How can we escape the wrath of God?
God justifies, or accounts righteous, penitent sinners who confess faith in our Lord Jesus Christ.
Catechism for the Global Methodist Church, question 19
36Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever disobeys the Son will not see life; instead, the wrath of God remains on him.
21But now the righteousness of God has been revealed apart from law, being attested by the law and the prophets. 22This righteousness of God is through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe, for there is no distinction. 23For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. 24They are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus. 25God presented him as a mercy seat through faith in his blood, in order to demonstrate his righteousness by passing over the sins previously committed. 26This was done in the forbearance of God to demonstrate his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be both just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus. 27Where then is boasting? It is excluded. By what law? By works? No, but by the law of faith. 28For we maintain that a person is justified by faith apart from works of the law. 29Is God the God of Jews only? Is he not also the God of Gentiles? Yes, of Gentiles too. 30Since God is one, he will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through faith.
6Just as David also says concerning the blessedness of the man to whom God counts righteousness apart from works: 7Blessed are those whose lawless acts were forgiven and whose sins were covered. 8Blessed is the man against whom the Lord will not count sin.
6For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. 7For one will hardly die for a just person; though perhaps for a good person someone might even be bold to die. 8But God commends his own love toward us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. 9Much more therefore, now that we have been justified by his blood, we will be saved through him from the wrath. 10For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of his Son, much more, having been reconciled, we will be saved by his life. 11Not only that, but we also boast in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received the reconciliation.
7In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of trespasses, according to the riches of his grace. 8Which he caused to abound toward us in all wisdom and understanding. 9He made known to us the mystery of his will according to his goodwill, which he set forth in him. 10For the management of the fullness of the times, to sum up all things in the Christ, the things in heaven and the things on earth, in him. 11In him we also obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of the one who works all things according to the plan of his will. 12So that we might be for the praise of his glory, we who have hoped beforehand in the Christ. 13In him you also, after hearing the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and after trusting in him, were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise. 14Which is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the acquired possession, to the praise of his glory.
3among whom we also all once lived in the desires of our flesh, doing the wills of the flesh and of the minds, and we were by nature children of wrath, just as the rest, 4But God, who is rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, 5and when we were dead in the trespasses, made us alive together with Christ, by grace you are saved 6and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, 7so that in the ages to come he might show the surpassing riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus,
5For you may be sure of this, that everyone who is sexually immoral or impure, or who is covetous (that is, an idolater), has no inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God. 6Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience. 7Therefore do not become partners with them; 8for at one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light 9(for the fruit of light is found in all goodness and righteousness and truth), 10and try to discern what is pleasing to the Lord.
5Put to death, therefore, the members that are upon the earth: sexual sin, impurity, passion, evil desire, and greediness, which is idolatry. 6On account of which things the wrath of God is coming upon the sons of disobedience. 7In which things you also once walked, when you were living in them. 8But now you also must put away all these: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk from your mouth. 9Do not lie to one another, since you have put off the old self with its practices. 10And have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge according to the image of its creator. 11Where there is no Greek and Jew, circumcision and uncircumcision, barbarian, Scythian, slave, free; but Christ is all and in all. 12Put on therefore, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. 13Bearing with one another and forgiving one another; if anyone has a complaint against another, just as the Lord also forgave you, so you also must do. 14And above all these put on love, which is the bond of perfection. 15And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body; and be thankful. 16Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, with psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God. 17And whatever you do, in word or in work, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.
8But since we belong to the day, let us be sober, having put on the breastplate of faith and love, and for a helmet the hope of salvation. 9For God has not destined us for wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ. 10Who died for us so that whether we are awake or asleep we may live with him.
Having said that no one is made righteous by works, the catechism now says how God does account people righteous. The answer is the second half of Article IX of the Confession of Faith: "penitent sinners are justified or accounted righteous before God only by faith in our Lord Jesus Christ." ¶102 of the Book of Doctrines and Discipline describes the same movement: convincing grace awakens the desire to "flee from the wrath to come," and justifying grace "is received by faith to reconcile us to God through the atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ." Justification "is pardon for past sins."
"Whoever disobeys the Son will not see life; instead, the wrath of God remains on him" (John 3:36). Paul writes that "we were by nature children of wrath" (Ephesians 2:3), and warns that "the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience" (Ephesians 5:6). The way of escape is God's own doing. "God, who is rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us," "made us alive together with Christ" (Ephesians 2:4-5). "While we were still sinners, Christ died for us," and so, "now that we have been justified by his blood, we will be saved through him from the wrath" (Romans 5:8-9). (1 Thessalonians 5:9).
Justifies, or accounts righteous is courtroom language. God counts the believing sinner righteous on account of Christ, and David describes the result: "Blessed are those whose lawless acts were forgiven and whose sins were covered. Blessed is the man against whom the Lord will not count sin" (Romans 4:7-8). Penitent sinners who confess faith names the two things on the human side, repentance and trust, and both are themselves the work of grace. In Christ the believer has "redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of trespasses" (Ephesians 1:7), and is "sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise" (Ephesians 1:13).
Wesley taught that justifying faith ordinarily brings assurance, and ¶102 quotes Romans 8:16 for it, "God's Spirit witnessing with our spirit that we are children of God." A justified Methodist therefore has grounds for peace with God and a new life to put on. Paul tells the Colossians to "put on therefore, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience," with love "above all these" (Colossians 3:12, 14). Pardon comes first, and holiness follows from it as its fruit.