The wrath of God
Romans 1:18-32
Key verse: 1:18
Good morning. Last week, Apostle Paul said he is not ashamed of the gospel because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes. Salvation from what? Salvation from the wrath of God. From today, Paul began to explain about the gospel in details. The first thing he mentioned is about how God reveals his wrath against people, especially unbelievers. Because the more we understand about God’s wrath, the more we truly appreciate God who provided us the gospel. Since today’s main topic is about God’s wrath and this message is in a little bit heavy and serious mode. But I pray God may open our spiritual eyes and heart to understand the wrath of God that the gospel may become good news to us.
- The wrath of God is being revealed
Let’s read verse 18? “The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of people, who suppress the truth by their wickedness”. Paul said “the wrath of God is being revealed from heaven”. “being revealed” means God’s wrath was revealed in Paul’s time and also today in our times. Do you see the wrath of God in society? Wrath means “extreme anger with punishments”. Is it talking about Coronavirus? Or Tusname or earthquake? Or something else? Honestly, on campus I do not see such a wrath. Because of coronavirus, people have had a hard time, but other than that, college students seem to be OK.
Then, what is the wrath of God? Why does he reveal his wrath? First, let us examine about why God is extremely angry against people. We sing, “God is so good, God is so good”. We know he is the God of love. We know he is patient and kind. Yet, verse 18 says he reveals his wrath against two things: one is about all the godlessness of people and the other is about the wickedness of people. What is the godlessness? Godless literally means “no knowledge about God” that people live as if there were no God. What is the wickedness? It is that people suppress the truth. In this context, what is the truth people suppress? Look at verse 18 and 19. The truth is about what may be known about God. God made everything clear and plain for people to get to know about him. So if people want to know about him, everywhere there are evidence of his invisible qualities – his eternal power and divine nature. Starting from his creation, God has shown himself to people. For example, look at our earth. The weight of the earth is 6 trillion trillion kilograms. You know about gravity: an apple falls on the ground. Then, how can such a heavy earth not fall but still float in the open universe? How about beautiful skies, beautiful trees, mountains, Niagara Falls? When we look at God’s creation, we cannot but thinking about God’ amazing eternal power. God also plainly shows his divine nature through his son Jesus. While Jesus was on earth, he showed God’s compassion, love, patience, holiness, and eternity. Jesus said “Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father.” (John 14:9). God also clearly shows himself through the Scripture. Especially through the OT, God himself said “in the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth”. Since God plainly shows his invisible qualities, people cannot excuse “I did not know you exist?”
Then, how do people suppress the truth? Can we read verse 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.” “Suppress” means you push things down not coming up. People knew God but they did want to treat God as their God. They neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him. In other words, they intentionally denied God. They pushed the truth down on purpose.
In 2008 and 2009, there was the Atheist Bus Campaign in England. The advertisement was this: “There’s probably no god. Now stop worrying and enjoy your life.” England used to be #1 country in Christianity. The atheist group knew God, but they did not want to admit that God exists. Why did they say stop worrying? Stop worrying about what? Stop worrying about what to eat, what to drink, and what to wear. No, stop worrying about God’s judgements. There is no God, there is no God’s punishment. So enjoy your sinful life. Have a fun!
How about US? Historically, US federal court set up the ten commandments to remind people of God and his law. But from 1980s, the ten commandments were removed in public places. Also some private schools may teach creationism but the Supreme Court ruled the teaching of creationism in public schools to be unconstitutional.
When people did not glorify God nor gave thanks to him, what happened to them? Can we read verse 21b-23? “their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened.” “Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like a mortal human being and birds and animals and reptiles.” Their thinking became in vain. Their hearts were foolish and now more darkened. Even though they thought they were wise, actually they became fools. How do we know about this? They rejected glorifying God but glorified images made by human hands: idols. They worshiped a mortal human being (like Roman Emperor or today TV stars, singers, sports stars), birds (Eagle – the mascot of Roman military), and so on.
When I was in college, I was invited to Bible study several times. But I refused it. I did not care about God or church. My study, my money issue, my job were most important matter. But at the same time, deep inside, I had a fear that I might have to give up funs and entertainments I enjoyed when I would go to church. I was also afraid that people might know my shameful past life. Then, even though I was proud and felt smart, my heart was foolish and my thinking became futile until I met Jesus my Savior.
- God gave them over
When people knew God but did not glorified him nor thanked him, how is the wrath of God being revealed against them? Verse 24 says “God gave them over to sexual impurity”, verse 26 “God gave them over to shameful lusts”, verse 28 “God gave them over to a depraved mind”. “give over” means “abandon” or “yield”. In other words, “let them do whatever they wish”. Paul says this is the wrath of God against people. Why is the wrath? If I were God, I would send those who suppress the truth “thunder, lightening, flooding, fire, natural disaster”? Then, people might be scared and ask for their forgiveness. However, God chose to give them over in their sinful desires of their hearts. Because as people abandoned God on purpose, so did God abandon them too. This is not good news at all. It is really a serious matter. As long as God is with us, we have hope. In the OT, when Israel rebelled against God, God intervened in their life. He rebuked them, disciplined them, and he sent Assyria and Babylon to punish them. Israel suffered a lot but because of God’s intervention, they still survive of today. When God gave people over, as a result, what would happen to them?
First, sexual impurity. Can we read verse 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” The first wrath of God is sexual impurity. Sex is God’s gift. It is good and holy between husband and wife. In the Genesis, God blessed man and woman to be fruitful and increase in number. Also our body is good. But when God gave people over to their sinful nature, people used their bodies for only sex. Even if God created men’s body as an instrument for God’s glory, people degrade their body only for their lust desires. Even though they do not marry yet, some college students cannot control their lustful desires and sleep with others. Husband has a relationship with another woman and wife with another man. This ends up bitterness between man and woman, divorce, broken family, and violence. To make it worse, people go all the way down to the same sex marriage. Look at verses 26 – 27. God created man and woman. He blessed them to be fruitful and increase in number. It is natural to have sex between married man and married woman. Under God’s wrath, they exchange natural sex relationship: women to women, men to men. Especially when men commit shameful acts with other men, they receive the due penalty: AIDS. As we see, same sex is not a personal preference. It is a part of result from the wrath of God.
Second, idol worship. Can we read verse 25? “They exchanged the truth about God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator—who is forever praised. Amen.” When God created humans, he set eternity in the human heart. So when people worship and serve eternal God, they are truly happy and satisfied. But under God’s wrath, people worshiped and served created things such Sun, Moon, animals, idols stars, sports stars. Such things are idols. They do not give us life. People become more thirsty and hungry. They cannot find true satisfaction for their souls. Once Augustine says “O Lord, and my heart is restless until it rests in you.””
Among gospel singers, there is a singer named Lauren Daighle. She sang many famous songs like “Trust in you, You say”. She wanted to be a famous singer in the world. So she went for TV show “American Idol” three times. When she sought secular songs and secular glory, God was silent. He let her do what she wanted. But she confessed later that when she began to sing secular music, it didn’t feel as fulfilling to her. She found herself empty and not satisfied in her heart. She questioned, “God, why is this so different?’” By God’s help, she realized she worshiped worldly fame that she repented and came back to God. Now she is one of happiest gospel singers in praising God.
Third, a depraved mind. Can we read verse 28? “Furthermore, just as they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, so God gave them over to a depraved mind, so that they do what ought not to be done” Depraved means “corrupted or twisted”. So a depraved mind means people’s value system, the view of this worlds has changed. In the past, people knew what was right and what was wrong clearly. But now under God’s wrath, they could not discern if this was right or wrong. So they do what ought not to be done. Can we read verse 29 – 31? 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, slanderers, God-haters, insolent, arrogant and boastful; they invent ways of doing evil; they disobey their parents; they have no understanding, no fidelity, no love, no mercy.” Men were created to love God, care for others, be humble before God, doing good. But as their mind was corrupt, they did all bad things. People are more anti-God. Society is getting worse and worse. What is God’s righteous decree about this? verse 32 says “those who do such things deserve death”. God let people do such things in their sinful nature and then sentence them the death penalty. This is God’s final wrath against people.
As we can see, when people do not glorify God nor thank him, they got worse and worse. Pure marriage system breaks down and the society becomes full of corruption, evil and violence. People try to solve these problems with education, moral reform movements, and so on. But we need such things but it does not work. The real problems will only be solved when people return to God. The real problems will be only be solved when people accept the gospel. God promised “whoever believes him shall not perish but have eternal life”. Also Hebrew 9:14 says that the blood of Christ cleanses our conscience from acts that lead to death, so that we may serve the living God!” The gospel is only the key to solve all problems in personal life, family, and society. In the gospel, there is God’s forgiveness. In the gospel, there is God’s power to save us from his wrath. In it, there are a desire to glorify and thank God, sound mind, care for others, and natural sex relationship, Let us pray for unbelievers that they may hear the gospel, repent their sins, and glorify God! Let us pray for each of us to continue to glorify and thank God!!!