Christian Theology and a Holy God

QUESTION: Christian Theology – Holy God

ANSWER:

When it comes to Christian Theology, the judgment of God is not a popular subject—even among Christians. A great majority of people abhor the thought that the “God of love” could also be the “God of wrath.” One cannot read the Bible, however, without encountering the judgment of God.

The holiness of God necessitates the judgment of God. Christian theists agree that God must be a judge because His holy nature is antithetical to sin. Such acts in the Bible as the great flood (Genesis 6:17–7:24), the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah (Genesis 19), the deaths of Nadab and Abihu (Leviticus 10:1–7), the fall of the Canaanites (Leviticus 18–20), and indeed the fall of Israel (2 Kings 17) and Judah (2 Chronicles 36) are all demonstrations of God’s judgment as motivated by His holy nature.

Christian Theology – A Holy God
Christian theology teaches that God is fair and always right, because His nature is perfect. God is not a giant bully or a cosmic killjoy brooding in the heavens, waiting for every opportunity to spoil our fun. The Bible teaches that God is truly interested in good winning over evil, and in holiness being the victor over moral depravity. In short, God is the judge of people because all people are sinners. The Bible is clear in communicating that God does not take pleasure in the judgment of the wicked (Ezekiel 33:11), but the wicked must be judged because God is holy (Jude 15).

Notes:

Rendered with permission from the book,Understanding the Times: The Collision of Today’s Competing Worldviews(Rev. 2^nd ed), David Noebel, Summit Press, 2006. Compliments of John Stonestreet, David Noebel, and the Christian Worldview Ministry at Summit Ministries. All rights reserved in the original.