God's wrath . . . it's not a topic that believers talk about much, or even want to think about. Depending on which theology you have on the Rapture, you might think that it is not something that you will have to deal with. Yet our passage of Scripture today forces the idea of God's wrath in front of our eyes, and should cause us to give it some thought today.
"On account of these things the wrath of God is coming." Colossians 3:6
On account of what things? In order to correctly dissect this verse, we have to look back at the previous verse, which says,
"Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire and covetousness, which is idolatry."
Our fleshly and earthly sins are the "these things" spoken of in today's verse. It is because of these sin that the wrath of God is coming. His wrath will be displayed particularly in the last three and a half years of tribulation, and ultimately after the Millennial Reign of Christ on earth. At this point, the earth as we know it will be destroyed forever, and God will usher in a new heaven and earth for those who have believed upon the Lord Jesus Christ and have experienced the necessary heart conversion.
This heart conversion takes place when the believer in Christ surrenders his whole being to the Lordship of Christ. When we surrender in this way, Christ is then able to live out His life through us by the power of the Spirit within us. It is only by the Holy Spirit that we will be able to put to death all that is earthly in us. It is not something that we can simply "will ourselves" to do. It is God's work to do within us, completing what He has begun in us. The work is simply this, to put to death every form of idolatry in us. Every single place in our heart that elevates something other than God to the throne of our life is an idol. If you depend on it without thinking, rather than on God, it is an idol. It you have to have it or do it (because that's just the way you are made), its an idol. If it is repetitive and habitual sin, it is an idol. If it is an attitude (like self-reliance and dependence, prejudice, worry, etc.), it is a sin. It
The Spirit's job is to topple every form of idolatry that we practice. It matters not if it is a physical idol (like a food addiction), a financial idol (like greed), an emotional idol (like anger), or a mental idol (like worrying and fretting). It matters not whether the people around you can see it or not; it is an idol.
Now, back to today's verse. It is on account of the endless idols that are worshiped on earth, by unbelievers and believers alike, that God's wrath is coming. How very important it is then for all believers to be about the business of truly surrendering our idols to the Lord Jesus Christ. Why should we continue in our idolatry when we are to be dead to sin and alive in Christ. How can we continue in our idolatry knowing that our idolatrous sins are the very same sins of unbelievers. Will we continue to sin with the same sins that will eventually bring to the earth God's full wrath? God is clearly calling His church to clean house!
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