The Revelation of the Wrath of God Pt. 1
Notes
Transcript
Introduction
Introduction
The first part of this chapter was devoted to an explanation of the Gospel and the reason for Paul sending this letter.
Now, in verses 18-32 of chapter one, the Apostle turns his attention to those who are away from the Lord and are in need of this Gospel. For, just as much as Paul wanted the Romans to understand what the Gospel message was all about, he also wanted them to know why such a message was even necessary.
This is where we get in trouble with much of the message being preached today - If we only focus on God’s love, and never preach on His wrath, never preach on sin, never preach repentance, then we never answer the question of why we need saving to begin with!
So, Paul was inspired by the Holy Spirit to write about the wrath of God. It is God’s wrath against sin that forms the hub around which this last half of chapter one revolves. Man has tried his best to reduce God to some dim-witted, sweet old grandfather type figure Who merely winks at the flaws in mankind and possesses no other emotion but love.
Before man is ready for salvation, he must see his need for salvation.
That is what these verses are about…Let’s begin by looking at:
The Revealed Wrath
The Revealed Wrath
18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness;
19 Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them.
20 For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse:
What a sobering thought! The wrath of God...
The fact that every individual will someday stand before the righteous and just God of Heaven ought to sober us.
People confuse God's love with their own sentimentalism and fail to balance God's love with His other attributes. God's love must be balanced with His holiness and justice.
Don’t get me wrong, we know that God is love according to 1 John 4:8, but at the same time, God is holy and demands our holiness!
15 But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation;
16 Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy.
Yes, God is love, but God is also a consuming fire according to Deuteronomy 4:24 and Hebrews 12:29...
We must realize that the Sovereign God of love will not ignore sin!
He is going to deal with sin according to His Holy and Righteous nature!
Verses 18-20 state that fallen man has a revelation of God and therefore will stand without excuse in the day of judgment.
In the context of these verses, we see two ways that God is revealed to man...
Man’s Conscience
Man’s Conscience
Look at verse 19...
19 Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them.
Notice where Paul says that God is revealed—“in them”. The idea is that men have all the truth they need to come to know God within themselves. The truth of God is in the heart and in the mind of mankind!
The word manifest is the Greek word meaning “apparent, manifest, evident, known, to be plainly recognized or known.”
What the Lord wants men to know has been made plain, obvious, and evident, but men don’t want to hear or recognize what the Lord has to say. Men hold the truth in unrighteousness (vs. 18).
This word “hold” in the Greek language has a strong meaning. This word was used to describe the steering of a ship or the holding of its course. It means “hinder, restrain, hold down, suppress, to prevent someone from exercising power, to be held down, to be bound, kept under.”
This is what men do with God’s truth today. They try to smother it out of existence.
Men know the truth of God, but reject God and His truth. Men refuse to accept God’s truth. They try to smother it with ungodly living.
God is angry with men because they can choose the truth, but fail to do so. The teaching that states that men cannot choose to do that which is right is erroneous. God has given us the ability to choose what is right. He challenges us to choose this day whom we will serve. Why would He issue such a challenge if we did not have the ability to choose?
The Bible tells us that God put a knowledge in the heart of every man that points to Him...
David Livingston and other missionaries have testified that down in the deepest and darkest jungles of the world they do not find atheists, but rather they find men and women who are conscious of the difference between right and wrong and aware of the fact that they must answer to God.
We see God is revealed to man through man’s conscience, but also through:
God’s Creation
God’s Creation
Verse 20 tells us that not only is God revealed in the conscience, but also in creation.
Creation testifies of God’s sovereign power at work!
Romans 1:20 (KJV 1900)
20 For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made...
The “invisible” is “visible.”
The invisible God, His traits and attributes, are revealed in His creation including His majesty, creativity, power, might, and wisdom. Creation reveals God’s power. It is evidence that demands a verdict that there is a God, a Master Designer of the universe. The vastness of the universe proves there is a God.
1 The heavens declare the glory of God; And the firmament sheweth his handywork.
2 Day unto day uttereth speech, And night unto night sheweth knowledge.
3 There is no speech nor language, Where their voice is not heard.
A 200 inch diameter telescope at Mount Palomar in California close to San Diego, can be used to see objects four billion light years away. This is 25 septillion miles.
The earth itself is 25,000 miles in circumference. It weighs six septillion, 588 sextillion tons and hangs unsupported in space. It spins over 1000 miles per hour with precision and consistency. It is orbiting around the sun at 1000 miles per minute in an orbit that is 580 million miles long.
Who keeps this all together or maintains the order of the world? The answer is “God.”
Abe Lincoln said, “I can see how it might be possible for a man to look down at the earth and be an atheist, but I cannot conceive how he could look up into the heavens and say, ‘There is no God.’ ”
The Reviled Wickedness
The Reviled Wickedness
21 Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.
22 Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools,
23 And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things.
24 Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves:
25 Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen.
Wicked man wants nothing to do with God. Notice the text says, when they knew God.
God had made Himself known - we just looked at that, but man willfully rejected His revelation.
The problem is not that man did not know God, but that he did know Him – yet refused to glorify Him as God.
Therefore, mankind is without excuse. Instead of glorifying God we transformed our idea of Him into forms and images more comfortable to our corrupt and darkened hearts.
Man doesn’t want to know God, honor God, or thank God! His imaginations are vain which means “futile, without result or success. It does not measure up to that which should be.”
Paul said they professed to be “wise.” They professed to be cultured and learned men. Paul continues and says, “they became fools.” The word “fools” is the Greek word which forms our English word “moron.”
The third indictment against man is idolatry.
Satan desires to distort the worship that belongs only to the Lord. Men not only deny God’s truth, they seek to distort it to prove their point, have their own way, or to persuade others. Men have “changed the glory” of God.
This phrase is from the Greek word which means “give up, leave, quit, alternate or exchange one thing for another; to cause one thing to cease and another thing to take its place.”
This is what men have done to the glory which belongs to the Lord. They have ceased in giving God the glory due to Him and have given His glory to something or someone else.
God will not share His glory!
Verse number twenty-five says that men “changed the truth of God into a lie.” They have substituted their lies for God’s Truth!
The step from idolatry to immorality is a short step. If a man considers himself as his own god, he feels he can do as he wants and is accountable to no one at all.
When men reject purity, holiness, godliness, and cleanness, God gives him up to uncleanness.
God will not force men to violate their wills. Forced godliness is not goodness at all. Forced love is not love at all.
God gives men up to their sins as a judgment. This is mentioned three times. The consequences of men’s sins will bring trouble and calamity.
It is tragic, but a fact! When man in his stubbornness and rebellion chooses sin over God he can become so hardened that God gives him up. Three times this truth is unmistakably stated
Wherefore God also gave them up... (Romans 1:24)
For this cause God gave them up... (Romans 1:26)
God gave them over to a reprobate mind.. (Romans 1:28)
The phrases translated gave them up and gave them over comes from a word that carries the idea of handing over, or delivering to another.
Douglas Moo said:
“Like a judge who hands over a prisoner to the punishment his crime has earned, God hands over the sinner to the terrible cycle of ever-increasing sin.”
Because of their rebellion against God, God in effect says, Have it your way. Do your own thing. When God gives the sinner up, He withdraws His Divine restraint, allowing him to hopelessly sink deeper and deeper into the moral quagmire he has chosen for himself.
This isn't God's choice.
It is the sinner's choice.
We make a mistake when we think that it is God’s mercy or kindness that allows man to continue in sin. It is actually His wrath that allows us to go on destroying ourselves with sin.
Conclusion
Conclusion
We will finish this up tonight with the remainder of the verses....Make sure you come back, and we will look at “The Reprobate Will” this evening at 6 and go into some detail about what we can expect and what we see when God gives one up to their sin...
Although the nature of God is loving and kind, He is also righteous and holy and therefore He will bring judgment and wrath against the ungodly.
There is a price to pay for rejecting Him.