Paul McKenzie

Memory Verse, Tuesday, April 16, Colossians 3:6

“On account of these the wrath of God is coming.”

“Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains in him.” (John 3:35) This was written just after Jesus’s dialogue of the new birth, and the foretelling of His sacrifice for the sins of the world (John 3:16).

Other passages of interest:

“For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth. For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them.” (Romans 1:18-19)

“…and how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God, and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come.” (1 Thessalonians 9b-10)

“So the angel swung his sickle across the earth and gathered the grape harvest of the earth and threw it into the great winepress of the wrath of God. And the winepress was trodden outside the city, and blood flowed from the winepress, as high as a horse’s bridle, for 1,600 stadia.” (Revelation 14:19)

I remember a telling quote by an atheist English philosopher when asked what he would say if God was really real and he stood before him. He said that he would tell God that he did not have enough information.

I’m pretty sure that in his schooling, from the time he was a child he was inundated with the Bible, and I’m pretty sure he was familiar with the book of Romans, which states: “For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse.” (Romans 1:20)

I’m also pretty sure he read the Gospels, and knew everything Christ said about Himself, and how to escape the wrath to come. I think that, if he were honest, he would have to agree with Paul in the next verse 21: “For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking and their foolish hearts were darkened.” If not then, he knows now.

Another famous atheist author was more honest when he said that he did not want to believe in God, because then he could not do the things he wanted to do. These two were choosing hell with their “eyes wide open”.

Then comes the frightening passage in verses Romans 1:24-25: “Therefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, to the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves, because they exchanged the truth about God for a lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever! Amen.”

Many self-righteously pity the murderous, God-rejecting Pharaoh during the plagues of Egypt when it says “God hardened Pharaoh’s heart”. From what I see, Pharaoh was just given up to the sins that had already consumed him.

Finally, there is that frightening passage from 2 Thessalonians about the coming antichrist: “The coming of the lawless one is by the activity of Satan with all power and false signs and wonders, and with all wicked deception for those who are perishing, because they refused to love the truth and so be saved. Therefore God sends them a strong delusion, so that they may believe what is false, in order that all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness.” (9-12)

Yikes! There are a lot of people in recent times believing a lot of what is false, and they know it.

I think I will close with this extended passage from Titus 3:3-7. I hope, if you are like those others deceived by their own passions, that when you read this will hear the voice of Christ, and repent, turning from your passions and falling on the mercy of His glorious Gospel:

“For we ourselves were once foolish, disobedient, led astray, slaves to various passions and pleasures, passing our days in malice and envy, hated by others and hating one another. But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that being justified by his grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.”

Today if you hear His voice, harden not your heart.

Memory Helps:

“On acCOUNT of THESE

the WRATH of GOD is COMing.”

If you say it this way, with the capitalized parts being emphasized, it will be in poetic meter. I think of the old “Wizard of Oz” chant: Lions and tigers, and bears, O My!”, starting by saying the phrase softly, then working up louder and LOUDER UNTIL… you have it memorized.

Quick phonetic alphabet review: 0=S or Z; 1=t, or d; 2=N; 3=M; 4=R; 5=L; 6=J,sh,ch; 7=K or hard g; 8=F or V; and 9=P or b. All vowels, and w, and y are fillers. Example: “95” could be represented by PauL, or BaiLey, or PaiL, with the consonant sounds representing the numbers, and the vowels fillers.