron (looˊ-tron) is “used metaphorically for the ransom paid by Christ for the delivering of men from the bondage of sin and death (Matthew 2);28; Mark 10:45)” (G3083). Paul explained in his first letter to Timothy that Jesus was acting as a mediator between God and man when he died for the sin of the world. Paul said we should pray for all people because, “This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. For there is one God and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all, which is the testimony given at the proper time” (1 Timothy 2:3-6),

Jesus compared his position as the Son of Man to that of a slave (Matthew 20:27-28). Jesus served his Father and mankind by coming to earth to reconcile all people to God. In this relationship of servitude, Jesus was one whose will was completely subject to the will of another, the lowest term in the scale of servitude. A mediator, as a go-between, is “one who intervenes between two parties” (G3316). It was necessary for Jesus to intervene between God and mankind because of the wrath of God against sin. Paul said in his letter to the Romans, “For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men” (Romans 1:18). Paul indicated that God’s kindness is meant to lead people to repentance and then, went on to say, “But because of your hard and impenitent heart you are storing up wrath for yourself on the day of wrath when God’s righteous judgment will be revealed” (Romans 2:4-5). Jesus took the wrath of God upon himself through his death on the cross. It says in Isaiah 53:5, “But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities, upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed.” Speaking of God’s eternal covenant of peace, Isaiah’s prophecy about Jesus’ crucifixion states, “’For a brief moment I deserted you, but with great compassion I will gather you. In overflowing anger for a moment I hid my face from you, but with everlasting love I will have compassion on you,’ says the LORD, your Redeemer” (Isaiah 54:7-8).

Paul explained that God’s love for humanity was expressed by him sending his Son to die for individuals that didn’t deserve his forgiveness. Paul said:

For while we were still weak, at the right time, Christ died for the ungodly. For one will scarcely die for a righteous person though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die, but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God. For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life. More than that, we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation. (Romans 5:6-11)

Paul identified reconciliation as the means by which peace with God is accomplished. The Greek word that is translated reconciliation, katallage (kat-al-lag-ayˊ) means “exchange (figurative, adjustment), i.e. restoration to (the divine) favor” (G2643). To be reconciled means that we change toward God, we are no longer considered to be his enemies (G2644). Peace with God means “metaphorically, peace of mind, tranquility, arising from reconciliation with God and a sense of divine favor (Romans 5:1; 15:13; Philippians 4:7 [cf. Isaish 53:5])” (G1515).

Paul explained that the reason why Jesus’ righteousness could be attributed to sinners was because Adam’s sin was attributed to everyone who was born after him. Paul said, “Therefore, as one trespass led to condemnation for all men, so one act of righteousness leads to justification and life for all men. For as by the one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners, so by the one man’s obedience the many will be made righteous” (Romans 5:18-19). Paul expanded on his explanation of Christ’s work of reconciliation in his second letter to the Corinthians. Paul stated, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold the new has come. All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him, we might become the righteousness of God” (2 Corinthians 5:17-21).

Jesus concluded his ministry on earth with a statement about having overcome the world. After his disciples indicated that they believed he came from God, Jesus answered them, “Do you now believe? Behold, the hour is coming, indeed it has come, when you will be scattered, each to his own home, and will leave me alone. Yet I am not alone, for the Father is with me. I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world” (John 16:31-33). Jesus may have made reference to his disciples deserting him because he wanted them to be aware that his work of reconciliation was still incomplete, even though he stated that he had already overcome the world. It wasn’t until his disciples were justified by faith that they obtained access into God’s grace and peace with God was possible. Regarding his death and resurrection, Jesus said, “I have told you before it takes place, so that when it does take place you may believe” (John 14:29). When Jesus’ disciples believed, they were justified by faith and afterward, had peace with God (Romans 5:1).