Sin
Adam violated the one law God had given him - sin is the transgression of the law, 1 John 3:4, Genesis 2:17. Sin made man lawless, a rebel at heart, it separated him from God Isaiah 59:2 creating a great gulf between them. Man is sinful by nature and therefore sins in thought, word, and deed. He is not a sinner because he sins, he sins because he is a sinner. He does what he does because of what he is.
Rom. 3:23, Gal. 3:22, Ps 51:5, Rom. 7:7-21.
God's holiness
The holiness of God and the sinfulness of Man are in direct opposition to each other. The holiness of God cannot tolerate the sinfulness of Man; therefore God's holiness demand that man's sinfulness be exposed and judged. If God did not deal with man's sinfulness, then his law, his throne of holiness, his righteousness and justice would be in jeopardy.
Wrath of God
What happens when the holiness of God comes into conflict with the sinfulness of Man? The answer is divine wrath is manifested. The reaction of God's holiness against man's sinfulness is wrath. The wrath of God is simply the righteous anger of a good and holy God against sin. Sin cannot be tolerated, it must be dealt with and come under divine judgement. Sin is simply an attack on the honour and holiness of God. If it goes unjudged then God's law, holiness and justice are violated. Only as sin is dealt with will God's character be vindicated, his throne, established, the law upheld and God's government of his creatures be maintained
Rom.1:18, 4:15, John 3:36, Rev 6:16-17.
However a full consideration of scripture shows that divine wrath is not always executed immediately against sin, because of other moral attributes in the nature of God. God restrains immediate judgement so that man may be brought to repentance. This restrained wrath reveals to the sinful mankind the wonderful attributes of God's grace, long-suffering and mercy. Ecclesiastes 8:11, Romans. 2:4, 2 Peter 3:9, Revelation. 2:21.
Man broke God's holy law, violating the principles of righteousness by his wilful disobedience. This brought man under the power of sin and made his conscious laden with guilt. With the violation of the divine law also came the divine penalty of death (Gen.2:7) sin provokes God's wrath which then needed to be appeased.The law demanded a satisfactory and it could only be satisfied when it's standard of holiness is upheld. Not until the death penalty had been executed (Rom 6:23) upon sin (Heb. 9:27) could the law be satisfied, God's holiness and righteousness upheld, and God's wrath be appeased. Sin had to be purged before there could be any reconciliation between God and man.
In summary we say then that the holiness of God against the sinfulness of Man produced the reaction of divine wrath. It is this wrath that need the appeasement before a holy God and sinful man could ever be reconciled, this appeaseasement is the atonement.
Extract from the
Conner J kevin. foundations of Christian doctrine ; sovereign world international publishes(1980).