“Therefore, since we have been declared righteous by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ” (Romans 5:1 HCSB).
There are no shortages of those who seek to portray God as a being who capriciously seeks to punish others. As we reflect on that appraisal of God’s character, it’s important to allow the Scriptures to inform our thinking regarding that type of characterization.
To begin, we should first acknowledge that “…God is angry with the wicked every day” according to Psalm 7:11. Paul the Apostle also spent a considerable portion of Romans chapter one discussing God’s wrath against those who “…suppress the truth in unrighteousness” (Romans 1:18). So, it’s clear that a substantial rift exists between God and human beings in their unrepentant state.
However, the key word in this depiction is the word “capriciously.” A capricious person is someone who is distinguished by sudden or unpredictable changes in attitude or behavior. (1) Synonyms for “capricious” include words like erratic, impulsive, and arbitrary.
This brings us to the issue with that assessment, for our tour through the book of Romans has shown that evaluation of God’s character to be highly inaccurate. For instance, consider those who are subject to God’s wrath as described earlier in Romans chapter one. Those individuals…
- “…know the truth about God because he has made it obvious to them” (Romans 1:19 NLT).
- “…are without excuse (Romans 1:20).
- “…changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like corruptible man” (Romans 1:23).
- “…exchanged the truth of God for the lie” (Romans 1:25).
- “…did not like to retain God in their knowledge” (Romans 1:28).
Thus, we can say that God does not direct His wrath towards such individuals without just cause.
While God will certainly act to punish evil, injustice, and disobedience, the Scriptures tell us that He desires to establish a state of peace and reconciliation with the members of His human creation, In addition to what we read here in Romans 5:1, the New Testament Scriptures also identify God as “the God of peace” on five separate occasions. (2)
Furthermore, God demonstrated His desire for peace with us through Jesus’ sacrificial death on the cross. The Apostle Paul expressed this idea in Ephesians 2:14 in speaking of the different ethnicities that existed within the ancient church: “Christ is our peace. He made both Jews and Gentiles into one group. With his body, he broke down the barrier of hatred that divided us” (CEB).
So, real peace is available to us through faith in Christ. Those who place their faith in Him can escape God’s justifiable wrath towards those who reject their Creator.
(1) capricious. (n.d.) Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014. (1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014). Retrieved March 23 2026 from https://www.thefreedictionary.com/capricious
(2) See Romans 15:33, Romans 16:20, Philippians 4:9, 1 Thessalonians 5:23, and Hebrews 13:20.