the anger of God

[anti_nietzsche]

The Old Testament frequently says that God was angry about this or that matter.

But I think I can only live with God when He is not angry, or at least when His anger, like other scriptures say, lasts for but a moment.

This has to do with my need for worshipping God, and somehow I can't worship God in any meaningful sense if I have to think of Him as being angry.

I had a strange experience some years ago when I had a vision and a friendly voice said, I am not an angry God.

But then, the bible does speak of God being angry at least sometimes.

I must admit that I don't like reading many parts of the bible anymore. It gets me into thoughts like, can the real God not be a bit above anger and wrath and all that? Isn't it that what we admire in God, perfection?

And then, Jesus said that anger is like murder. That anger is a sin. We believe that Jesus is sinless, so in order for that to be possible, Jesus can't be angry.

Then we believe that Jesus is God. So for God to be angry, while Jesus cannot be angry, we have to believe that the Father is angry while Jesus is meek. Which is a bit of a silly idea, I think. That God is full of rage while Jesus always has to calm Him down, and if Jesus does that for you, that's salvation. That makes no sense at all and even seems pretty ridiculous.

I really want to revere God and apart from such things I have no problem with the christian message. I know we all have sinned. I know we don't really deserve eternal life, at least not in the magnitude the bible uses. Eternal life under and with God, that's quite something. I also appreciate Jesus' sacrifice.

But that anger thing really disturbs me. I don't want to be wary of it all the time. It feels like poison.

How do you resolve this issue?

[redhotmagma]

Ephesians 4:26  Be angry and do not sin;  do not let the sun go down on the cause of your anger.

it seems there is a way to be angry and not sin.  Does judgement always indicate a sin?  I think we automatically assume judgement means punishment.

NET Matt 5:22
But I say to you that anyone who is angry with a brother   will be subjected to judgment. And whoever insults  a brother will be brought before  the council,   and whoever says 'Fool'   will be sent  to fiery hell.

NKJV
"But I say to you that whoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment. And whoever says to his brother, 'Raca!' shall be in danger of the council. But whoever says, 'You fool!' shall be in danger of hell fire.

it seems to have without a cause in there is in dispute, it is found in a lot of MSS

As far as God being angry and not sinning, God is the mark, sinning means to miss the mark, therefore God cannot sin.

I also feel like you do about reading of Gods anger, or wrath, I don't want to, but its in there so its got use   I go to my favorite passage

Zephaniah 3:8,9  NET


3:8 Therefore you must wait patiently 28  for me," says the Lord,
"for the day when I attack and take plunder. 29
I have decided 30  to gather nations together
and assemble kingdoms,
so I can pour out my fury on them –
all my raging anger.
For 31  the whole earth will be consumed
by my fiery anger.
3:9 Know for sure that I will then enable
the nations to give me acceptable praise. 32
All of them will invoke the Lord's name when they pray, 33
and will worship him in unison.