Series:
Romans
Title: The
Wrath of God Revealed
Text:
Romans 1: 18-2: 16
Date: May
24, 2018
Place:
SGBC, NJ
Normally,
I preach the grace of God by which God saves his people apart from our
works. This time I am preaching the
wrath of God by which God pours out justice upon those who are condemned by
their works.
It is
important that all pay close attention to the message of our text. But it is especially important that all who
have never cast their care on Christ pay close attention to the message of our
text.
THOSE WITH THE LIGHT OF CREATION
The wrath
of God is against men who reject the truth, even when they only have the light
of creation—Romans 1: 18: For the wrath of God is revealed
from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the
truth in unrighteousness;
Notice, he
speaks here about men who did not have the word of God. Yet they had the truth,
they had some light.
All men,
by nature, know God is—Romans 1: 19: Because that which may be known of
God is manifest in [to] them; for God hath shewed it unto them. 20: For the invisible things of him
from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things
that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are
without excuse:
Everywhere
men see the things God has created.
Psalms 19: 1: <<To the chief Musician, A Psalm of
David.>> The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth
his handywork. 2: Day unto day uttereth speech, and night unto night sheweth
knowledge. 3: There is no
speech nor language, where
their voice is not heard. 4: Their line is gone out through all the earth, and
their words to the end of the world.
By
nature, God has written on every man’s conscience that God is. Therefore, when
men see creation, they know his eternal
power and Godhead. God says right
here in our text that all men know that God is by creation. All men know that
the things created did not come from nothing. By nature, all men know the
Godhead because they know God created it, God hath shewed it unto them in their
conscience. God says all men know God is
eternal because they know God was before creation.
Therefore,
even though men do not have the bible, the word of God, they are without excuse
for not walking in the light of conscience and the light of nature. So God’s
wrath is against them because they hold the truth in unrighteousness.
The way
they hold the truth in unrighteousness is by worshipping man rather than God—Romans
1: 21: Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not
as God, neither were thankful but became vain in their imaginations, and their
foolish heart was darkened
Men
without the word of God saw creation. They heard the voice of their conscience
saying, “God eternal created this!” But against this light, they glorified him not as God, neither were
thankful. By rejecting the light
they had, their heart became totally darkened.
How did
their foolish heart become darkened?—Romans
1: 22: Professing themselves to
be wise, they became fools, 23: And
changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to
corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things.
Rather
than professing God to be wise, they professed
themselves to be wise and they became fools.
Rather than glorifying God, they
changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to
corruptible man. They first only
imagined uncorruptible God to be like corrupt man. But then they made images of
man and called it god. Then they made images of “birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping
things” and called them gods.
For these
reasons, the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against them—Romans 1: 24: Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the
lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves:
The only
thing God had to do to give them up to
uncleanness was give them up to the lusts of their own hearts. The lusts
of man’s own heart was—to dishonor their
own bodies between themselves.
Again, he reminds us why God’s wrath is against them
and he tells us what God’s wrath resulted in when he gave them up—Romans 1: 25: Who changed the
truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the
Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen. 26:
For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did
change the natural use into that which is against nature: 27: And likewise also the men, leaving
the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with
men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence
of their error which was meet.
The
reason for God’s wrath is because man changed the truth of God into a lie. How? What is the lie? Man worshipped man; man
worshipped his own will; man served the creature rather than God our Creator!
Homosexuals
say, “I can’t help it, I was born this way!”
Indeed, it was in the heart. But the reason God takes the restraints off
on a mass scale in a nation is the wrath of God turning men over to a reprobate
mind. It is because they worshipped and served the creature rather than the
Creator!
God gives
men exactly what they want in their ignorance—Romans 1: 28 And even as they did not like to retain God
in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those
things which are not convenient; 29:
Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness,
maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers, 30: Backbiters, haters of God,
despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, 31: Without understanding,
covenantbreakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful: 32: Who knowing the judgment of God,
that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same,
but have pleasure in them that do them.
Have you
asked yourself lately what is going on in our nation and in the world? This is
what is going on. For the past 100
years, preachers have been telling men to worship their will and their works
rather than Christ and his works. For
this reason, God has sent judgment and turned men over to reprobation.
THOSE WITH THE LIGHT OF GOD’S WORD
We saw
the wrath of God against men who did not have the word of God. But what about us who have the word of
God? Knowing the judgment of God, do you
say in your heart that those sinners which commit those wicked things described
in chapter one are worthy of death? Do
you think such sinners are worse than you?
Then hear what God says.
Romans 2: 1: Therefore thou art inexcusable,
O man, whosoever thou art that judgest: for wherein thou judgest another, thou
condemnest thyself; for thou that judgest doest the same things.
What same things? That list of ugly sins which are so wicked are
in your heart and in mine. If God took his restraining hand off you and me each
of those lusts of the heart are in you the same as they are in me. Someone might say, “I am not that bad!” Yes
you are! You are exactly that bad! The
fact is, by nature, we are all as guilty and utterly inexcusable as the most
barbaric heathen who ever drew breath.
Romans 3: 9:
What then? are we better than they? No, in no wise: for we have before
proved both Jews and Gentiles, that they are all under sin; 10: As it is written, There is none
righteous, no, not one: 11: There
is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God. 12: They are all gone out of the way,
they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not
one…23 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;
Also, the same things that men today are doing
who have the light of God’s word is
this—Romans
1: 22: Professing themselves to
be wise, they became fools, 23: And
changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to
corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things…25: Who changed the truth of God into
a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is
blessed for ever. Amen.
In the
word of God it is the leper who came to Christ, bowed down, begging mercy,
begging, “If you will, you can make me
whole!” But in most churches today that is turned around. They have Christ begging
the sinner if the sinner will then the
sinner can let Christ help him out a little.
Religious people reject the righteousness of God in Christ while looking
to their own religious works, and keeping of commandments and outward morality. The apostle Paul called it will-worship! Men worshipping their own
will and their own works, calling it the worship of Christ!
Romans 2:17 Behold, thou art called a Jew, and
restest in the law, and makest thy boast of God…23 Thou that makest thy
boast of the law, through breaking the law dishonourest thou God?
Yet,
there is someone who is even worse than those in will-works religion. It is all who sit under the gospel of Christ
in truth, week in and week out, who go on in unbelief. It is worse for those who have the light of the
truth of God’s righteousness manifest in Christ and him crucified who yet go on
in unbelief—Romans 1: 1: Therefore thou
art inexcusable, O man, whosoever thou art that judgest: for wherein thou
judgest another, thou condemnest thyself; for thou that judgest doest the same
things.
Every
time a man hears the gospel preached that Christ is the Righteousness of God
and he does not believe on Christ,
he does
the same as those who sinned against the light of nature. He does the same as
the Jews who sinned against the light of God’s word. He worships himself rather
than God, saying, “I think I am righteous on my own!”
Each time
a sinner hears the gospel preached that Christ is the Sanctification of his
people and goes on in unbelief, he does the same as the heathen who sins against
the light of nature. He worships and serves the creature more than the Creator!
Oh,
sinner, please here this! The wrath of
God turned those men over to a reprobate mind! And every day that you go on
rejecting Christ, you are flirting with the same judgment of God who can justly
turn you over to a reprobate mind—Romans
1: 2: But we are sure that the
judgment of God is according to truth against them which commit such things. 3:
And thinkest thou this, O man, that judgest them which do such things, and
doest the same, that thou shalt escape the judgment of God?
How I
pray God save you from your pretended goodness and Christ make you willing in
the day of his power to cast all your care on him!
God said
of those men “when they knew God, they
glorified him not as God, neither were thankful.” Now, here is the question for those to
whom God has given far more light in that he has given them the light of his
word—Romans 2: 4: Or despisest thou the
riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the
goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance?
The
goodness of God chose his own Son to uphold his holy law for his chosen
people. The goodness of God is that he
sent his only begotten Son to be made of a woman, to be made under the law, to
be made sin for his people, to be made a curse for his people, to make his
people the righteousness of God in him. And declare God just and Justifier in
the process! Then the goodness of God
sent the gospel into your midst giving you great light! Sinner, do you despise the goodness of God!
That is what unbelief says!
The forbearance and longsuffering of God toward his people is due to God looking to his people in
his Son rather than looking at us in ourselves.
In ourselves we are guilty lawbreakers; in Christ we are righteous,
justified, without one trace of sin in God’s books. In ourselves we are vile
and unholy; in Christ we are holy as God is holy, with not one impure thought
ever. God forbears and suffers long with
his sinful children because by the grace of God he chose us in Christ and
accepted us in the lamb slain from the foundation of the world. Sinner, the goodness of God in giving you the
light of the gospel and forbearing with you and suffering long with you ought
to lead you to repentance. Do not be like those who despised the light God gave
and perished in their sins. Believe on
Christ today and show that you love God’s goodness and forbearance and
longsuffering!
Not only
this, we saw how those men who sinned against the light of nature treasured up
God’s wrath until he poured it out by giving them up. So listen to what God
says to all men who reject the light of God’s word—Romans 2: 5: But after
thy hardness and impenitent heart treasurest up unto thyself wrath against the
day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God; 6: Who will render to every man
according to his deeds: 7: To
them who by patient continuance in well doing seek for glory and honour and
immortality, [God shall give] eternal
life: 8: But unto them that are
contentious, and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness [God shall
pour out] indignation and wrath, 9: Tribulation and anguish, upon every
soul of man that doeth evil, of the Jew first, and also of the Gentile; 10: But [God shall give] glory, honour, and peace, to every man
that worketh good, to the Jew first, and also to the Gentile: 11: For there is no respect of persons
with God. 12: For as many as have sinned without law shall also perish without
law: and as many as have sinned in the law shall be judged by the law;…16: In
the day when God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ according to my
gospel.
In the
Day of Judgment, God will deal justly with every person according to his
deeds. Every man will answer for himself in all that he has thought, said, and
done. No partiality will be shown to anyone!
Those who
trust Christ are those who do well. We are seeking the glory of God in Christ
Jesus. Believers are seeking the honor and immortality that is in and by Christ
Jesus our eternal Redeemer! And “To them who by patient continuance in well
doing seek for glory and honour and immortality, [God shall give] eternal
life.” We are free from sin and
condemnation because we have fulfilled the law and suffered its just penalty in
the obedience and death of Jesus Christ, with whom we are one.
Romans 5:19: For as by one man's disobedience many were
made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous. 20:
Moreover the law entered, that the offence might abound. But where sin
abounded, grace did much more abound: 21: That as sin hath reigned unto
death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by
Jesus Christ our Lord.
But unto
them that are contentious, and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness
by despising the gospel of Christ, by refusing to trust Christ, God shall pour
out “indignation and wrath, tribulation
and anguish,” forever in hell. It will be what he earned. “The man who sinned without the law will be
judged without the law, but all who sinned with the law [having the word of
God], shall be judged by the law.”
Please
understand, “God is no respecter of
persons.” Men look on the outward appearance. So they imagine they will
please God by an outward show of goodness and righteousness. They imagine God
will be pleased with religious deeds and morality. But God's judgments are true
and righteous. God looks on the heart, not on the outward appearance.
Romans 2: 28 For he is not a
Jew, which is one outwardly; neither is that circumcision, which is
outward in the flesh: 29 But he is a Jew, which is one
inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and
not in the letter; whose praise is not of men, but of God.
Therefore,
except you trust the Lord Jesus Christ, you shall be forever damned and it will
be just because you earned it! But trust Christ and you shall be forever saved,
and it will be just because it is what Christ earned for his people. God give
you grace to trust him!
Amen!