Does Rejecting Jesus Make God Angry?

Really, what is your opinion of Jesus Christ, and how serious is He in your life?

Have you ever thought about what makes God angry? We talk a lot about God’s love, His mercy, His forgiveness, and His patience. And rightly so. But how often do we talk about God’s anger? Does God actually get angry when we reject Him, ignore His commands, or refuse the salvation He offers through Jesus Christ?

Today, I was reading Jeremiah, and this verse really caught my attention: “In my anger, my very great anger, I myself will fight against you with my great power and strength.” (Jeremiah 21:5 NCV)

Wow! God wasn’t simply disappointed with His people. He was angry. So angry that He declared He would fight against them! That’s worth stopping and discussing.

Here’s the backstory. For generations, the people of Judah had ignored God’s warnings. They worshiped idols, practiced evil, mistreated others, and refused to repent. God repeatedly sent prophets to warn them, but they wouldn’t listen. Now Jerusalem was facing destruction by Babylon, and the people wanted God to rescue them.

But instead of promising deliverance, God told them He would fight against them. Think about that. The same God who had delivered Israel from Egypt with His mighty hand was now using that power against His own people.

GOD BACK THEN, GOD TODAY

And here’s what really got me thinking. If God became this angry over Judah’s rebellion, what does He think when people today knowingly reject His Son, Jesus Christ?

The New Testament gives us even more information: “Those who believe in the Son have eternal life, but those who do not obey the Son will never have life. God’s anger stays on them.” (John 3:36 NCV)

God’s anger stays on them, hmm, that’s huge. And Hebrews 10:29 warns that those who deliberately reject Christ and treat His sacrifice as worthless deserve an even worse punishment. Worse punishment.

Why? Because we’ve been given something extraordinary. God sent His own Son to live a sinless life, die for our sins, and rise again so that we could be forgiven and reconciled to Him. What greater expression of love could God possibly give us?

TAKING (OR NOT) JESUS SERIOUSLY

Yet people reject Him. Some openly deny Him. Others say they believe in Him but live as though His words and commands don’t matter.

Now, I’m not suggesting that every time we sin, God turns against us. We all sin. I certainly do. There’s a difference between struggling with sin and deliberately rejecting Christ.

Said another way: “So I tell you, people can be forgiven for every sin and everything they say against God. But whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven. Anyone who speaks against the Son of Man can be forgiven, but anyone who speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either now or in the future.” (Matthew 12:31–32 NCV)

When the Holy Spirit calls, and we reject that calling - again, it’s the worst sin you and I will ever commit. God welcomes the person who humbly confesses, repents, and turns back to Him.

ARE WE REALLY A FOLLOWER OF JESUS CHRIST?

Here’s what concerns me. Have you and I become so comfortable talking about God’s love that we’ve forgotten to take His holiness and judgment seriously?

Jesus said the greatest commandments are to love God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength, and to love others as ourselves.

So let me ask you something. How seriously are you taking those two commands? Do your decisions reflect your love for God? Does the way you treat people reflect your love for them? It’s the evidence of our true salvation.

And there’s another truth we shouldn’t overlook. God’s anger isn’t like ours. He doesn’t lose control or fly into a rage. His anger is righteous, His judgment is just, and His patience is extraordinary. But His patience isn’t permission to keep rebelling.

Peter tells us God is patient because He doesn’t want anyone to perish, but wants everyone to repent (2 Peter 3:9).

GOD’S PATIENCE WITH SIN, ISN’T APPROVAL

So here’s my takeaway today: Don’t mistake God’s patience for His approval. In fact, this is one of the main themes running throughout the entire book of Jeremiah. God repeatedly warned His people, patiently giving them opportunities to repent, but they mistook His patience for permission to continue in their sin.

Don’t mistake His forgiveness for permission to sin. And don’t mistake His love for an unwillingness to judge.

God loves us enough to offer salvation through Jesus Christ. But He also takes our response to that salvation seriously.

The question isn’t simply whether God loves you. He has already demonstrated that through Jesus.

The question is, how are you and I responding to His love? And are we really saved and proving it in how we live?

LORD, thank You for Your patience, mercy, and forgiveness. Forgive me for the times I’ve taken Your grace for granted. Help me take Your Word seriously, love You with all my heart, and love others as myself. Give me the courage to speak Your truth with love, and never forget what Jesus did to save me. IJNIP amen ♥️