God's "Wrath": A Matter of Perception
The word "righteous" in Greek (dikaios) also means "innocent." However, Scripture tells us that the Law cannot make a person righteous (see Romans 3:20; Galatians 2:16; 3:11). Why? Because the Law can only bring condemnation and death (see 2 Corinthians 3:7, 9); it cannot declare anyone innocent.
Those who try to find peace with God by relying on their obedience to the Law will never find lasting peace. This is because they are living under a system that condemns rather than justifies. When a person fails, they know they’ve fallen short. Even when they do good, they feel they could have done better. This mindset puts the burden on the individual and often fuels pride, which is why the religious leaders in Jesus' time were so prideful, despite their inner struggles, as Paul described in his own experience.
True peace comes to those who know Christ and their union with Him. In Christ, they are declared innocent. To experience this lasting peace and sense of innocence, one must fully grasp and trust in their union with Him. A person's sense of guilt, rather than innocence, is what makes them perceive God's "wrath."
Norman Grubb offers a profound definition of God's wrath, showing that it’s all about a person's perspective, not God's actual nature. God Himself remains eternally innocent:
"The wrath of God is only manifest in those who have the wrong relationship to Him. It is not Him as He is, who is all love. But it is what He must appear to be to those who run counter to the law of His being. The wrath operates in them, not in Him. They projected on Him a rejection which was really in themselves. And this is the wrath of God. All He said was, ‘Where are you, Adam? Come out from your hiding, I haven’t changed.’ And when they came, He talked with them, not in judgment and wrath, but in mercy. All He told them was that they would experience the inevitable effects of the discords self-loving self always brings on itself."
According to Grubb, God's wrath originates in the person’s own mind, not in God. It stems from a misperceived relationship. Grubb explains further, saying, "they projected onto Him a rejection that was really in themselves."
We often believe that God is against us, difficult to approach, and prone to rejecting us, but these are merely reflections of our own internal conflicts, which are driven by a legalistic mindset that never declares us fully innocent. The Law only strengthens sin against us and keeps us trapped (see 1 Corinthians 15:56).
Scripture says no one has known the Father except for Christ, who revealed Him. This suggests that the Old Testament, including the prophets' words about God, must be understood through the lens of Jesus. Scripture is "inspired" only insofar as it points to Christ. As the early Church recognized, there is a great danger in idolizing Scripture if it is elevated to the same level as Jesus Himself.
The revelation of God the Father through Jesus far surpasses everything the prophets said. In His dealings with us, God remains innocent. He is not the angry, distant, hard-to-please deity we may have been taught to fear. That image of God is a creation of a deceived mind, and it is difficult to let go of, especially as long as religious institutions continue to use fear to control God’s children. They withhold the knowledge and Spirit of the freedom that belongs to the mature sons and daughters of the King.
Grace and peace,
Jeremy
