Introduction
We finished covering the opening section of Paul’s letter to the Romans where he introduced himself and in so doing, also introduced the gospel.
He identified the readers and gave thanks to God for their faithful proclamation of the gospel which is also Paul’s central mission of his life.
In describing why he does not cease to give the gospel, he says he is unashamed of the gospel and explains why he is unashamed. It is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes and in the gospel is God giving unrighteous people His righteousness.
That is indeed good news, the best news anyone can ever receive.
But the good news can only be the best news because the bad news is the worst news anyone can ever receive and it is into this first major section of Romans that we will move, and that is to answer the question, why is there a need for God’s righteousness?
This first section takes us right through 3:20. We will see that the entire world stands condemned before God because of their unrighteousness.
First, Paul describes the unrighteousness of the Gentiles in vv. 18-32.
We will cover this section over two sermons.
I. God’s Wrath is Revealed Because Man in His Unrighteousness Suppresses the Truth About God (1:18)
The little word “For” connects this section to the previous section. In v. 17 we see that God’s righteousness is revealed by faith.
Why do we need God’s righteousness?
In v. 18 we see that it is because God’s wrath is revealed against all ungodly and unrighteous people.
As such, this verse is a summary verse condemning all people, both Gentiles and Jews.
A. Why is God Angry?
We see here that God doesn’t have a positive or even a neutral view of the world. In fact, this world is not merely in a mess, but this world stands under the wrath of God.
People know that there is something wrong with this world.
The BIble tells us the reason:
It stands condemned under God’s wrath.
We know what wrath is: anger. We often talk about the love of God and God indeed is love.
But before we can talk about the love of God, we need to talk about the wrath of God. Because we don’t talk much about the wrath of God, and much prefer to talk about the love of God, we may not have a biblical view of who God is.
The question is, Why is God angry?
We are told here that it is because of all the ungodliness and unrighteousness of men. We need to let this sink into our heads and hearts that God is immensely displeased with sin in this world.
I think you just need to go to the OT to see how God displays His wrath both on His own people Israel as well as the Gentiles.
For example, when Moses tries to avoid the task God has given him:
Exod. 4:14 “Then the anger of the LORD was kindled against Moses and he said, “Is there not Aaron, your brother, the Levite? I know that he can speak well. Behold, he is coming out to meet you, and when he sees you, he will be glad in his heart.;
When Pharaoh and the Egyptians refuse to obey his command to let his people go:
Exod. 15:7 “In the greatness of your majesty you overthrow your adversaries;
you send out your fury; it consumes them like stubble.); when Israel turns to idolatry at Sinai
Exod. 32:10–12 “Now therefore let me alone, that my wrath may burn hot against them and I may consume them, in order that I may make a great nation of you.”
11 But Moses implored the LORD his God and said, “O LORD, why does your wrath burn hot against your people, whom you have brought out of the land of Egypt with great power and with a mighty hand?
12 Why should the Egyptians say, ‘With evil intent did he bring them out, to kill them in the mountains and to consume them from the face of the earth’? Turn from your burning anger and relent from this disaster against your people.
Often God’s wrath strikes in the course of historical events.
In a fire that destroys rebellious Israelites:
Num. 11:1 “And the people complained in the hearing of the LORD about their misfortunes, and when the LORD heard it, his anger was kindled, and the fire of the LORD burned among them and consumed some outlying parts of the camp.;
In the Babylonian conquest of Jerusalem:
Jer. 21:5-6 “I myself will fight against you with outstretched hand and strong arm, in anger and in fury and in great wrath. 6 And I will strike down the inhabitants of this city, both man and beast. They shall die of a great pestilence”.
I am only quoting a very selected set of verses because there are numerous references in the OT to the wrath and anger of God.
This has led some people to conclude that the God of the OT is different from the God of the NT. The God of the OT is a wrathful, vengeful God while the God of the NT is merciful and loving.
Nothing can be further from the truth.
Here in the NT we are told that the wrath of God is revealed against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of man.
God is angry with sin.
That is our fundamental problem: sin.
Man’s problem is that he doesn’t think that his sin is such a big deal.
If you go on the streets to do a quick survey, most people would say that they are good people. Yeah, they admit that they are not perfect, and they make a mistake here and there, but other than that, they are pretty good people.
However, the Bible tells us otherwise. Everybody stands condemned. Later Paul will say that there is none righteous, no not one.
When is this wrath of God revealed?
The tense of the verb is present. God is currently revealing his wrath.
This is exactly the same verb as is seen in v. 17. God is currently revealing His righteousness. In fact, God has been revealing His wrath upon mankind since the fall.
The next section talks about God giving them up to the moral deterioration that we are witnessing first-hand in our day with our very eyes.
If you trace the moral deterioration in human society, that is a result of God’s judgment. Someone said, “The history of the world is the judgment of the world.”
But the wrath of God will culminate in what Paul describes in Rom 2:5 “the day of wrath when God’s righteous judgment will be revealed.”
What mankind has experienced thus far is but a foretaste of what is to come on that day of judgment.
B. In What Way Do People Manifest Their Unrighteousness?
We are told in v. 18 that these people display their unrighteousness by suppressing the truth. The truth is not merely some true fact that one must know, but it is the truth that one must obey. Therefore, when people act sinfully, they rebel against God’s law, and in so doing they are suppressing the truth.
Next we are told why God is right in revealing his wrath on unrighteous mankind.
II. God’s Wrath is Revealed Because God in His Righteousness Reveals Himself to Man (1:19-20)
The question may arise: Is God right in unleashing His wrath on mankind? Paul is going to argue that God indeed is righteous in doing so.
A. God Has Made Himself Plain to Man (1:19)
Paul begins with a general statement in v. 19 that God has revealed himself to people. Therefore, all people have some knowledge of God.
But v. 19 doesn’t get into the specifics. He will explain the specifics of how and when God reveals himself in v. 20.
B. God Has Specifically Revealed His Attributes to Man Since and In Creation (1:20a)
What Paul is referring to here is what is known as “natural revelation.” Theologians distinguish between two types of revelation from God.
When God reveals Himself through His creation, that is called natural/general revelation.
When God reveals Himself through His Word, that is supernatural revelation.
Natural revelation does not lead to salvation because there is no gospel message in natural revelation. We need supernatural revelation for that. Natural revelation is what the Psalmist David was talking about in Ps 19:1-6. Note what Paul is not claiming. He is not claiming that this knowledge saves. That can only be revealed in supernatural revelation.
Notice that God has been revealing himself since the creation of the world. This was not something that God gradually does over time or something He is doing only recently.
God has been revealing Himself since He created the world.
How does natural revelation reveal God?
Paul specifically says that it reveals God’s eternal power and divine nature.
Ps 19:1-2 “The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork.
2 Day to day pours out speech, and night to night reveals knowledge.”
Man looking at nature should conclude that there is a Creator; he ought to be filled with awe when he sees the grandeur and majesty of creation.
Creation reveals that God is a God of beauty.
The majestic mountains, the picturesque sunrise or sunset where the sky is God’s canvas. Man can study the stars and chart their way across the seas.
Creation reveals that God is a God of order.
There is order in the universe which speaks of how the Creator not only created the world but sustains it in the minutest detail. There is predictability.
Creation reveals that God is a creative God.
Think of all the species of creatures out there and perhaps some that we have not even discovered.
Creation reveals that God pays attention to details.
Think about how well the human body is designed and engineered by God.
Creation also reveals the love of God, who gives rain to water the earth so that it may bring forth food.
“God has stitched his greatness into the fabric of the human mind so that his majesty is instinctively recognized when one views the created world” (Schreiner).
The fact is that this is a universal perception. In other words, everyone, with no exception, when they look at creation would have a sense of marvel for the Creator.
C. Therefore, Man Has No Excuse (1:20b)
Since God has made Himself amply known, it is inexcusable for man to claim ignorance. In fact, they cannot claim ignorance because knowing that God exists, they purposely suppressed that knowledge of God.
Those who turn against God in rebellion are without excuse.
As we shall see, man cannot say, “I wanted to know God, but He never revealed Himself to me. He never made Himself known to me.”
Man has no excuse, which means we all deserve to be condemned.
This is the point of Paul’s argument.
He is not saying that natural revelation in and of itself has the ability to save, but that God has revealed something of himself to all people in the world He has made, but rather than turn to Him, they reject God by suppressing the truth.
Hence, God’s condemnation is perfectly righteous.
III. God’s Wrath is Revealed Because Man in His Unrighteousness Became Futile and Foolish (1:21-23)
Paul here gives further proof about the unrighteous act of man’s suppressing of truth. Once again, God reveals Himself through His creation.
That is why Paul begins v. 21 with “For although they knew God.”
Man does have the knowledge of God from observing God’s creation.
But what have they done with that knowledge?
A. Man Neither Honors Nor Thanks God (1:21a)
The verb translated “honor” is from the Greek word that also means “to glorify.” The fact is that man does not glorify God, nor is he thankful to God.
If you think about it, the fundamental sin in man is his failure to glorify God and to ascribe Him thanks.
One Bible teacher defines sin as “any feeling or thought or speech or action that comes from a heart that does not treasure God over all other things.”
We know from the very first catechism question.
What is the chief end of man?
The chief end of man is to glorify God and to enjoy Him forever.
When man abandons that chief end for which he was created, he will go after other things to give him meaning in life but the fact is, try as he might, there is no satisfaction or fulfillment in these pursuits.
“Giving thanks and praise to God is the fundamental role of the creature, and in thankfulness to the Creator we express and experience the fullness of what it means to be human” (Schreiner).
“People miss their life’s goal and lose the standard by which they conduct their lives when they do not let God be for them the only true God. A false understanding of God results in a false understanding of what it means to be human” (Schnelle).
Application
Even Christians can be in danger of not glorifying God nor being thankful to Him. In our pride, we stop depending on the Lord. We stop praying to Him.
We want to be independent from God.
B. Man Rejects God (1:21b-23)
Now Paul is going to explain how men willfully and actively suppress the truth about God’s existence and character.
1. By Becoming Futile in His Thinking (1:21b)
This is referring to their reasoning.
In other words, whatever initial knowledge about God is in their minds, their natural capacity to reason accurately about God has been damaged and they resort to empty reasoning.
One very famous empty reasoning people give for the origin of the world is evolution.
Rather than giving glory to God and thanking Him for creating this amazing world, they say this world came about out of a big bang.
This is emptiness.
2. By Darkening Their Foolish Hearts (1:21c)
Man needs light to survive. We need both physical and spiritual light. Whatever little light there was, was put out by the suppression.
Rather than acknowledging that God is the One who created the universe, they say that everything came about by millions of years through evolution.
3. By Claiming to be Wise When They Are Actually Fools (1:22)
They may have multiple degrees and even terminal degrees from prestigious institutions.
And the world would call them the most learned and wise, yet in their sophisticated way, they explain why there is no God.
Ps 14:1 says, “The fool says in his heart, There is no God.”
4. By Worshipping Idols Rather than God (1:23)
And here it is, rather than giving glory to God by worshipping Him, they turn to worship man, birds, animals, creeping things.
Paul uses the language of exchange. He will keep using this language in the rest of the chapter (cf. vv. 25, 26).
If you go around asking people if they have an inner sense of God, they may deny it and sometimes vehemently. This passage explains what is going on, they have suppressed that knowledge a long time ago and exchanged the truth about God for these idols.
Instead of worshipping the Creator, they worship the creature: Man, bird, animals, creeping things.
But the atheists are not worshipping these things.
But note what Paul says in Col 3:5-6
5 “Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry.
6 On account of these the wrath of God is coming.”
Coventeousness is idolatry.
Even if a person claims to be an atheist, he is still worshipping something: Wealth, power, status, ambition, happiness, adventure.
The fact is, God created us for worship.
If we are not going to worship the one true God of the universe, we will worship someone or something else.
Our hearts will be given towards the pursuit of something.
The universal presence of religion is not a sign that man is seeking after God.
According to this passage, it is a result of man’s turning from God.
Application
Christians can be in danger as well of this downward spiral that Paul describes here. Rather than glorifying God and giving thanks to God for who He is and what He has done for us, we can begin to pursue other things that we know do not give us the kind of satisfaction and fulfillment and joy that God Himself can give.
Unbelievers know there is a God but they refuse to submit themselves to Him as their Lord and Master because of what it would require of them.
Jesus speaks of the demands from those who are considering whether they should follow Him.
We need regular reminders about the need to deny ourselves, to take up the cross, to follow Jesus.
Perhaps you have become enamored by something or someone and you have taken your eyes off Jesus.
You need to turn your eyes back to Jesus.
Conclusion
God is righteous in revealing His wrath on sinful men who have suppressed the truth about Him. Rather than acknowledging God, they did not glorify Him nor are thankful to Him.
Rather, they rejected God and pursued idols.
Let us turn to the Lord and humbly submit ourselves to Him.
For Personal Reflection
How should meditating on the wrath of God impact our thinking about sin and our need to fear God?
How can Christians return to their idolatrous ways from which they have been saved? What idols of the heart do you need to turn from?
Will people who have never heard the gospel go to heaven?
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