God does not tolerate sin at all. He therefore deals with it in many ways but in this post I will discuss just three of the ways. One of the methods is friendly while the other two are not. It would not be right for me to write only about the nice and positive things about God and Christendom and ignore the undesired side. That would be grossly imbalanced and partial.
The Bible teaches us that God is the same for all eternity and therefore I believe He uses these methods even today. As already stated, it is on record that God does not tolerate sin, it does not matter the person(s) that commit it. His anger is always upon sinners (Psalm 7:11-14). If a person does not repent, God will sharpen His sword; He will bend and string his bow (v13). He will prepare His deadly weapons and shoot His flaming arrows (v14). It is not always obvious how God will shoot but He does things in His own way. In all honesty, I want to believe that God reacts to sin for the purpose of reconciling with the sinner(s).
The Bible has records of instances where sin stirs up God’s anger to action. In as much as every one of the living direly needs God’s mercy over their lives, I do want to warn that sinners are really treading on dangerous grounds as the anger of God is always hanging over their heads (Romans 1:18).
Next I discuss the three methods that God uses to deal with sinners.
The friendly method: Sending a messenger to warn or alert the sinner
One way that God uses to correct people from sin is through sending a prophet or a messenger to warn them. God does this because the consequences of sin are undesirable and severe to mankind yet He is bound by His nature to punish sin. There are cases where God tells people what will happen to them if they don’t repent but in some instances He just unleashes His anger. This is a sing of love because He does not want anyone to perish or suffer because of their sins (2 Peter 3:10).
One prominent Bible character who received a message of rebuke from God is David. According to 2 Kings 12:1-13, God sent Prophet Nathan to rebuke David of his sin with Bathsheba. David responded positively by admitting and confessing his sins to the LORD.
In another instance, God sent Jonah to Nineveh to announce His judgement for their wickedness. Nineveh had been given an ultimatum of 40 days by God and they fortunately believed the message of God. Every person and animal fasted as a sign of remorse for their wickedness with the hope that God will change His mind and hold back His fierce anger against them. God eventually did not destroy the city of Nineveh.
The first unfriendly method: Causing someone to trouble the sinner
Any person or animal can be used by God to cause trouble to the sinner, even to the point of killing the sinner.
In the book of 2 Kings 2:23-24, we learn about Elisha cursing small boys in the name of the Lord. It was after the curse that two female bears came out of the woods and mauled (injured badly) forty-two of the children. Elisha in his own capacity could not have had the power call out the bears or decide the kind of punishment fit for the offenders. This was God acting on behalf of Elisha.
The story of Balaam in Numbers 22:21-39 relates how he experienced God’s anger from hearing a donkey speak. It was the LORD who stood before Balaam to oppose him, and yet Balaam could not see the LORD but the angel did. It was then that the LORD opened the mouth of the donkey to speak.
David was once used by God to punish the Israelites by taking a census. This was harmful to the nation of Israel. Eventually, a curse from God resulted in the death of 70,000 people.
The second unfriendly method: sudden destruction of sinners
An instance that is not so popular is when God let the earth open its mouth and swallow sinners alive into the grave. These were korah, Dathan and Abiram with their households and followers because they conspired to incite a rebellion against Moses and Aron. Furthermore, the LORD send a blazing fire that burnt up the 250 men who were offering incense. This is according to Numbers 16:32 – 35.
I want to end with this one which was the first yet it resembles the last destruction that shall befall sinners. The first destruction of sinners recorded in the Bible is about God who only told Noah about His intention to destroy the world. The rest of the people did not even expect the incident. This is found in Genesis 6:9 to 9:17. God did not send Noah to call people to repentance but in His own wisdom and authority, He decided to destroy the world and sinners without notice.
It is not surprising that Jesus quotes this instance as a model of how His return will be like. In Matthew 24:37, Jesus says that the coming of the Son of Man will just like the days of Noah. Apparently everything was normal like all other days and suddenly the flood came. In verse 39 it says the people did not understand until the flood came and took them all away.
This one is a shocker because it tells us that when Jesus returns people will be shocked. Even when so many things have been said, written and broadcasted about Jesus’ return, people will still be surprise. It is for this reason that I may not dismiss the claim made by some people that Noah had warned the world about God’s intention to destroy the world but they did not take him serious because everything seemed to be normal.
Application
Have you been warned by someone or a number of people about your sins? Are you currently troubled by someone in a way that you do not understand? It is time you do an introspection of yourself and repent where you are convicted of sin. Repenting of your sins will save your life from the anger of God. Do not be a victim of surprise predicaments that may befall you because of your sins when you have been warned.
The God of Christians is a God of love. He does not want anyone to perish yet His just nature will unfortunately lead adversaries to death.
Conclusion
The tough part is confirming if the messenger or the trouble is indeed sent of God. When God warns, it often is a confirmation of a spiritual discomfort from within yourself. In short, the first warning comes directly to the sinner and the messengers and circumstances confirm God’s exhortation.
I have written a post on how God speaks in this blog, which you can read for your knowledge. I believe that God will make means for you to clearly understand how you have to live a pleasing life to Him throughout your life.
Be blessed.