holiness

The Holiness And Wrath Of God

Most people have heard of Jonah and the whale. How God to Jonah to go witness to a large city of 120,000 people who were enemies of the Israelites and how Jonah disobeyed God. Then God sent the whale to swallow Jonah and Jonah spent three days and three nights in the belly of the whale. Again, most people know this true story. But do you remember which city Jonah was supposed to go witness to? Do you know what happened to that city after that? These are important questions because they point to the holiness and wrath of God.

God wanted Jonah to witness to the city of Nineveh. Jonah didn’t want to witness to them because they were Israel’s mortal enemies. The Assyrians (Ninevites) carried away captives out of Israel and Judah when they overran their countries. Jonah didn’t want to warn the enemy of God’s impending judgment.

What Happened To Nineveh?

No, Jonah wanted God to judge them and destroy them. So warning them was the last thing Jonah wanted. But after three days and three nights in the whale’s belly, Jonah decided to obey God. So Jonah went to Nineveh and it took him three days to walk through a city of 120,000 people and he warned them that God was going to destroy their city because of their wickedness. But from the king on down, they repented of their sins. They humbled themselves by putting on sackcloth. God did not destroy the city at that time.

This was approximately in the 8^th Century B.C. But do you know what happened approximately 100 years later in the 7^th Century B.C.? Nineveh was destroyed by Nebuchadnezzar – by the Babylonians. They were God’s judgment against the Assyrians. The point is, the repentance of Nineveh did not last. They repented when there was danger of impending doom and destruction, but when they perceived the threat was over, they went back to worshipping idols and back to their wicked way.

Unpunished Today Doesn’t Mean You’ve Gotten Away With It

Just because God doesn’t judge you today over your sins, doesn’t mean that you’ve gotten away with it. God is Holy and God does punish sin. The holiness and wrath of God is very real. Please listen to these words found in Nahum chapter 1: God is jealous, and the Lord revengeth; the Lord revengeth, and is furious; the Lord will take vengeance on his adversaries, and he reserveth wrath for his enemies.

The Lord is slow to anger, and great in power, and will not at all acquit the wicked: the Lord hath his way in the whirlwind and in the storm, and the clouds are the dust of his feet. He rebuketh the sea, and maketh it dry, and drieth up all the rivers: Bashan languisheth, and Carmel, and the flower of Lebanon languisheth.

The mountains quake at him, and the hills melt, and the earth is burned at his presence, yea, the world, and all that dwell therein. Who can stand before his indignation? and who can abide in the fierceness of his anger? his fury is poured out like fire, and the rocks are thrown down by him. The Lord is good, a strong hold in the day of trouble; and he knoweth them that trust in him.

But with an overrunning flood he will make an utter end of the place thereof, and darkness shall pursue his enemies. What do ye imagine against the Lord? he will make an utter end: affliction shall not rise up the second time. For while they be folden together as thorns, and while they are drunken as drunkards, they shall be devoured as stubble fully dry (Nahum 1:2-10).

Verses Show The Holiness And Wrath Of God

These verses clearly show the holiness and wrath of God. When the Bible says that God is a jealous God it doesn’t mean that he’s jealous like a jealous teenager over their boyfriend flirting with another girl. No, it means that we are to have no other little g gods before God, we are not to worship little g gods. We are to worship the one true God, the God of the Bible. These verses also say that God revenges. Vengeance is mine saith the Lord (Romans 12:19).

Oh do not be deceived tonight. God hates all workers of iniquity (Psalm 5:5). God is angry with the wicked every day (Psalm 7:11). The soul that sins, it shall die (Ezekiel 18:4). The punishment for sin is death. We’ve all sinned and we all will die. You have a day that you were born and you will have a day that you will die. You and I cannot cheat death.

But as bad as dying is, dying in your sins dying as an enemy of God is the worst thing you can do. God punishes unrepentant sinners and those who die in their sins will suffer God’s righteous anger for all eternity. A false witness shall not be unpunished, and he that speaketh lies shall not escape (Proverbs 19:5). Revelation 21:8 says: But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.

Fear God

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, but most people don’t fear God. Oh if Jesus is not your Lord and Savior, you should be very afraid. You should tremble and sleep should depart from you. Hell is real and everlasting damnation is real. Do not foolishly die in your sins as God’s enemy. Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God (James 4:4). is

I hope that by hearing these Bible verses tonight that you realize that there is wrath to come. Don’t continue sauntering through life with God’s anger abiding upon you. God’s wrath over your unrepentant sin is very real. Flee the wrath to come. Repent and believe the Gospel.

Not only is God’s wrath very real, but so is His Holiness. The mountains quake at him, and the hills melt, and the earth is burned at his presence, yea, the world, and all that dwell therein (Nahum 1:5). The mountains quake sounds very similar to when God descended down to Mount Sinai and gave Moses the 10 Commandments. Exodus 19:18 states: And mount Sinai was altogether on a smoke (covered with smoke), because the LORD descended upon it in fire: and the smoke thereof ascended as the smoke of a furnace, and the whole mount quaked greatly.

Why does the Bible describe Mount Sinai as being covered in smoke and fire ascending as a furnace? Because God is Holy! Folks, most people don’t realize how Holy God is. A lot of people mistakenly bring God down to our level and/or elevate themselves to God’s level. In other words, they make themselves their own God. But this will not work in the end. God is Holy and it’s time that people recognize and understand this.

Yes God Is Holy

God is Holy. I will also praise thee with the psaltery, even thy truth, O my God: unto thee will I sing with the harp, O thou Holy One of Israel (Psalm 71:22). For I am the Lord thy God, the Holy One of Israel, thy Saviour (Isaiah 43:3). I am the Lord, your Holy One, the creator of Israel, your King (Isaiah 43:15). Thou art of purer eyes than to behold evil, and canst not look on iniquity: wherefore lookest thou upon them that deal treacherously, and holdest thy tongue when the wicked devoureth the man that is more righteous than he? (Habakkuk 1:13).

More verses about God’s Holiness: There is none holy as the LORD: for there is none beside thee: neither is there any rock like our God (1 Samuel 2:2). But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation; Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy (1 Peter 1:15-16). For thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy; I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones. (Isaiah 57:15).

Folks, there are many, many more verses in the Bible about God’s Holiness. Do not be deceived. God is Holy and without holiness, no one will see the Lord (Hebrews 12:14). God is Holy, righteous and just. Because He is these things, He cannot tolerate sin. The only way to be in the presence of God is perfection. None of us meet this test. For we have all sinned and fallen short of God’s glory.

We Need A Savior

That’s why we need a Savior and Jesus Christ is that only Savior. Jesus walked this earth 2,000 years ago and He did what you and I can’t do – He lived a perfect, sinless life. He is the only perfect, sacrifice for guilty sinners. Even though the Lord never sinned, He took the punishment, took the place of guilty sinners. That is for guilt sinners who repent and trust Him.

Jesus died on that cruel cross, was buried and rose again three days later. Oh, salvation is for all who repent and surrender their lives to Jesus. Will you do this tonight? Will you recognize that your sins have offend our Holy God. There is nothing that you can do to wipe out your sins. You can’t earn favor with God. You and I are guilty sinners and our only hope is to fall broken over our sins at the feet of Jesus.

Cry out for God to save you. Repent and believe the Gospel. Do this before you die in your sins and you find out about the Holiness and wrath of God when it’s too late. Those who die in their sins will spend eternity in Hell. Don’t do it. Come to Jesus and be saved. Turn to Christ and live. Then you receive God’s mercy and His grace. That’s grace and mercy that you do not deserve, yet you receive nonetheless, if you repent and trust Jesus to save you.

(This message was proclaimed in downtown Springfield, MO on August 5, 2022)