ROMANS UNWRAPPED 19

"For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness".   Romans 1 v 18



Paul now gives his third reason why he is not ashamed of the gospel, and it is because God's wrath hangs over the world, and only the gospel can deliver from it.    We have in this letter a stark contrast:
1 v 18    GOD AGAINST MEN     8 v 31     GOD FOR MEN.
Paul is moving on to show how we can have God on our side, but first we must accept the reality that God is against all forms of sin and therefore against all sinners!    The same man who said "the love of Christ constrains us" also said in the same context "knowing the terror of the Lord we persuade men"  2 Corinthians 5 v 11-14.

Later we shall consider something of this challenging truth, but first we put the section in its setting.   We are looking at  Romans 1 v 18   -  Romans 3 v 20  which very clearly brings before us the absolute necessity of God's righteousness.   Paul does this in three stages as follows:

1.  Romans 1 v 18 - 32   -   Pagan man (mainly Gentiles) who have rejected God.
2.  Romans 2 v 1 - Romans 3 v 8   -   Religious man (mainly Jews) who profess God but do not live up to it.
3.  Romans 3 v 9 - 20   -   All men together whether Jew or Gentile in the same peril.

Romans 3 v 9      "We have before proved both Jews and Gentiles that they are all under sin."   This sums up    Romans 1 v 18  - Romans 3 v 8 .    

Romans 3 v 19 & 20    "That every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become under judgement to God."

The summary of the section is that all men whether pagan or religious are all under sin and therefore under judgement to God.    This is the summation of all human history,  and for sure in the last 2,000 years, nothing has changed.

The world at large has always reacted badly to the preaching of sin and wrath.   Religious institutions today reject the preaching of sin and wrath, many Christian churches reject the preaching of sin and wrath but it is fundamental to the gospel message.   The gospel means "good news" but we need to hear the bad news first, otherwise the good news is meaningless.  Why do we need to obey the gospel?   -  because the only alternative is the wrath of God upon us.   Jesus spoke more of hell than He did of heaven, because He knew the horror of it.   Here is a sample of His words "he that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life; and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life but the wrath of God abideth on him."

Paul is only saying the same as Jesus, the reason the world needs the gospel, the reason I am not ashamed of it is because the world is under the wrath of God.

Romans Chapter 1 seems to be indicating present wrath, whereas Romans Chapter 2 is emphasising more future wrath, but taken together whether present or future, the world is under the wrath of God, and needs to be wakened up to that fact.

The word used for wrath is an incredibly solemn word.   It is ORGEE  from which we derive our word orgy,  and portrays a fearful portent.   It is not a sudden rage, or a red mist that overtakes, not something that arises swiftly, but is a settled, deep rooted, inward revulsion against human sin and therefore against human sinners.   It is such a word that conveys the idea that this attitude is permanent.   Whilst God demonstrates His love to all of us in the providential sense, all  who spurn His grace will suffer whether present or future; GOD'S ATTITUDE TO SIN WILL NEVER CHANGE.   As much as God loves people, He hates sin and will not tolerate it.  Psalm 5 v 4 - 6   "Thou art not a God that hath pleasure in wickedness, neither shall evil dwell with Thee; the foolish shall not stand before Thine eyes, thou hatest all workers of iniquity, thou shalt destroy them that speak falsehood, the Lord will abhor the violent and deceitful man."

There is a heresy around today which puts forward the idea that the judgmental God of the Old Testament (in their opinion) has changed and has become only love.   This heresy of course would be readily accepted by the world because it would allow the people of the world to go on sinning while receiving God's benefits.   Their postulates are in conflict with New Testament revelation because God never changes.   The apostle Paul preaches wrath in most of his writings, in Romans alone he refers to it over and over  Romans 1 v 32; Romans 2 v 3; Romans 2 v 5; Romans 2 v 16; Romans 3 v 6; Romans 3 v 19; Romans 5 v 9; Romans 9 v 22; Romans 13 v 4; Ephesians 2 v 3; Ephesians 5 v 6; Colossians 3 v 5/6; 2nd Thessalonians 1 v 6-8; etc. etc.

Paul wherever he went would never preach a gospel without mentioning the wrath of God, neither should we.   There is no gospel without it, this is the starting point, this is where Paul begins and this is where we must begin.   It is for sure an awful truth, and one which will bring discomfort to many, but if it rouses even just a few from their spiritual stupor, and brings them to the feet of the Saviour it will produce the necessary results.   We need to recover fundamental gospel Holy Spirit preaching of the word of God.  

THE WRATH OF GOD IS REVEALED FROM HEAVEN AGAINST ALL UNGODLINESS AND ALL UNRIGHTEOUSNESS OF MEN.

It is hard to conceive that we begin with God as our enemy (a fearsome thought) but this is where we must begin.   God's antagonism to sin is historical, contemporary, and permanent. 

We will expand on some of the details tomorrow d.v.