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God Is Slow To Anger
Quick Look: While humans often misconstrue God's slowness to anger as indifference or permission to live autonomously, the article emphasizes that God’s anger is a justified response to the violation of His holiness and justice. Unlike human anger, which can be selfish or uncontrolled, God’s anger is measured and righteous. Nonetheless, He is gracious, allowing time for repentance and offering forgiveness through His sacrificial love, ultimately providing a path away from His wrath. Thus, God’s slow anger invites repentance and reflection, underscoring His desire for a closer, loving relationship with humanity. For Christians, the goal should be to live in gratitude, aiming to please God and grow in holiness, comforted by the assurance of His patience and willingness to work with their imperfections. For more details read the article below or watch the video.
“…And tear your heart and not merely your garments.”
Now return to the Lord your God,
For He is gracious and compassionate,
Slow to anger, abounding in mercy
And relenting of catastrophe. Joel 2:13, NASB
We like to think of God being slow to anger as if that were an excuse for living in any way that pleases us. Our human nature wants to do things our way and live independently. We want to be the captain of our own ship. We like to think of being slow to anger as if God never gets angry.
Our Personal God
If God were the impersonal being of false religion, detached from His creation, then anger would be an inappropriate response. An impersonal being would make cold, calculating decisions based on the whims of the moment. There would be no personal involvement and, therefore, no personal joy or pain from its creation.
But that is not our God, not the real God. God is a Person with real emotions and a real connection to His creation. Our God knows joy, and He knows pain. He feels the violations of His holy character, and He gets angry at the injustice of it. Unlike most human anger, this is not a hot-tempered, uncontrolled rage based on selfish pride.
God's Intense Anger
God’s anger is an expression of violated holiness and the requirement of justice. It is the kind of anger we may feel when we have been violated by theft, assault or the murder of a close friend. It is the emotional acknowledgement that a hideous crime has been committed, and the perpetrator needs to be brought to justice. We sometimes feel the frustration of having the criminal escape earthly justice; God does not know that frustration because He is able and willing to bring perfect justice to every situation.
This anger of God is not a mild displeasure. The word means a “flaring of the nostrils.” This is intense. This is the personal God whom we have violated in the most intimate way possible by our treasonous rebellion and sin. We have taken God’s tender heart and thrust a burning knife into it, and then we act surprised when we face the consequences of the brutal actions of which we are all guilty. Hell is the just punishment for all of humanity for our crimes against God. Those who claim God is too loving to send anyone to Hell further insult and mutilate His character. Everyone in Hell confesses that they have gotten what they deserve…what all of us deserve.
God Is Slow To Anger
Yet God is slow to anger. God would be perfectly just to express His anger and bring deadly judgment on us when we first sin in deed, word or thought. Yet He Himself became a human being so He could take our just punishment on Himself, allowing us to be forgiven and set free. Such tender love and intense sacrifice are beyond human comprehension. All we can do is bow in humble gratitude and say, “Thank You.” Christians should be the most thankful people on the planet.
Still, Christians and non-Christians alike constantly provoke God’s anger with our ungrateful and sinfully rebellious actions. But God is slow to anger, gracious, and compassionate. He wants to give us every opportunity to repent. Despite our hard-hearted indifference to the pain we cause Him, God still wants to show us mercy instead of justice.
If we turn from our evil ways, rending out garments in true repentance, not just an outward show, hoping to avoid the consequences of our actions, we will find God delighted to forgive us. This compassion on the part of God for His human creation is astounding. The fact that God is slow to anger is not a fact we should try to take advantage of but an act of love that should drive us to our knees in repentance and eternal thankfulness. His heart of love constantly calls us to repentance so that we can be forgiven, escape His wrath and be welcomed into His presence as dearly loved sons and daughters.
Our Thankfulness
As Christians, our highest desire should be to delight and please our Father God. We should shudder in horror at the very thought of offending Him. We all fail, but because of His compassion, mercy and graciousness, we are not condemned. Instead, we face conviction to bring us back to confession and right relationship with God. Thank God we stand in the righteousness of Jesus Christ, and thank the Holy Spirit that He patiently works with us through sanctification to bring our lives in line with the holiness of the Father. It is a goal we will never perfectly reach in this life, but we should be moving closer to it day by day.
Thank God He is slow to anger and willing to work with our weaknesses!
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God Is Slow To Anger
Frequently Asked Questions
Question: How Can God Be Slow To Anger When The Bible Also Says His Wrath Can Flare Up In A Moment?
Question: How Can God Be Slow To Anger When The Bible Also Says His Wrath Can Flare Up In A Moment?
Answer: Psalm 2:12 does say that God's wrath can "flare up in a moment" [NIV] or "...his wrath is kindled but a little" [KJV]. The "anger" of Joel 2 and the "wrath" of Psalm 2 are the same Hebrew word. To understand this, we must look at the context.
In Joel, God is talking to His people who have rebelled against Him. God is warning them that the devasting Day of Judgment is coming. He had given them many opportunities to repent and change their evil ways. God did not want to bring judgment. Even as Joel spoke, He wanted them to repent so that His righteous wrath could be avoided.
In Psalm 2, the audience is different. It is addressed to the kings and rulers of the nations who are in deliberate, defiant rebellion against King Jesus. They are warned that they must submit to King Jesus or be destroyed. The text does not say how long God will allow them to continue their rebellion before He takes action, only that it may happen quickly with warning beforehand. They think they are so great and powerful in opposing God, but they should not tempt Him because even a "little" wrath is enough to destroy them.
Question: How Can Understanding God's Righteous Anger Change A Christian's Perspective On Their Own Sin And Repentance?
Question: How Can Understanding God's Righteous Anger Change A Christian's Perspective On Their Own Sin And Repentance?
Answer: Even as Christians, we may be tempted to think that some sins aren't important. God is Perfect. His standard is perfection. Every sin, no matter how small to us, violates the very nature of God and stirs His anger. We only have to look to the cross of Jesus Christ to see the results of being under the wrath of God. Although we stand in the righteousness of Jesus, an understanding of God's righteous anger and how every sin is a deep offence to Him should motivate us to be merciless with sin in our lives.
Question: What Does It Mean To "Tear Your Heart And Not Merely Your Garments" In The Context Of True Repentance?
Question: What Does It Mean To "Tear Your Heart And Not Merely Your Garments" In The Context Of True Repentance?
Answer: Jews would often tear their clothes and wail, sometimes putting on sackcloth and sitting in ashes, to show their repentance. God looks at the heart. He knows if we are sincere or simply putting on a show for sympathy or trying to avoid the consequences of our actions. God will judge according to our true intent, not an outward act.
Question: In What Ways Can Christians Actively Work Towards Aligning Their Lives With God's Holiness In Their Daily Walk?
Question: In What Ways Can Christians Actively Work Towards Aligning Their Lives With God's Holiness In Their Daily Walk?
Answer: Most Christians are aware of the general things that offend God, but a deep knowledge of what God considers sin can only come through studying His Word, especially Biblical Law - which many Christians avoid. Through the power of the Holy Spirit, we must study and apply the Word of God to our lives and in our areas of influence. We must quickly repent and ask for forgiveness when we sin. We do not live in fear and condemnation but in the joy of walking with God and daily learning to know Him better. It is our desire to live a life pleasing to our loving Father.
Question: How Does The Idea Of God's Slow Anger Affect Our Understanding And Approach To Grace And Forgiveness In Our Personal Lives?
Question: How Does The Idea Of God's Slow Anger Affect Our Understanding And Approach To Grace And Forgiveness In Our Personal Lives?
Answer: Because we know God is slow to anger, we do not live in fear, thinking God is ready to whip us whenever we make a mistake. We understand that God loves us, wants our best, and is willing to forgive us, and He will work with us. This allows us to enter a joyful relationship with God and leave fear of judgment behind.
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