The revelation of God’s wrath against sin

New Testament Romans
1

1. The Revelation of God’s Wrath Against Sin

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

  • Key Truth: God’s wrath is not arbitrary; it is a just and holy response to humanity’s rebellion against Him. Sin is not merely a trivial mistake but a serious offense against a holy God.
  • Universal Accountability: Romans 1:20 declares, “For His invisible attributes, namely, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through the things that are made, so that they are without excuse.” Creation itself testifies to God’s existence and divine nature, leaving all people accountable. No one can claim ignorance of God’s existence.

2. Humanity’s Rejection of God and Spiral into Darkness

Paul explains the root issue: “Because they knew God, they did not honor Him as God or give thanks, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened” (Romans 1:21).

  • Key Truth: Humanity’s fundamental problem is not ignorance but rebellion. Even though people know God, they refuse to honor Him. This is the essence of sin: rejecting the living God for idols—whether those idols are material, philosophical, or self-centered.
  • Consequence: Rejecting God leads to spiritual and moral decay. Paul describes a downward spiral into darkness, where the mind becomes futile and the heart becomes hard.

3. Idolatry and the Debasement of Humanity

Verses 22-23 highlight the foolishness of idolatry: “Claiming to be wise, they became fools, and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things.”

  • Key Truth: When people reject the Creator, they inevitably worship created things instead (-idolatry). Whether it’s money, power, pleasure, or even oneself, idolatry is a deadly substitute for the one true God.
  • Consequence: Idolatry distorts our understanding of both God and humanity. It leads to a dehumanizing descent into sin, as described in Romans 1:24-27, where God “gives them over” to their sinful desires.

4. The Catalog of Sin (Romans 1:24-32)

Paul lists various sins that flow from rejecting God:

  • Sexual immorality and perversion (v. 24-27): When people reject God’s design for human relationships (e.g., marriage as between one man and one woman), sexual sin abounds.
  • Greed, envy, murder, strife (v. 28-30): When the heart is darkened, individuals become consumed by selfishness and violence.
  • Disobedience to parents, lack of understanding, broken promises, and lack of natural affection (v. 28-31): Sin corrupts every area of life, even basic human relationships and instincts.

5. The Severity of God’s Judgment

Paul concludes, “Though they know God’s righteous decree that those who practice such things deserve to die, they not only do them but also approve of those who practice them” (Romans 1:32).

  • Key Truth: Sin carries consequences. God’s justice demands that sin be judged, and those who practice such sins are deserving of death. This is not a peripheral teaching but central to the Gospel message. While God is merciful, He is also holy, and holy love cannot tolerate sin indefinitely.
  • The Warning to All: Whether one is a pagan, an unbeliever, or even a professing believer, this passage serves as a warning: sin must not be trivialized or rationalized. God sees all, and His judgment is certain.

6. Why This should Concern Us Today

So, why should people be concerned about Romans 1:18-32? Let’s answer this with Scripture:

  1. It Reveals the Universality of Sin and Judgment:
  • “All have turned aside, together they have become corrupt; there is no one who does good, not even one” (Psalm 14:3; Romans 3:12). Every person is born in sin and stands guilty before God.
  • Without repentance, the consequences are eternal separation from God (Romans 6:23).
  1. It Warns Against the “Normalization” of Sin:
  • In our culture today, many sins described in Romans 1:18-32 are not only tolerated but celebrated. The passage warns us against conforming to the world’s standards or accepting sin as normal.
  1. It Calls Us to Recognize the Depths of Human Rebellion:
  • The root of all sin is rejecting God. The passage compels us to examine our own hearts: Are we honoring God? Are we yielding to Jesus as Lord?
  1. It Highlights the Urgency of the Gospel:
  • While this passage contains a serious warning, it is set in the larger context of the Gospel, which offers salvation to all through Jesus Christ. The message of Romans 1:18-32 should drive us to share the Good News with love and urgency (Romans 1:16-17).

7. Hope in the Midst of Wrath

While the message of Romans 1:18-32 is sobering, it is not without hope. The passage is part of Paul’s larger theological framework in Romans, which presentViewController the Gospel as the power of God for salvation (Romans 1:16-17). The answer to God’s wrath is not more self-effort or moral reform but repentance and faith in Jesus Christ, who bore God’s wrath on the cross for sinners (Romans 3:23-25; 5:8).

Conclusion: A Call to Repentance

Yes, people should be deeply concerned about the message of Romans 1:18-32. It confronts us with the reality of God’s holy judgment on sin and the universal need for salvation. However, we must not stop there. The Gospel offers hope: “For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved” (Romans 10:13). This passage is a call to:

  1. Acknowledge the seriousness of sin.
  2. Repent and turn to Christ in faith.
  3. Share the Good News with a world in spiritual darkness.

As Peter writes, “The Lord is not slow to fulfill His promise as some understand slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance” (2 Peter 3:9). Let us take this warning to heart and live in light of eternity.