ROMANS UNWRAPPED 20

"The wrath of  God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men."  Romans 1 v 18

In Romans Chapter 2, the apostle seems to focus on the wrath of God in the future  "the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgement of God."    Romans 2 v 5   
"The day when God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ , according to my gospel."  Romans 2 v 16

This fact of a future day of judgement, is all over the scripture revelation, but notably in Acts 17 v 31 where he talks about a day appointed, and a man ordained, to judge the entire world in righteousness.
However, in Romans Chapter 1 v 18 - 32,  he appears to be speaking of present wrath, and this aspect of God's wrath on the world is summed up in three statements in these verses:  Romans 1 v 24  "Wherefore God gave them up to uncleanness."   Romans 1 v 26   "For this cause God gave them up to vile affections."    Romans 1 v 28  "God gave them up to a reprobate mind."

There is clearly a present aspect of God's wrath upon sinful human beings, which is not easy to understand.   If we take the subject, historically, we can understand God's wrath on the world in terms of the global flood, the destruction of Sodom & Gomorrah, the plagues in Egypt, the army of locusts stripping the land in Joel Chapter 1;  we can understand it in terms of severe weather patterns, earthquakes, tsunamis, pestilence, disease, death.   All these things we understand to be part of this fearsome thing called the wrath of God.    However in Romans Chapter 1 he is referring to none of these, rather is focusing our minds on the moral degradation of human beings who reject God, and perhaps explains why the world is as it is today.     This does not mean that all men are in this moral terpitude but in classic style, is giving extreme examples to illustrate the point;  as we reject God so God will reject us and abandon us to influences beyond our control.

God's wrath is against all ungodliness and all unrighteousness of men.   Ungodliness, is our relationship to God.   Unrighteousness, is our relationship to men.   Notice the order;  ungodliness comes before unrighteousness, and this is always the order.   Put another way, men are not right with men because they are not right with God!   Today, the world has failed to grasp that; because of the breakdown in society world leaders are now focusing on man - to - man relationships, trying to improve our life on earth, but IT CANNOT BE DONE!    I cannot be right with my fellow man unless, and until ,I am right with God.

When God gave the law to Israel, to reflect His character, and lay down His demands on humanity, He did so on two tablets of stone, each one containing five instructions.

1.   "THOU SHALT "   -    GODWARD
2.   "THOU SHALT NOT "  -   MANWARD

When Jesus summed up the law, He described it in two ways;

a.   "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind."
b.   "Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself."   Matthew 19  v 34 - 40

You see the order?   RIGHT WITH GOD, RIGHT WITH MY NEIGHBOUR.

This principle is illustrated in Romans 1 v 18 - 32

Romans 1 v 18 - 28    The ungodliness of men
Romans 1 v 29 - 32     The unrighteousness of men.

Here is the unalterable principle of Holy Scripture, I will never be right with men if I am not right with God.   I will only become right with my fellow man when I am right with God.   In Romans Chapter 1 the message is clear  - rank ungodliness leads to rampant unrighteousness.   there are of course degrees of this but the principle holds good for all of us that the only way to be right in my life with myself and my neighbour is to be right with God.

Next time we shall look at the ungodliness of men and what it means to suppress the truth in unrighteousness.
In closing today, let me point out an important aspect of this: God is against ALL ungodliness and ALL unrighteousness. We have a tendency to focus on the sins of others---don't do it, focus on your own! God is against YOUR ungodliness and YOUR unrighteousness!