Romans 1:16-17 (NASB), “For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written: ‘BUT THE RIGHTEOUS ONE WILL LIVE BY FAITH.’”
• The rest of Romans unpacks these two verses. • V. 17 – God’s righteousness is revealed. The Good News. • V.18 – God’s wrath is revealed. The Bad News.
- The Reality of God’s Wrath
Romans 1:18 (NASB), “For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of people who suppress the truth in unrighteousness…”
• God’s wrath – a present and future judgement. • Ungodliness – dishonoring God. • Unrighteousness – immoral treatment of others. • Suppress the truth – actively holding down, hindering.
- The Reasons for God’s Wrath
Romans 1:19 (NASB),“...because that which is known about God is evident within them; for God made it evident to them. 20 For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, that is, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, being understood by what has been made, so that they are without excuse. 21 For even though they knew God, they did not honor Him as God or give thanks, but they became futile in their reasonings, and their senseless hearts were darkened.”
Romans 1:22 (NASB), “Claiming to be wise, they became fools, 23 and they exchanged the glory of the incorruptible God for an image in the form of corruptible mankind, of birds, four-footed animals, and crawling creatures.”
• Knowing God exists, but not acknowledging Him. • Refusing to honor or give God thanks. (21) • Claiming to be wise but becoming fools. (22) • Worshipping creatures, not the Creator. (23)
Three Foolish Exchanges
• They exchange the glory of God for images (23) • They exchange the truth of God for falsehood (25) • They exchange the natural order of God for unnatural (26) • “...they are without excuse.” (20)
“The beginning of man’s rebellion against God was, and is, the lack of a thankful heart.” - Francis Schaeffer
- The Results of God’s Wrath
Romans 1:24 (NASB), “Therefore God gave them up to vile impurity in the lusts of their hearts, so that their bodies would be dishonored among them. 25 For they exchanged the truth of God for falsehood, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen. 26 For this reason God gave them over to degrading passions; for their women exchanged natural relations for that which is contrary to nature…”
Romans 1:27 (NASB), “...and likewise the men, too, abandoned natural relations with women and burned in their desire toward one another, males with males committing shameful acts and receiving in their own persons the due penalty of their error. 28 And just as they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them up to a depraved mind, to do those things that are not proper, people having been filled with all unrighteousness, wickedness, greed, and evil; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, and malice; they are gossips…”
Romans 1:30 (NASB), “… slanderers, haters of God, insolent, arrogant, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, 31 without understanding, untrustworthy, unfeeling, and unmerciful; 32 and although they know the ordinance of God, that those who practice such things are worthy of death, they not only do the same, but also approve of those who practice them.”
- The Results of God’s Wrath
• God gave them up to sinful desires (24) • God gave them over to degrading passions (26) • God gave them up to a depraved mind (28)
• Psalm 81:11 (NASB), “But My people did not listen to My voice, And Israel did not obey Me. 12 So I gave them over to the stubbornness of their heart, to walk by their own plans.”
Tim Keller, “This is the wrath of God: to give us what we want too much, to give us over to the pursuit of the things we have put in place of him…. His judgment is to give us over to the destructive power of idolatry, and of evil. When we sin, it sets up stresses and strains in the fabric of the order that God created. Instead of us finding blessing, our sin causes breakdowns spiritually, psychologically, socially and physically. The great tragedy is that we choose this for ourselves. God allows us to walk through the door we have chosen.”
Hosea 8:4, “With their silver and gold they make idols for themselves to their own destruction.”
CONCLUSION:
The bad news: Everyone is under the wrath of God. How do we escape God’s wrath?
John 3:36 (NASB), “The one who believes in the Son has eternal life; but the one who does not obey the Son will not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him.”
