As Christians
and churches, we rightly confess that Yahweh’s steadfast love for us endures
forever. We rightly affirm that Abba is for us, Jesus is with us, and the
Holy Spirit is in us. Jesus himself tells us, “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and
it will be opened for you” (Matthew 7:7, New American Standard Version, here
and following). He assures us, “Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears
My voice and opens the door, I will come in to
him and will dine with him, and he with Me” (Revelation 3:20). Good news!
Yes, God is love. Sometimes, though, we experience God’s love as wrath. That’s right: God’s wrath is always an expression of God’s love. We might define God’s loving wrath and wrathful loving as God’s rejection of our rejection of him.
