Someone Said: "Why does the Old Testament show a God of wrath and the New Testament a God of mercy?"

Suggested Answers:

There is no difference between the two. God is just as loving in the Old Testament and just as wrath filled in the New Testament. He never changes. See how to find everlasting life: www.needGod.com

Source: https://www.facebook.com/official.Ray.Comfort5 16 December 2013 ·

God is the same yesterday, today and forever more. He does not change.

The 'difference' is just the agreements/convenants/coverage and the blood type. In the OT, when a person sinned, animal blood was used like a covering but in Christ the sins are washed away by the blood of Jesus and help is given to make the person make changes from the inside which will bring out the right approach and way of doing right.

Alwaystrue: God is the same yesterday, today and forever more. He does not change.

The 'difference' is just the agreements/convenants/coverage and the blood type. In the OT, when a person sinned, animal blood was used like a covering but in Christ the sins are washed away by the blood of Jesus and help is given to make the person make changes from the inside which will bring out the right approach and way of doing right.

Thanks for point in the bolded. That the [b]animal blood was used like a covering" explains the atonement very well. It's like using a table cloth to cover stains embedded in/on a table.

One of my favorite topics.

God is love and ever full of mercy. The wrath of God came BECAUSE Israel would not accept God gracious acts but sought their own righteousness, hence, the wrath of God was shown.

Even in God's wrath, mercy and love still prevailed.

I personally would have prefered a quick action God. The world would have become a better place by now.

@op I guess you started this topic without an adequate knowledge of what you were posting, I wish you had done more study, because of unbelievers who will view the thread for them to have a better understanding of the two covenants. Well done @goshen but there are still a lot more. That being said my contribution is that it was Jesus Christ that showed us the true nature of the father and that nature is found in James 1:16-17 NKJV
Do not be deceived, my beloved brethren. [17] Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning.

Excuse me! i need a well versed, intelligent christian to discuss the issue of Lot and his daughters with.
I've a problem with that verse.

harbiola1: Excuse me! i need a well versed, intelligent christian to discuss the issue of Lot and his daughters with.
I've a problem with that verse.

abiola learning about christianity with such passion.
You go soon do pastor so u go dey collect tithe money

Why is the OT God wrathful and the NT God merciful??

Simple!! God changed. He changed from a God of the Law to a God of liberty. I know people like to quote "God is the same yesterday, today and forever more. He does not change...", but obviously people don't understand what that statement means. Where the scripture says God does not change, it means that God will surely fulfill his word/promise/covenant that he has declared and that he cannot deviate from it until it is accomplished(Isaiah 55:11). So as far as that covenant remains unfulfilled, then God would not deviate from it. But after this covenant is fulfilled, then God is at liberty(in fact he must) to change to a new/better covenant because the old is fulfilled and no longer required. It is like paying-off a debt, after which you will no longer be a debtor. So you have changed from a debtor to a non-debtor.

So yes!! God has changed and is no longer the God of the old testament(The law of Moses) because christ has fulfilled/paid it. Therefore, since God is free from this debt of the law, we(believers, Gods, sons of God) are also free and not required to keep the same law(debt) that has been paid-off.

OLAADEGBU:

Thanks for point in the bolded. That the animal blood was used like a covering" explains the atonement very well. It's like using a table cloth to cover stains embedded in/on a table.

Thanks for the insight.

Demain_man: I personally would have prefered a [b]quick action God. The world would have become a better place by now.

. Would even you have been able to stand? God is longsuffering both in the OT and the NT. It is actually more greivious to trample on the gift of Christ and take His grace for granted. People do not realise this but whatever a man sows he will reap is still very much in effect.
In the OT, the law of sin and death prevailed though God was still gracious and in the NT the law of sin and death still abounds to those who walk after the flesh, just that we now have grace and an advocate in heaven who gives life (Spirit) especially if we maximise this grace and also use the help to be cleansed from within and then act correctly.

okeyxyz: God[b]s[/b]

I pray that u realize what u're saying before death comes.

A God with two different testaments/wills?! The difference is crystal clear. One God was the God of Israel, the other a universal God.

If you go through the Old testament carefully, God never intended to abrogate his divine laws, by their nature eternal and to serve all ages. As divine laws, they are fulfilled time after time without extinction (contrary to what Christians believe).

Meanwhile the NT God is more of a liberal, tolerates the disobedience of sacred Mosaic law which God handed down himself, loves Gentiles and the unclean, soft spoken.

OT God is total fiction.

I remember one verse, God came came down to curse Mariam
Seriously only religiously foolish people would take Yahweh as a skydaddy living in space

Kay 17: A God with two different testaments/wills?! The difference is crystal clear. One God was the God of Israel, the other a universal God.

If you go through the Old testament carefully, God never intended to abrogate his divine laws, by their nature eternal and to serve all ages. As divine laws, they are fulfilled time after time without extinction (contrary to what Christians believe).

Meanwhile the NT God is more of a liberal, tolerates the disobedience of sacred Mosaic law which God handed down himself, loves Gentiles and the unclean, soft spoken.

you speak ignorantly of things you do not know of.

God is still the same.

The reason grace is available now is because of Jesus Christ and our faith in God, not works.

^^

This is one of the reasons atheist vs theist debates rage on for ages. The typical theist tries to commmunicate on the basis of Faith, which utterly fails. Faith can demand and tolerate contradictions, but not reason.

It either that God is merciful or wrathful not both!

Kay 17: ^^

This is one of the reasons atheist vs theist debates rage on for ages. The typical theist tries to commmunicate on the basis of Faith, which utterly fails. Faith can demand and tolerate contradictions, but not reason.

It either that God is merciful or wrathful not both!

this is not true. Faith does not demand or tolerate contradictions. You are the one demanding and trying to force your contradictions on God. He is the same; God of all, you claim he is different and acts differently to different people. Is this your "reasoning"?

You're a human being, are you merciful? Do you also feel wrath sometimes?
Think before you say things like this.

^^
Absolute love has no room for wrath or wickedness! How do you reconcile the genocides in the OT with acts of love?!

Kay 17: ^^
Absolute love has no room for wrath or wickedness! How do you reconcile the genocides in the OT with acts of love?!

where and when does the bible imply God is absolute love?

He's love, he's also eternal judge. The judgements(not genocides) in the old testament bear witness. The judgement to come bears witness.

^^^

It is from absolute love, mercy emerges. A just judge is strict and blind to emotions. Such a judge cannot be merciful. So it is either of the two.

Kay 17:
^^^

It is from absolute love, mercy emerges. A just judge is strict and blind to emotions. Such a judge cannot be merciful. So it is either of the two.

What do you say of a rebellious son who deliberately shut the door of his heart to the father's love? He is the one condemning himself not the father.

^^^
You mean to say everybody in OT shut their hearts to God and then in the NT, everyone opened it wide?!

Bidam: What do you say of a rebellious son who deliberately shut the door of his heart to the father's love? He is the one condemning himself not the father.

A loving father would keep loving son and not prepare a torture house for him

Kay 17: ^^^
You mean to say everybody in OT shut their hearts to God and then in the NT, everyone opened it wide?!

Most of them did in OT even when Jesus came they still did..You want scriptural proof?

macof:
A loving father would keep loving son and not prepare a torture house for him

Nah! A rebellious son should take the responsibilities for his actions..that is cause and effect..It's a universal law,even you are aware of it.

Kay 17:
^^^

It is from absolute love, mercy emerges. A just judge is strict and blind to emotions. Such a judge cannot be merciful. So it is either of the two.

it is from love, that mercy emerges. If God is all love, there would be no justice or orderliness in the universe. Chaos will reign. I beg to differ. God is a just judge, he's also a loving father.

Your own words in the bolded show what God has done and will do. What he has done in passing judgements on nations after warning them repeatedly to repent in the OT, what he will do at the final judgement: condemning men to hell for their sins.

The requirements of justice must be, and are always met. Jesus has met the standard in this new agreement, and our faith is in him.

Bidam: Nah! A rebellious son should take the responsibilities for his actions..that is cause and effect..It's a universal law,even you are aware of it.

true! The Law would always catch up with its offenders but You dont see me claiming God is love

Bidam: Most of them did in OT even when Jesus came they still did..You want scriptural proof?

So how it relevant to loving father and rebellious son ?! The same shut minds in OT and NT!

Kay 17:

So how it relevant to loving father and rebellious son ?! The same shut minds in OT and NT!

Man by nature is rebellious. Jesus purpose was to reveal the Father to mankind.He is the Pattern Son, so tis no fault of His, if you and others don't see it that way.That Love of God is found in Jesus.

Bidam: Man by nature is rebellious. Jesus purpose was to reveal the Father to mankind.He is the Pattern Son, so tis no fault of His, if you and others don't see it that way.That Love of God is found in Jesus.

so God was never love in the OT?

macof:

true! The Law would always catch up with its offenders but You dont see me claiming God is love

love is not a feeling of emotions or sentiments.God does not have love.God is love.Love is God. God's love in this case is a constant not a variable

God is love in the OT,cause and effect played out in the OT, so you can't say it is the fault of God.

macof: so God was never love in the OT?

Bidam: God is love in the OT,cause and effect played out in the OT, so you can't say it is the fault of God.

everything that happens is because God allows it.....so when innocent people die or when he annihilates an entire nation. who is that Love?