Enmity is a feeling of hatred or hostility towards something. Natural man has enmity towards God. Romans 8:7: "The carnal mind is enmity against God." James 4:4: "Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God?" It is difficult to believe, but people who have not accepted Christ as their savior are actually enemies of God. Romans 5:10: "For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life." Colossians 1:21: "And you, who once were alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now He has reconciled..." It is not surprising that enmity and enemy sound so much alike, as they both originate from the Latin inimicus.
The Bible also tells us that God has wrath. This is an unpleasant notion, but the Word of God is clear on that subject. Romans 1:18 states, "For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men..." Jesus Himself said in Luke 12:4-5, "My friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do. But I will show you whom you should fear: Fear Him, who after He has killed, has power to cast you into hell; yes, I say to you, fear Him!" These are the very words of Christ. And if we believe the words of Jesus, and if there is a Supreme Being with wrath, we should be fearful of Him. Yet man finds this intolerable, that there should be a Person who is greater than him, of whom he should be afraid. How does man resolve the problem of being the enemy of a God, all-powerful and all-knowing, who is capable of great wrath?
The first way is to deny He even exists, and the atheist solves his problem right there. You can't be an enemy of someone who does not exist, and there is no need to fear the wrath of an imaginary entity. This, then, allows you to live in any manner you wish, without worry of any temporal or eternal consequences. This is a group of people who are not believers in Christ or God or the Spirit, and threats from the Bible do not have any relevance for them.
The second way to deal with this is to remake Him into the image that we desire. We claim that God exists, but that He does not have any wrath. Many look upon the Old Testament as just that, "Old", and see a God capable of all manner of wrath and destruction, but have replaced Him with the image of a completely kind and loving Father who would never be angry with anyone. Some have looked upon the Old Testament God as a frightful, judging Being, and He has now been superseded by His Son Jesus, the gentle Lamb of God who is all-loving.
There are several problems with this viewpoint. First of all, it goes against what Jesus Himself said in Luke 12, Secondly, it ignores the full divinity of Christ, who is indeed the Lamb of God but also the Lion of the Tribe of Judah (Revelations 5:5). When Jesus returns, He will bring judgment upon the world. In fact, Jesus tells us in John 5:22, "For the Father judges no one, but has committed all judgment to the Son." Thirdly, although Jesus was meek and loving, He never condoned sin and was capable of great anger when the need arose, as in the temple with the moneychangers. Lastly, Jesus is the Word Incarnate, and the Word itself is a two-edged sword (Hebrews 4:12), with the good news of the Gospel and the frightful news of pending judgment.
Those who deny the existence of a God with wrath or a do not believe in a wrathful God are making a serious error. The first group is free to make up any moral system they desire, and the second is free to disobey God's moral system; both are free of any consequences. They are inappropriately not fearful of God's wrath. We certainly see this playing out daily in our lives. The people who would dismember a child in the womb and sell its body parts are not afraid of God. The lawmakers who pass laws that violate God's natural order for man and wife, and the judges that approve, are not afraid of God. The leaders of our country who pass laws for our healthcare by lying to us, bearing false witness, are not afraid of God.
Even on an individual level, we know people who claim to believe in God, but are sinning and unafraid of God's wrath. We are afraid to confront them, afraid to upset them, afraid that we will not seem loving, but our fear of these things should pale in comparison to the fear of God that they do not have. If we love them , we would speak to them of their sin so that they would avoid His judgment and wrath.
There is a third way to resolve the problem of being an enemy of a God with wrath, and that is to be reconciled with Him. This is done through faith in His Son Jesus Christ. Those who do will be spared His eternal wrath, and can rest peacefully in that promise. There will still be painful things to deal with: chastening for disobedience, pruning for sanctification, and spiritual warfare, but we need not be afraid of these things or God Himself. Our loving God sustains us through these.
There are some Christians, who are reconciled to Him, who still carry an unhealthy fear of Him, worried that the slightest misstep will result in punishment; they often interpret any bad thing that happens to them as an expression of God's wrath. The are inappropriately afraid of God's wrath. The best way I know to overcome this is by repeatedly reading the Word and His promises to look after us, to care for us, and to comfort us. If Psalm 23 tells us that because of our Lord we "will fear no evil", then how much less do we need to fear that same Lord who is perfectly good?
Those who do not believe in God have every reason to be afraid of His eternal wrath. Those who believe in God but do not believe he is capable of wrath will stand before Him in judgment and there will not be an opportunity to offer excuses for disobedience. Only those who in humility confess their faith in Christ Jesus as well as confess their sins have nothing to be afraid of.
And I'm afraid that's about all I have to say on the matter.
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