Romans 1 - The Wrath of God Revealed from Heaven

Previously in Romans, we looked at Paul’s introduction to the book, and we saw how he wasn’t ashamed of the Gospel, for it is the power of God unto salvation to everyone who believes. God’s righteousness is revealed to man by faith, and the just shall live by that faith.

Next, in verses 1:18-3:20, he will demonstrate why man must be justified by faith, because he is under the sentence of divine judgment. He begins with the immoral and pagan man, the individual or group who have historically been idol worshippers and given over to sensual pleasures. They may have heard little to none of the Gospel. The remainder of chapter 1 describes the downward progression of a person or society who has rejected God. As we read, we will see Paul refer three times to God giving them up, and then over, to their sinful passions, and it is a form of His judgment. John McArthur referred to it as God’s abandonment judgment. He leaves man to his own devices, and allows him to experience the full consequences of his sins.

So, the wrath of God is revealed from Heaven. The wrath of God is His anger and vengeance toward sin, and ultimately ends in the lake of fire for those who have not believed in the Gospel (Rev 20:11-15). The wrath of God is not popular, but it’s a very real thing and part of the Gospel message. Because of our inherent sin nature, from the age of accountability, we have His wrath abiding on us until we come to Christ. John the Baptist said of Jesus, “He who believes in the Son has everlasting life; and he who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him.” (Jn 3:36) It’s revealed against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, indicating it’s the behavior that God is unpleased with. The sinful acts are committed by sinful people, but the Lord wants to save the individual (He’s willing that none should perish). Notice he doesn’t say they don’t know the truth, but that they suppress it in unrighteousness.  In order to suppress or hold something down, you have to know it exists. Mankind doesn’t like to admit there is a god, because if he did, then he would be accountable to Him. He suppresses the truth to go on sinning.

What may be known of God is evident among them because He has shown it to them. From the beginning, God has made Himself known through His creation. So much so, that Paul says that man is without excuse. In other words, a person will not be able to stand before God on judgment day and say they didn’t know better. When we look at creation and all its complexities, we see all the marks of intelligent design, and if there is intelligent design, there must have been an intelligent designer. David understood this. He wrote, “The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament shows His handiwork. Day unto day utters speech, and night unto night reveals knowledge. There is no speech nor language where their voice is not heard. Their line has gone out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world. In them He has set a tabernacle for the sun, which is like a bridegroom coming out of his chamber, and rejoices like a strong man to run its race. Its rising is from one end of heaven, and its circuit to the other end; and there is nothing hidden from its heat.” (Psa 19:1-6) Chuck Missler writes, “The witness to God in nature is so clear and so constant that ignoring it is indefensible.” It is my personal opinion that if a person is truly and honestly seeking the truth rather than suppressing it, God will reveal Himself to them, either by personal revelation or through another person such as a missionary. There are records of this very thing happening in history.

This downward progression of man begins with knowing God, but choosing not to glorify Him as God, nor be thankful to Him. If we find ourselves not interested in worshipping the Lord and thanking Him for His benefits, that is our first indicator our hearts are not right. This then leads to futility of thinking and a darkening of the heart to spiritual truth. Man’s thoughts leave the divine and begin thinking only in the natural. Since he was made to worship God, when he does not, he naturally begins to worship something else (idolatry). He makes a god in his own image or in the image of something in nature.

Since he has now made his own god, he begins fulfilling his own selfish passions. Sinful behavior naturally follows idolatry. Here is where we see the first time it states that God gives them up to uncleanness, which are the lusts of their hearts, to dishonor their bodies. Historically, man has made idols to represent their greatest needs or passions, so sexual immorality was a big part of idol worship. The problems with this are obvious: first are the unwanted pregnancies and what to do with those children. Then there is the STDs that can cause all sorts of health problems, including cancer. Third, we have the emotional scarring from sexual relationships, becoming one flesh with someone, ripping that apart, and then doing the same all over again with someone else. They have exchanged the truth of God for the lie. Idol worship is truly a lie: it promises to fulfil our wants and needs, but only leaves us feeling emptier in the end.

The second giving them up is to vile passions. The lust of man is never satisfied, so as he ignores the conviction of the Holy Spirit, it only leads to more. Here the women leave natural relationships with men for same-sex relations. Likewise, the men do the same, burning in their lusts for each other, and doing that which is shameful. The Bible describes it as against nature. The words Paul uses here for women and men are female and male, and were used for lower creatures. The implication here is that this is animal-like behavior. Missler again writes, “This is not speaking of natural or normal appetites of the body, or even the abuses of these: adultery or harlotry. It is dealing with unnatural appetites in which all normal instincts are left behind.” Any of us who grew up on a farm or have just been around animals know they don’t have moral understanding. We have all probably heard in referring to homosexuality that sexual sin is sexual sin, and in one sense that is true; however, there does appear to be a distinct division here that this is unnatural and perverse. It’s important to remember that this is not the unpardonable sin, but it is also important to call it what it is (what the Scriptures say it is). Again, there is a built-in penalty where the destructive consequences of the sin are part of God’s judgment on it. Research indicates that male homosexuals have three times the rate of partners as do heterosexual males, and eight times that of heterosexual women. This obviously increases the rate of STDs as well.

Lastly, because they did not want to retain God in their knowledge, we see the third giving them over to a debased (reprobate) mind. God gives them over to this complete and utter rejection of Him. The word reprobate means rejected or worthless, and was used of metals that did not pass the test. The lord said in Genesis that His Spirit will not always strive with man, and there comes a point where the Lord does give a person over. It’s not that they want to get right with Him and cannot, but that they simply don’t want to. They’ve lost all desire to because the Holy Spirit has stopped drawing them (Jn 6:44). This is what the Scriptures refer to as the blasphemy of the Holy Spirit, the complete rejection of the Gospel and biblical truth.

Once here, the person(s) are given over to any and all sorts of evil listed in verse 29-31.

It’s not that these sins did not exist before, but that they are openly practiced and even celebrated in society. Since many of our states and even our federal government have legally sanctioned homosexual sin, it’s been a rapid downward spiral into okaying all sorts of sinful behavior, the worst of which is probably yet to come if the Lord doesn’t intervene. Just recently we have an innocent Ukrainian woman stabbed to death on a train by a thug wanting to kill a white person, a mass shooting at a Catholic church in Minneapolis by a trans person, and a political assassination of Charlie Kirk, a Christian patriot, by a person with a furry fixation (someone who has a sexual interest in anthropomorphic animals). This is sick stuff, folks. Have we reached the point of being given over to a reprobate mind as a culture? Only God knows, but I would say we are getting dangerously close. At least we still have some states who are willing to administer the death penalty for capital crimes such as these, an indicator we are not as far gone as those mentioned in Romans 1. Truthfully, we are getting dangerously close to a Romans 1 world, and that is just the proof the end is near. Jesus said that it would be like the days of Noah and the days of Lot when He comes (Luke 17:26-30). The days of Noah and the days of Lot were characterized by violence and sexual perversion. His second coming will be in judgment on these sins.

Verse 32 states that the righteous judgment of God is the death penalty for all who practice these things, as well as those who approve or take pleasure in them that do them. It’s not enough simply to not commit the sins ourselves, but we are not to support or enable others to do so.

In conclusion, in what ways are we allowing pagan America to affect us? Are we disinterested in worshiping the Lord? Are we ungrateful to God for His blessing and provision? Are there areas in which we are mixing idolatrous practices with Christianity? Yoga and other occultic practices are popular today even in the Church. Are we sexually immoral in any way. This would include what we think about or might look up on the internet. Paul told the Ephesians that fornication was not even once to be named among them. Are we covetous, envious, or deceitful? Are we gossipers, proud or boastful? Are we disobedient to parents (if you are a child)? Are we untrustworthy? What about unloving, unforgiving, or unmerciful? If so, we need to confess these sins to the Lord and turn from them.

Most of us who are believers probably are not regularly practicing these things, but are we approving or taking pleasure in those that do? What do we do when a T.V. show or movie features a homosexual or other sexually immoral person? Do we turn it off, or do we keep watching? I am amazed at the number of Christians who liked the most recent Top Gun movie. Although there were certainly some good themes in the movie such as forgiveness and reconciliation, there was a scene in which nothing was left to your imagination that he and his girlfriend were fornicating. What do we do when our music has explicit or suggestive content? Do we turn it off, or keep on listening? Paying for this stuff sends a message to the artists to keep producing more of the same. This is besides filling our minds with filth. What do we do when a trans person wants to be called by their preferred pronouns? Do we go along with it under the guise of being respectful and loving, or do we do the truly loving thing by telling them this isn’t pleasing to the Lord? This is pagan stuff, guys, for which the Lord is coming back in judgment, so as believers, we shouldn’t want to participate in these things.

Paul’s first focus has been on the pagan or immoral man, and in the next chapter he will address the moral and religious man. We may have the tendency to think because we at least try to adhere to a moral standard or are religious that we are better off, but Paul will prove this notion otherwise.

Romans 1 - Not Ashamed of the Gospel

 

The book of Romans was written by Paul during his third missionary journey, probably from Corinth during the winter of 57-58 A.D.  It is probable that the Church in Rome was started from Christians that were converted on the day of Pentecost as recorded in Acts 2.  Others may have migrated there, and some were close associates of Paul himself.

Unlike some of the other apostles, Paul was no ordinary fisherman: as he says, he was a Hebrew of Hebrews, born in Tarsus (making him a Roman citizen), and he had studied under Gamaliel in Jerusalem. He was a Pharisee, which meant he would have been highly educated in Hebrew and Greek culture, history, religion, philosophy, and so on. According to some, the book of Romans is the most profound writing that exists anywhere. It is similar to Ephesians in which he explains some of the great themes and doctrines of the Christian faith. It can be divided into five major sections: 1-3, the sinfulness of man and their need for the Gospel; 4-5, justification through faith; 6-8, victorious Christian living; 9-11, God’s sovereignty and election demonstrated through Israel; 12-16, other practical Christian instruction. The main theme of the book is “The just shall live by faith.”

This book not only covers the essential themes and doctrines of the Church, its impact on world history is unequaled. As many of us know, during the dark ages, the Church became politicized, and as a result, it compromised with the world. It became entrenched in tradition and pagan practices so that the Gospel message was severely obscured, if not entirely absent in many cases. In the late 1400’s, a boy was born to a family of poor coal minors. After growing up in poverty, he decided to go to school to be a lawyer. While walking on campus, he was caught in a severe thunder storm in which he was afraid for his life. Falling on his face, He called out to the saint of coal minors, and told her if she saved him, he would become a monk.

The storm miraculously stopped, and he was true to his word. He joined a monastery, and studied theology. However, the more he did, the more troubled he became. He repeatedly wrote in his diary, “how can a man find favor with God?” He would fast 10-15 days at a time, sleep outside in freezing temperatures with no blanket, and beat his body to try to get rid of his sinful tendencies. He went to confession so many times a day that the priest finally told him to either go out and commit a sin worth confessing or stop coming here so often. He finally decided to make a pilgrimage to Rome in search of peace, and on his journey, he became sick while crossing the Alps, almost dying from a high fever. Some monks nursed him back to health, and one of them told him he needed to read the book of Habakkuk. One verse caught his attention, and he couldn’t get it out of his mind, “The just shall live by faith.”

He continued his journey to Rome, and came to the Church of St. John’s Lateran. Here were steps that were said to have been miraculously transported from Jerusalem from Pilate’s judgment hall. People would climb one step at a time on their knees, saying prayers as they went. The pope had promised an indulgence for everyone who did this. While doing this, he remembered the verse from Habakkuk, left the stair case, and returned to the university to further study justification by faith. This would ultimately lead him to nail his 95 theses to the door of the Wittenberg Castle Church, and started the protestant reformation. This obviously was Martin Luther. The Protestant Reformation is one of the most important events in modern history, and we are still experiencing the effects of it today.

John Wesley was also affected by the book of Romans. While at a meeting with a group of Moravians, the speaker was reading out of Martin Luther’s commentary on Romans, and Wesley writes the following: “While he was describing the change which God works in the heart through faith in Christ, I felt my heart strangely warmed. I felt I did trust in Christ, Christ alone, for my salvation, and an assurance was given me that he had taken my sins away, even mine.” Like Luther, John Wesley, his brother Charles, and George Whitefield all went through similar experiences where they were trying to find favor with God by their good works. Through a series of different circumstances, they all came to the same conclusion that they needed to be justified by faith, they needed to be born again. The three of them would begin preaching this message of justification by faith, and were used powerfully by the Lord during the First Great Awakening, a large revival that swept through England and the American colonies during the 1700’s. Having said this, let’s jump into Romans 1.

Paul begins by identifying himself, and calling himself a bondservant of Jesus Christ. The word bondservant means a slave, and refers to one who, in complete and utter devotion, binds himself to his master for life (Exo 21:2-6). Paul was a bondservant of Christ before anything else.

He was called to be an apostle; one sent with delegated authority. This calling wasn’t something he chose for himself, but was called to be an apostle after meeting the Lord on the road to Damascus. He was separated to the Gospel of God. Paul was a Pharisee which means one separated, and it could be he was saying he was no longer separated to the law and traditions of the elders, but now separated unto Christ.

The Gospel was promised before through the prophets in the Scriptures. David wrote of the Messiah, “Then I said, ‘Behold, I come; in the scroll of the book it is written of me. I delight to do Your will, O my God, and Your law is within my heart.’” (Psa 40:7-8) Jesus told the religious leaders, “You search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of Me.” (Jn 5:39) The Old Testament Scriptures have as their main purpose to reveal Jesus to mankind.

Verse 3 states “Concerning His Son Jesus Christ our Lord, who was born of the seed of David according to the flesh,” and speaks to Jesus’ deity before He took on human flesh in the seed of David. This is important because there are cults out there that like to teach that Jesus is either not God, or that He was later elevated to God status. There are essential doctrines that one must adhere to in order to call themselves a true Christian, and both the deity and humanity of Jesus Christ are among them. Both the Old and New Testament Scriptures refer to the Messiah as God from eternity past, and this passage in Romans is one of them. A savior who is not God cannot forgive sins, and a savior who was not man could not have offered his body as a sacrifice for you and me. His claim to deity was declared with power at His resurrection through the Holy Spirit. His resurrection was the proof that all of this is true.

Paul and the other apostles had received grace and apostleship through obedience to the faith (obedience that comes from faith). He refers to the Romans as called to be saints, something he will discuss more later.

He greets them with a similar greeting in his other letters, ‘grace and peace from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ’. True grace and peace cannot come any other way. He tells them he was grateful that their faith was spoken of around the world. He was praying for them constantly, and that he would be able to come see them. He wanted to impart to them some spiritual gift that they would be established, and that he and they would be mutually encouraged. The Lord doesn’t need us to give spiritual gifts, but at times He does use us in this way (1 Tim 4:14). He had wanted to come to them, but had been hindered by something. It could be the Lord allowed him to be hindered from coming to them so that he could write the book of Romans. As an apostle to the Gentiles, he felt obligated to preach to them, as well to those in Rome.

Next, Paul tells us he is not ashamed of the Gospel. What is the Gospel, you might ask? The word Gospel means a good message or good news. Paul gives us one of the most definitive explanations of the Gospel in the entire Bible in the book of Romans. In a nutshell, the Gospel is: although man has fallen short of God’s righteous and holy standards and is deserving of His wrath, God has provided a way of escape through faith in Jesus Christ.

Paul then tells us why he’s not ashamed of the Gospel. It is the power of God unto salvation for everyone who believes. The word for power is dunamis, and means God’s miraculous power or might, and is where we get our word dynamite. It takes the miraculous power of God (Holy Spirit) to bring a spiritually dead man back to life.

The word “believe” refers to putting one’s faith in a person or thing, and in context, refers to entrusting one’s spiritual wellbeing to Jesus Christ for salvation and forgiveness. ‘Believe’ in one form or another appears almost 300 times in the NT, and in the gospel of John alone it appears 98 times. It’s the same word that is in John 3:16, “whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” Paul states it was to the Jew first, and also for the Greek (Gentile). It was to the Jew first, because the Jews are God’s chosen people. Paul will get into this later in Romans, but God still has a plan for them even though many of them are in rebellion and unbelief currently.

For in it (the Gospel) the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith. The original language makes it even more clear; it’s the righteousness that God gives to man based on his faith in Him. William Barclay said this word means “to treat, or account or reckon a person as something. If God justifies a sinner, it does not mean that he finds reasons to prove that he was right – far from it. It does not even mean, at this point, that he makes the sinner a good man. It means that God treats the sinner as if he had not been a sinner at all.” Wow! To treat me, a sinner, as though I had never sinned is quite remarkable. From faith to faith signifies it is faith from beginning to end.

Then Paul quotes from this verse in Habakkuk, “The just shall live by faith.” The entire verse actually reads: “Behold the proud, his soul is not upright in him; but the just shall live by his faith.” In other words, it’s our own pride that says we are good enough to approach unto God, but it’s our faith that makes us just (innocent) before Him. We are not only saved by faith, but we live by it as well, a topic he will also cover later in the book. Paul has given us his thesis for the book of Romans, and he will spend the next several chapters defending and proving it.

In what ways are we ashamed of the Gospel? Maybe if someone asks us, we would admit we are a Christian, but when it comes to actively sharing our faith, we tend to shy away from it. Like Paul, we shouldn’t be ashamed of the Gospel, for it is the power of God unto salvation. God has taken us when we were spiritually dead, and by His dunamis power made us alive again. He wants others to have this same quickening experience as well. If we truly understand the depths of our own sin and experienced the mercy and grace of God, we should want to tell others about Him and what He has done for us. In this troubled world that we live in in which people are being senselessly murdered for what they believe, the Gospel of Jesus Christ is what we need more than ever. Charlie Kirk wasn’t ashamed of the Gospel: he lived it, proclaimed it boldly, and died for it. Next time, I hope to cover the remainder of the chapter.