Wrath and Reconciliation

Nahum 1:2
The Lord is a jealous and avenging God;
the Lord is avenging and wrathful;
the Lord takes vengeance on his adversaries
and keeps wrath for his enemies.

Sometimes the Bible seems pretty straightforward. For instance, it seems pretty clear that God is a jealous, avenging, and wrathful God. And to his adversaries he doles out vengeance and to his enemies he dishes out wrath. You don't want to be on the wrong end of those actions. Fortunately, that is not the whole story on God.

Romans 5:6-11
For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die— but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God. For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life. More than that, we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.

There is confirmation that we were God's enemies. To that is added some more descriptors; ungodly, sinners, weak. Yet, it seems a transaction has taken place. Instead of the wrath we deserve as enemies of God we are now justified, saved, reconciled, rejoicing in God and loved by God. Why? Again, pretty simple; because Christ died for us!