Is God Truly Angry Over Sin?

Considering the wrath of God in the absence of free will

My explorative spiritual journey took me from Eastern philosophy to New Age spirituality. As I continued my search for meaning and understanding, I attended psychotherapy for several years. Still yearning for truth, I eventually read the Bible during a time of acute crisis, and this led me to embrace Christianity wholeheartedly. I gave my life to Jesus and began to live a life of service to Him and obedience to the teachings of Scripture. However, a particular theological dilemma plagued me and continues to trouble me. That dilemma is the subject of today’s reflection.

Exploring the nature of God and considering His attributes led me to the understanding that God is omnipresent. This view, when taken literally, leaves no room for free will. If God is boundless, then His being is not limited or restricted in any way and there can be nothing outside of His being. This means that the totality of creation is contained within God and is under His control.

The absolute sovereignty of God, and our lack of free will, became an important aspect of theology for me, because I kept on hearing Christians defend a belief in human free will, even though I was and remain certain that free will is impossible with an omnipresent God. I spent a few years writing books about why I am so convinced of this perspective and the implications of this understanding for biblical Christianity. If you’re interested in delving deeper into this subject you may enjoy exploring my books which are available exclusively through my website at StevenColborne.com.

For the purposes of today’s reflection, I want to comment on the idea of the wrath of God. If we accept that we don’t have free will and that all events unfold under the sovereign control of God, then when we sin, we are doing so under God’s control. If this is true, does it make sense to suggest that God is angry about our sins?

It’s problematic to attribute characteristics of human emotion to God because He is transcendent and wholly other than His creatures, although Christians may argue that His character is revealed in the incarnation of Son, Jesus Christ. But if we consider God in His essence, which is love and without physical form, we must question whether He is truly angry, or whether as sovereign Lord of all creation He is complete within Himself and lacking absolutely nothing that would cause Him distress.

If God is in control of the manifestation that is creation, then He is unfolding a story for humanity in the way that He pleases. Wouldn’t it be logical to suggest that He would produce a creation which pleases Him, rather than one that makes Him angry? If sin angers God, why does He not create a world free from sin?

I have come to understand the Christian story, and the stories of other faiths (and even the stories of science and atheism) as different aspects of the grand plan for creation that God is manifesting for His glory. Part of the Christian story is that God is angry over sin, but while this might make sense in the Christian storyline, it is perhaps more theatre than reality (although reality is theatre, from a certain perspective). Islam also paints a picture of a God who is furious about sinful behaviour, but again we must question why God would manifest sinful actions that cause Him anger.

My current thinking on this subject is that God makes us aware of His immense power and ability to do whatever He pleases by giving warnings about judgment and the fires of hell in sacred Scriptures. But if God is love, it would also make sense that He delights in showing mercy. Indeed, in the Qur’an, God is consistently described as the Lord of Mercy; the Giver of Mercy. How can we equate a belief in a loving and merciful God with the idea that He will subject some of His creatures to a lasting torment in fire, even though everything they have ever done throughout their lives has been willed by Him? Wouldn’t this make God cruel to some people in a rather arbitrary way?

We should never lose sight of the fact that God is gracious and loving. This is evident in the kindness and mercies He shows us every day. I cannot deny that it’s possible that God has predestined some creatures to hellfire, as His absolute sovereignty means He has the power and ability to do this. But it would only really make sense for Him to do this if He delights in causing agonising suffering, and if He is love in His essence, is that likely to be true?