When The Truth Speaks Series

Romans 1:18 18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth. (ESV).

In order to engage in useful dialogue and make meaningful choices, facts matter. There has been great concern as of late as to who publically controls access to information. When Biblical truth is branded as “hate” and is censored in public discourse, people are publically denied access to the Gospel which is the only means of salvation. The immediate implications for a society are profound. Lack of respect for God leads to a lack of justice for people. History demonstrates that nations that forsake God lose their concern for the rights of the individual. To forsake God is to forsake his creatures. As a national policy, atheism grinds its people under the collective heel of what they impose and call it “what’s best for society.”. It is a wicked thing to “suppress the truth.” Truth cannot be changed, but it can be held down or stifled. Wickedness “denies … truth its full scope” (Knox). God has revealed to all humans His eternal power and nature. Yet people refuse to believe, and as a result their understanding is darkened. To turn willfully against God is to move from light into darkness. The blindness that follows is self-imposed (Mounce, R. H. (1995). Romans (Vol. 27, p. 77). Broadman & Holman Publishers.).

In the beginning of Romans 1:18, the Apostle Paul begins to unfold the details of the gospel of God in which God’s righteousness is revealed (which he specified in vv. 16–17). The opening of this sentence with the word “for” indicates a link of purpose. “For” links this statement to the preceding one and gives a reason for it. The gospel is necessary because there is such a thing as the wrath of God, because only the gospel of salvation by grace through faith (vv. 16–17) brings deliverance from that wrath (Morris, L. (1988). The Epistle to the Romans (pp. 74–75). W.B. Eerdmans; Inter-Varsity Press.)

In understanding the necessity of the Gospel, Paul is now going to explain the consequence of the rejection of the Gospel. The condemnation of unredeemed humanity that extends through chapter 3 and verse 20. He starts with an unequivocal affirmation of God’s righteous wrath. Orge (wrath) refers to a settled, determined indignation, not to the momentary, emotional, and often uncontrolled anger (thumos) to which human beings are prone. For Paul, fear of eternal condemnation was the first motivation he offered for coming to Christ, the first pressure he applied to evil. He was determined that they understand the reality of being under God’s wrath before he offered them the way of escape from it. That approach makes both logical and theological sense. A person cannot appreciate the wonder of God’s grace until they know about the perfect demands of God’s law, and they cannot appreciate the fullness of God’s love until they know something about the fierceness of God’s anger against the sinful failure to perfectly obey that law. People cannot appreciate God’s forgiveness until they know about the eternal consequences of the sins that require a penalty and need forgiving. Forgiveness is no cheap gesture. It is as costly as the cross (Morris, L. (1988). The Epistle to the Romans (p. 77). W.B. Eerdmans; Inter-Varsity Press.)

The idea of a wrathful God goes against the wishful thinking of fallen human nature and is even a stumbling block to many deceived Christians. Much contemporary evangelism talks only about abundant life in Christ, the joy and blessings of salvation, and the peace with God that faith in Christ brings. All of those benefits do result from true faith, but they are not the whole picture of God’s plan of salvation. The result truth of God’s judgment against sin and those who habitually participate in it must also be heard. A disease has to be recognized and identified before seeking a cure means anything. In the same way and for the same reason, Scripture reveals the bad news before the good news. God’s righteous judgment against sin is proclaimed before His gracious forgiveness of sin is offered. A person has no reason to seek salvation from sin if they do not know they are condemned by it. No one craves spiritual life unless they first realize they are spiritually dead.

When God reveals the truth of His judgement, He reveals His standard and the eternal consequences of rejecting Him. In the brief scope of one verse of Rom. 1:18, the Apostle Paul presents six features that characterize God’s wrath: Here we see its: 1) Quality (Romans 1:18a), 2) Time (Romans 1:18b), 3) Source (Romans 1:18c), 4) Extent and Nature (Romans 1:18d), and finally its 5) Cause (Romans 1:18e).

When God reveals the truth of His judgement, we can see: