Wrath Of God

THE WRATH OF GOD Romans 1:18-32

INTRO:

1. Today we have commissioned Robert through our prayers and support.

But wouldn’t it have been a wasted trip if he doesn’t minister to people. People without Christ who are dying and going to Hell.

2. What about here? Do we realize that if people do not accept the saving message of the gospel, they are Lost?

NO PLURALISM: many ways to God. Not, it doesn’t matter because we are serving the same God.

That is true if we accept:

We are all in sin

Christ came to become sin / price for sin

We accept His sacrifice

Receive Him into our hearts as savior

3. Why would I preach on wrath?

Follow the leading of the Lord.

Instill that He is the God of wrath as much as He is the God of Love!

Tony Evans: “What would you say about a pastor who told you about God’s love and forgiveness and patience, but never warned you about His wrath? ... That pastor would be doing you a disservice!”

4. This is not an easy subject, yet it is as integral to His nature as His other perfections.

The Bible has more to say about God’s wrath than it does

about His love.

5. Wrath: His necessary, just and righteous retribution against sin! It is the holiness of God stirred into activity against sin.

I. WHAT IS REVEALED v. 18-20

A. God hates sin! He does not delight in punishing upright-

eousness (Eze. 33:11). He will not let the guilty go unpunished (Eze. 34:7). Peter reminds us that God is impartial and will judge all men according to their deeds. (1 Peter 1:17)

Habakkuk 1:13 (NKJV)

You are of purer eyes than to behold evil,

And cannot look on wickedness.

Why do You look on those who deal treacherously,

And hold Your tongue when the wicked devours

A person more righteous than he?

The Holy Bible, New King James Version

Luke 16:15 15And He said to them, “You are those who justify yourselves before men, but God knows your hearts. For what is highly esteemed among men is an abomination in the sight of God.

B. His Creation:

Adam and Eve: booted out of the garden

Noah- whole world resisted God - flood

Babel: God scattered and destroyed their program

Sodom and Gomorrah: destroyed - started with 50

Pharaoh: Ten times God told them through Moses and the

plagues.

Korah: rebelled against Moses - people choose sides - God

swallowed them up.

Anannias and Saphira: lied against God

Jesus: God turned His back on His own Son because He

could not look on sin.

C. Wrath has been Distorted.

Men “suppress” the truth.

Even in our lifetime: apathy, degeneration of morals, justification, blame.

All because we are darkened by sin and seek to continue in

what we want instead of submission to the Creator.

II. WHAT IS REJECTED v. 21-23

A. Isn’t it amazing how you can explain something so clearly and yet the person will ignore you and do exactly what they want - usually the opposite!

B. That’s what Paul is talking about when he says “their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened.”

C. Look at this rejection:

1. THEIR ESTEEM: they did not glorify Him as God The word means “to consider, honor resulting from a good opinion”

Although they see creation with their eyes - they do not recognize it is by God’s hand.

To glorify him “as God” is to regard with proper reverence all his perfections and laws; to venerate his name, his power, his holiness, and presence, etc. As they were not inclined to do this, so they were given over to their own vain and wicked desires. Sinners are not willing to give honor to God, as God. Barnes Notes

There is not respect for God because they do not recognize that everything comes from God.

Tony Evans: “How in the world can you come here on Sunday morning and claim to worship God as God and then ignore Him all week long? That’s backwards.”

A willingness to honor God as God—to reverence, love, and obey him, would effectually restrain people from sin.

2. THEIR EXALTATION: “nor were thankful”

The problem with sin from the beginning is wanting to set ourselves higher than God.

We control our lives. We remove God from the center of our lives!

What does God do - He will let us go. Three times “God gave them up” or “God gave them over”

God gave them up—He abandoned them, or he ceased to restrain them, and suffered them to act out their sentiments, and to manifest them in their life.

God says: “You want independence from Me? You’ve got it. You want to live your own life? You’ve got it. You want to be your own god? You’ve got it - and everything that comes with it.”