Delivered from God’s Wrath

“…and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others.” (Ephesians 2:3)

Is there any sense in which it may be said that those whom God has purposed to save and Christ did save by His death on the cross, were at one time children of wrath? The answer is, ‘NO!’ The Scripture says that we were ‘by nature’ children of wrath but that is different from stating that we are children of wrath. ‘By nature’ we all deserve God’s wrath and certainly share the same sin nature inherited from our father Adam. However, it is clear that those whom God has chosen, redeemed, justified and therefore saved, were always objects of Mercy and not wrath.

1.) Romans 9:22-23 makes a clear distinction between those who are vessels of wrath and vessels of mercy. Just as tares never become wheat and goats don’t become sheep, so vessels of wrath are forever so and vessels of mercy have always been such, by God’s eternal sovereign grace.

2.) 1 Thessalonians 5:9 states, “For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our LORD Jesus Christ.” It wasn’t to make God merciful that Christ died on the cross. Rather, it was because, in Love, God elected and predestined a people to salvation [Ephesians 1:4-5] and Christ came and paid the required ransom in His death, that God might be just (justified) in loving, saving and showing Mercy to His elect, Romans 3:26.

This is what the LORD Jesus accomplished! Although the elect are all born into this world deserving of God’s wrath and until the cross, were under the legal condemnation of God’s law, the Bible declares that the LORD Jesus Christ so met all the requirements of God’s law and justice that His forbearance of those in the Old Testament is now ratified in the death of the LORD Jesus. Therefore, His full forgiveness, grace and love toward the elect since the cross is justified now, even before they are brought by His Spirit to Christ in Faith, Romans 3:25. As one old writer so plainly puts it, “So, all the elect were considered in Christ, Who by His death, did free all the elect from this fall of sin and death; so as since Christ’s death, none of the elect were under that state of wrath or curse, nor indeed could possibly be.” Because then “Christ redeemed them from under the law.” (Galatians 4:4-5)

Some may object, citing John 3:36: “...he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.” However, this verse does not support the notion of God’s wrath being on someone until they believe. If you consider the entire verse together, it is contrasting those who do believe because they have been given everlasting life in Christ, versus those who never believe (continuous present tense) because they have been and always will be under God’s wrath. They were never objects of Mercy and therefore will never believe.

To be an object of Mercy is to be chosen by God the Father in electing grace and to be redeemed, justified, sanctified and reconciled by the death of Christ. In time each one will be brought to Him in repentance by the Spirit’s calling out through Faith (the revelation of Christ in the soul): 1 Peter 1:2.