wrath

The attitude of God towards sin and evil, the inevitable response of his holiness to human wickedness. In the OT sudden death or disaster was interpreted as the manifestation of God's wrath and reasons sought for it, as when Uzzah touched the Ark [[➝ ark]] with a profane hand (2 Sam. 6:7). God's wrath is not arbitrary or unjustifiable; always he is gracious and loving (Ps. 103:8), but his love sometimes seems like anger to those who experience it. Paul maintains belief in the wrath of God (Rom. 1:18; Eph. 2:3; 1 Thess. 1:10) but the NT emphasizes that ‘God is love’ (1 John 4:8). God's forbearance to the sinner is no less than his wrath against sin, though it is not to be evaded that the NT also speaks of a Day of Wrath, of irrevocable judgement [[➝ Judgement]] (Matt. 25:31–45).