How Can You Say That? Series

Romans 1:24-32

God’s wrath is a doctrine often rejected. Wrath does not match our concept of a loving God. God’s wrath is “an OT idea,” not compatible with grace & mercy. OT yes, but mostly in the NT.

1) The subjects of God’s wrath.

• Let’s define “God’s wrath.” - Not a quick, hot rage that flairs up & is gone just as quick. + righteous: it stands against sin, moral: it gives justice equitibly, good: it restrains evil doers.

• God’s wrath stands against sin & evil, violence & murder, immorality & injustice. If not, God would not be holy, righteous, or just. 1 Tim 1:9-11 “…the law is not made for a righteous person, but for those who are lawless & rebellious, …”

• God’s wrath is real. It is a decided action, not an agitated outburst of violence. It is judicial, holy, righteous, & causes men who do not love God to fear Him. “Aslan is not a tame lion.”

2) Reason #1 God’s wrath is revealed is the Internal evidence.

• People reject their own consciences, thoughts, & reasonings about God. We are made in God’s image, we only need to look inside ourselves to see God. It’s not hard, Heb 11:6.

• God can be known. There are some things that “can be known about God.” For starters, that He is. How? “God has shown” (evident, clear & plain) these things to men.

• There are things about Himself that God only revealed in Scripture, but His power, majesty, & love, we see just by looking inside ourselves. We are marvels, created by God.

3) Reason #2 God’s wrath is revealed is the External evidence.

• The invisable things of God are seen. The universe reveals the unseen things of God. Power, order, knowledge. How?

• 15 billion years, X 365 days, X24 hours, X 60 minutes, X 60 seconds = 473,040,000,000,000,000. 473 to the 1015th power, evolution requires 104,000th power for the simplest ammino acid, let alone mammals.

4) Ingratitude & dishonoring God. They knew God, you do too.

• People choose to ignore their knowledge of God, they did not honor God as God, & they are ungrateful.

• Instead they started using their imagination to dream up what God is like. The best they could come up with is a god like birds, beasts & corruptible beings like themselves.

• But people suppress this knowledge. We don’t want to be accountable to God. You selfishly want the credit for who you are & what you do. Ps 10:4 says God is not in their thoughts.

• For all these reasons, God’s wrath is revealed. Now, you are under God’s wrath because you do these same things! Repent & believe in the true God, not the one you fabricated in your mind.