In his greeting to the Romans Paul shared his vision for the righteous according to God’s will. Now he addresses the unrighteous and the wrath upon those who choose darkness over light.
First Paul writes about the wrath of God against those who suppress the truth about God, that being all loving He is worthy of praise and worship. God’s wrath is not based on His love for us but our love for Him and our acceptance of His will for us.
“18 The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness, 19 since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them.” (Romans 1:18-19)
God’s wrath is revealed not only in the word but also within human conscience. Those who suppress the truth about God and His everlasting love do so knowingly even though the truth was made clear to all men and women.
“20 For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse.” (Romans 1:20)
By making the truth about His love clear to all, God has removed the possibility of excuse among all people. Because God made His power and nature plain to humanity everyone knows right from wrong, those who do wrong choose His wrath over His love.
“21 For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened.” (Romans 1:21)
Those who choose to deny God glory and thankfulness will inherit wrath as their hearts are darkened and their ways lead to destruction. The truth about God is known or perceived to everyone without exception.
“22 Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools 23 and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like mortal man and birds and animals and reptiles.” (Romans 1:22-23)
Here Paul describes the idols made by men to replace the all loving God, idols made in the image of mortal beings by which the unrighteous deny themselves the great inheritance promise by God.
The lack of wisdom showed by those who worship man made idols rather than the one true God also leads to destruction and brings forth God’s wrath.
“24 Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another.” (Romans 1:24)
By allowing the unrighteous to sink deeper into sin God shows His wrath is as much for the present as well as a time to come upon Christ’ return. The unrighteous choose to defile their bodies, their temples which is punished by God through moral degradation associated with sexual lust and immorality.
“25 They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator—who is forever praised. Amen.” (Romans 1:25)
Paul describes the worshiping of man made idols as a lie, a conscious choice made by the unrighteous whose hearts are darkened as a consequence of their actions.
“26 Because of this, God gave them over to shameful lusts. Even their women exchanged natural relations for unnatural ones. 27 In the same way the men also abandoned natural relations with women and were inflamed with lust for one another. Men committed indecent acts with other men, and received in themselves the due penalty for their perversion.” (Romans 1:26-27)
God places His wrath upon the unrighteous by leaving men and women to their own desires because they choose a lie over the truth, worshiping and praising something created rather than the creator.
“28 Furthermore, since they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, he gave them over to a depraved mind, to do what ought not to be done.” (Romans 1:28)
The apostle then points out the choice of the unrighteous to abandon the knowledge they had been given about God instead opting for wickedness. As part of His wrath God allows the wicked to drown faster into godlessness.
“29 They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit and malice. They are gossips, 30 slanderers, God-haters, insolent, arrogant and boastful; they invent ways of doing evil; they disobey their parents; 31 they are senseless, faithless, heartless, ruthless.” (Romans 1:29-31)
By choosing to worship and praise man made idols the unrighteous fill themselves with evil and eventually overflow with sin inviting God’s wrath in their lives. Fueled by human immorality the unrighteous dig a hole in which they will be judged and buried by the same God they ignored.
“32 Although they know God’s righteous decree that those who do such things deserve death, they not only continue to do these very things but also approve of those who practice them.” (Romans 1:32)
Paul concludes this section of his letter to the Roman churches by rebuking the unrighteous not only for their wickedness for for their supporting those who follow in their footsteps. While all men and women sin only those who promote sin fall under God’s wrath.
What are we to learn from this scripture? That those who seek the Lord and obey the law of Christ will inherit the kingdom of God. Alternatively the wicked will be punished and be cast out to burn for all eternity in the lake of fire, the very place they fueled through their godlessness.
In these verses the book of Romans spells out a clear message which will surely be ignored by the wicked. There is no need to try reading between the lines, you are either saved or not, of those not yet saved some will be, most will choose wickedness which leads to God’s wrath and eventually, to hell. Let us pray!
Father God;
We thank you for your blessings in our lives and for your servant Paul,
We praise you Lord for his wisdom and for his works through this scripture,
We ask you Lord to inspire us to use these verses in our lives
As we grow in you through the teachings of your faithful apostle.
Lord we ask you to strengthen us each day as we endure through battles,
Allow us to praise and love each other through faith in you Jesus,
Shield us from evil through truth, the gospel, salvation and prayer,
Guide us to abide by your word as we spread your gospel to one and all
Becoming examples of faith through our character as we walk the narrow path.
God we pray that you will continue to bless us, to bless our lives and fill us with hope
We ask you Lord to guide our footsteps and lead us to the way everlasting,
Through faith in you Lord we seek salvation and a place with you in heaven
According to your word, your everlasting wisdom and strength.
May your will be done
In our lives, for your life.
We thank you for your love and all you bless us with each day.
Praise God,
Amen!
This message was written by Daniel St.Pierre
Email: DanielStPierre@ThriveThroughChrist.com
