Lecture 3 — The anger of God

^5:5^ For know this and understand: that no fornicator or unclean or covetous person (which is a serving of idols) has inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God. [n. 277]

^5:6^ Let no man deceive you with vain words. For because of these things comes the anger of God upon the children of unbelief. [n. 281]

^5:7^ Therefore do not be partakers with them. [n. 284]

276. The Apostle above forbade carnal sins, and here he threatens them with the penalty of damnation that is inflicted on sinners.

In reference to this he does two things: first, he assures them of it; second, he mentions the sins one by one, at that no fornicator.

277. He states for know this and understand, that is, be actually certain of it and not just habitually. These things I write to you that you may know that you have eternal life; you who believe in the name of the Son of God (1 John 5:13).

278. And what does he write? That no fornicator or unclean or covetous person, which is a serving of idols, has inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God.

Notice that he calls covetousness idolatry, for idolatry happens when the honor due God alone is given to creatures. Now there is a twofold honor due God; we must establish him as the goal of our life and we must put our trust of reaching the goal in him. Hence, whoever places these in creatures is guilty of idolatry. A covetous person commits this when he fixes his end in a created reality as well as putting all his trust in it. Of their silver and their gold they have made idols to themselves, that they might perish (Hos 8:4). This happens because he that trusts in his riches shall fall (Prov 11:28).

279. However, since in the other sins a man also puts his goal in a creature, clinging to it by love, why are they not termed idolatry too?

I reply that idolatry consists in giving an illegitimate worship to some external object, whereas in the other sins one fixes one’s end on interior things, as though it consisted in one’s own exaltation. Whoever places his end in riches, on the other hand, fixes it in an external object as an idol.

Does that mean that covetous persons, giving the honor due God to creatures, are really and essentially idolaters? I hold that they are not, because in moral issues acts or deeds are judged by their end. Therefore, only those are essentially idolaters who intend to really offer worship to a creature. A covetous person does not really intend to do this, but only happens to do it in his excessive and inordinate love for riches.

280. What happens to such people? They do not possess the inheritance since heirs are sons, as Romans states (Rom 8:17). But these persons are not sons because they are carnal, therefore they do not enjoy the inheritance. Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot possess the kingdom of God (1 Cor 15:50), that is, God himself, who said: I am their inheritance (Ezek 44:28).

It might be asked: if the inheritance is God himself who is indivisible and inseparable, why does he say in the kingdom of Christ and of God, dividing the two as if the inheritance could be divided?

I reply. Our inheritance consists in the enjoyment of God. But God enjoys himself in a way different from that in which we shall enjoy him. God perfectly delights in himself since he perfectly knows and totally loves himself inasmuch as he is knowable and lovable. Not so with us, even though we shall perfectly know him in heaven and, as a consequence, love him. For someone may indeed grasp a simple reality and know the whole of it, yet not totally. For example, if the light of the sun were as small as a point, the human eye could perceive the whole of it, although not fully, whereas the eagle’s eye would grasp it totally. Similarly, even if we know God perfectly in heaven and love him perfectly, nevertheless we do not totally comprehend him. Hence it seems that there is a certain imperfection and individuality there.

Therefore he says of Christ and of God conjointly, as though setting one part with another part, since it is through Christ and none other that the inheritance is had.

281. Next he says let no man deceive you, thereby rejecting a fallacy of those who would mislead them.

Regarding this he makes two points:

first, he sets down a warning;

second, he adds the reason for it, at **for heretofore you were darkness **(Eph 5:8).

The first has two more parts:

first, he warns them not to be deceived into believing what is told them;

second, that they should not associate with those liars by doing evil, at therefore do not be partakers.

The first section still has two parts:

first, he puts an end to the deception;

second, he shows them a sign of the deceit, at for because of these things comes the anger.

282. Notice that only in reference to carnal vices does he teach them to avoid being deceived. For from the beginning men have rationalized to find reasons why fornication and other venereal sins were not really sins so that they might indulge their cupidity without restraint. Hence he states vain words since words that claim that these are not sins and do not exclude one from the kingdom of God and of Christ are irrational. Beware lest any man cheat you by prophecy and vain deceit (Col 2:8).

283. He demonstrates that such men are deceivers and their words fallacious since, if carnal sins were not sins, they would not be punished by God; God is just and does not impose a penalty where there is no offense. But such acts are punished by God and therefore are sins.

He proves the minor when he says for because of these things comes the anger of God, namely, on account of carnal sins, upon the children of unbelief. This is evident in the flood (Gen 7), in what happened to the Sodomites (Gen 19); and again, almost the whole tribe of Benjamin was destroyed on account of this (Judg 19, 20).

He says the children of unbelief because those who sin in this way despair of eternal life. If they acted this way and still hoped for eternal life, it would rather be presumption than hope, which is the certain expectation of obtaining future beatitude meritoriously. So he mentioned previously: **who, despairing, have given themselves up to lasciviousness unto the working of all uncleanness, unto covetousness **(Eph 4:19). Let no meadow escape our riot. Let none of us go without his part in luxury, and near the end of the same chapter, for they hoped not for the wages of justice, nor esteemed the honor of holy souls (Wis 2:8; 22).

Hence he states that upon the children of unbelief who do not hope for eternal joys, comes the anger of God on account of their sins. Or, of unbelief signifies those of whom we cannot be confident of as far as their merits are concerned.

284. He concludes, therefore do not be partakers with them by associating with them in such actions. For what participation does justice have with injustice? Or what fellowship does light have with darkness? And what concord does Christ have with Belial? Or what part hath the faithful with the unbeliever? (2 Cor 6:14–15).