Sermon Illustrations
The 'Wrath of God' Makes the News
Strangely enough, the 'wrath of God' became a news item. Here's what happened: A Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) committee wanted to add the contemporary hymn "In Christ Alone" to their new hymnbook. But only under one condition: they wanted to remove the line "the wrath of God was satisfied." The authors of hymn refused to grant permission and the committee rejected the hymn.
Russell Moore followed the controversy and wrote an article in which he said, ‘I'm hardly one to tell Presbyterians what they ought to have in their hymnals. But the Gospel is good news for Christians because it tells us of a God of both love and justice. The wrath of God doesn't cause us to cower, or to judge our neighbors. It ought to prompt us to see ourselves as recipients of mercy, and as those who will one day give an account. If that's true, let's sing it.’