Joel M Bradshaw

“Just are you, O Holy One, who is and who was, for you brought these judgments. 6For they have shed the blood of saints and prophets, and you have given them blood to drink. It is what they deserve!”–Revelation 16

1. John records the testimony of one of the angels who was pouring out the bowls of God’s wrath.
2. The angel clearly defines the WHO. God, who is eternal, brought the judgments. He is the Judge who is executing judgment.
3. The angel next defined the WHY. God will punish those who oppose Him. Remember, you either trust Jesus for your salvation or you do not.
4. All those who do not trust Jesus will not be saved from God’s wrath. That’s what “saved” means!
5. Sin deserves punishment. You are either going to receive that punishment, or you will put your faith in Jesus, trusting that on the cross He already took your punishment.
6. The theological tension this morning is the SO WHAT portion at the beginning. The angel proclaimed that in judging His enemies, God is just. Do you have a problem with God punishing those who reject Him and persecute His church? You might be one of those people who speaks about “justice” when it comes to peoples and politics. So don’t be surprised when God executes His justice!
7. Remember, the bad news of the Gospel message is that God punishes sin and as a sinner, both you and I deserve that punishment. In our own power, we can’t do anything about that situation. The good news is that if you trust Jesus to save you from God’s wrath, He can and He will.–JMB