Colossians 3:6 says, “For it is because of these things that the wrath of God will come upon the sons of disobedience.” “These things” refers to the sins which :5 mentioned immediately preceding: “immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and greed.” It can appear to us right now that people commit these with impunity — these sins are rampant in our society, but it doesn’t appear that many are suffering any kind of wrath because of them. But :6 assures us that this is an illusion. God’s wrath IS coming for these sins!

And we learn the following about His wrath from this verse:

— It is not the mere wrath of a man which is coming, but “the wrath of GOD”, which is immeasurably greater than that of any human being!

— The Greek word for “will come” is “erchetai”, which is in the present tense, indicating that it is coming! It is not that it MIGHT come; it is not that we HOPE it will come; it IS coming! It is on the way now!

— And the target of that wrath is indicated in the verse as well: “upon the sons of disobedience”. “Sons of disobedience” indicates those whose lives are characterized by disobedience to God. They refuse to submit themselves to God’s law, or to take refuge in the shelter from wrath which He has provided in His Son.

Although the God of the Bible is a God of wrath towards sin, He is also a God of love. God the Son came to earth in the person of Jesus Christ, who said in Matthew 23:37 that He “wanted to gather you together the way a hen gathers her chicks under her wings”. When a fire comes, a hen will gather her chicks under her wings to protect them from burning, and Jesus said He came to give that same kind of protection from the burning wrath of God to everyone who would take refuge in Him. But as Jesus indicated to the Jews who were rejecting Him in Matthew 23, we must be willing to seek that refuge in Him. If we refuse to turn from our sins, and refuse to take refuge in the salvation Jesus offers, then we can know surely: “the wrath of God is coming upon the sons of disobedience.”