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"THE EPISTLE TO THE ROMANS"
The Wrath Of God (1:18-32)
INTRODUCTION
1. The Scriptures speak of the coming day of God's wrath...
a. Revealing the righteous judgment of God - cf. Rom 2:4-6
b. A day of judgment of the ungodly - cf. 2 Pet 3:7
-- In which the fullness of God's righteous indignation is made known
2. The Scriptures also speak of how God's wrath has already come...
a. Revealed from heaven - Rom 1:18a
b. Against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men - Rom 1:18b
-- In which a foretaste of God's righteous indignation is manifested
[Why does God manifest this "foretaste" of His wrath? How does He
express His righteous indignation even now, long before the day of
judgment? Our text (Rom 1:18-32) provides the answers...]
I. WHY GOD MANIFESTS HIS WRATH
A. BECAUSE MAN STIFLES GOD'S REVEALED TRUTH...
1. By suppressing the truth in unrighteousness - Rom 1:18
a. Rejecting what is true
b. Justifying what is ungodly and unrighteous
2. By spurning what God has revealed - Rom 1:19-20
a. Things about God that are manifest in man himself
1) E.g., man's intelligence and personality, implying the
same of his Creator
2) E.g., man's innate sense of right or wrong, implying a righteous Creator
b. Things about God that are manifest in creation around him
- cf. Psalms 19:1-2
1) Invisible attributes of God, seen and understood by
things that are visible
2) E.g., design and order of the universe imply eternal
power and deity
-- When man fails to listen to the beauty and design of the
universe that declares "God exists!", God is angry!
B. BECAUSE MAN IS UNGRATEFUL AND FOOLISH...
1. Not being thankful to God - Rom 1:21a
a. Even when they knew Him
b. Yet failing to glorify Him as God
2. Becoming futile in their thoughts and foolish in their hearts
- Rom 1:21b-23
a. The consequence of not glorifying God
b. Leading to idolatry (the worship of creation instead of the
Creator)
1) E.g., making God into their own image
2) E.g., making God into the image of other animate objects
c. Modern man has his own idols:
1) E.g., secular humanism (worshipping self)
2) E.g., covetousness (worshipping money) - cf. Eph 5:5; Col 3:5
-- When man ceases to be thankful to God, and esteems created
things over Him, then God is angry!
[The wrath of God at the last day will involve a fiery end (cf. 2 Pet 3:10;
2 Th 1:7-9). God's wrath being revealed today is more subtle, but
terrible nonetheless...]
II. HOW GOD MANIFESTS HIS WRATH
A. HE "GIVES MAN UP" TO MORAL UNCLEANNESS...
1. God "gave them up" (paradidomi) - Rom 1:24a
a. Fire from heaven did not strike them down but He simply left
them alone to their own desires, like pigs wallowing in mud
2. To (moral) uncleanness - Rom 1:24b
a. In the lusts of their hearts (wherever their wicked hearts
led them), cf. Mk 7:21-23
b. Dishonoring their bodies among themselves (in what way, see
below)
3. Why? Because they exchanged the truth of God for the lie - Rom 1:25
a. Worshipping and serving that which is created
b. Rather than He who is the Creator and worthy to be blessed
forever
B. HE "GIVES MAN UP" TO VILE PASSIONS...
1. Again, God "gave them up" (paradidomi) - Rom 1:26a
a. No lightning from heaven striking one down
b. But simply leaving man to his vile passions
2. Case in point, lesbianism - Rom 1:26b
a. Women exchanging the "natural use" for what is against nature
b. Using bodies designed for procreation in ways that do not
procreate
3. Case in point, homosexuality - Rom 1:27
a. Leaving the "natural use" of women (to procreate, to avoid
fornication), cf. 1 Cor 7:2
b. Burning in their lust for one another, committing with men
what is shameful
c. Receiving in themselves the penalty of their error. By misusing
sex they receive the wrath of God
C. HE "GIVES MAN UP" TO DEBASED MINDS AND UNRIGHTEOUSNESS...
1. Yet again, God "gave them over" (paradidomi) - Rom 1:28
a. Since they did not like to retain God in their knowledge
b. God gave them over to a debased mind, to do things not
fitting
2. The result of being "given up": being filled with all
unrighteousness - Rom 1:29-31
a. Wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness
b. Envy, murder, strife, deceit, evil-mindedness
c. Whisperers, backbiters, haters of God
d. Violent, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things,
disobedient to parents
e. Undiscerning, untrustworthy, unloving, unforgiving,
unmerciful
3. They know the righteous judgment of God, that such are
deserving of death - Rom 1:32
a. Yet they still do it
b. And they approve those who do it
CONCLUSION
1. God's wrath is manifested today by simply allowing man to go his own
way...
a. To follow the desires of his heart
b. To follow the passions of his lusts
-- Stumbling in blind ignorance to increasing degrees of depravity
- cf. Eph 4:17-19
2. God's mercy is manifested today for those willing to turn back to
Him...
a. Willing to acknowledge His revelation
1) Accepting forgiveness through repentance
2) Accepting the Love of God through His Son! - cf. 1 Jn 4:9-10
b. Willing to be thankful to Him
1) With the attitude of gratitude - cf. Col 1:12; Col 2:7;
Col 3:15; Col 3:17; Col 4:2
2) Showing gratitude through repentance - cf. Rom 2:4
Are we thankful? Do we show it by turning from our sins and turning to
God? If not, we have every reason to fear the wrath of God - not just
the day of judgment, but the consequence in this life of God simply
"giving us up" to our own desires!
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