THE WRATH OF GOD REVEALED An Exposition of Romans 1:18

Text: “For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness.” (Romans 1:18)

My friends, we come tonight to one of the most solemn verses in the whole of Scripture. The Apostle Paul has just declared that he is not ashamed of the gospel of Christ. He has told us that the gospel is the power of God unto salvation. He has shown us that in the gospel the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith (Romans 1:16-17).

But immediately he turns to another revelation. There is not only a revelation of God’s righteousness. There is also a revelation of God’s wrath.

The gospel can never be understood until we understand why it is needed. The physician’s remedy is only precious to the man who knows he is sick. The lifeboat is only precious to the man who knows he is drowning. Likewise, the gospel is only precious to the man who understands his peril before a holy God.

Paul begins with three great truths.

I. THE REALITY OF GOD’S WRATH

“For the wrath of God is revealed…”

The modern world dislikes this doctrine. Many are willing to speak of God’s love, God’s mercy, and God’s compassion. But they recoil at the thought of God’s wrath.

Yet the Apostle does not apologize for it. Neither should we.

The wrath of God is not the wrath of man. Human anger is often sinful, selfish, and uncontrolled. But God’s wrath is His holy reaction against sin. It is His settled opposition to everything that contradicts His nature.

Indeed, if God were not wrathful against evil, He would not be good.

Imagine a judge who smiled at murder, laughed at abuse, and ignored injustice. We would not praise such a judge. We would condemn him. His indifference would be evil.

God’s wrath is not a defect in His character. It is a perfection of His holiness.

The same God who loves righteousness must hate wickedness (Psalm 45:7). The same God who delights in truth must oppose falsehood. The same God who loves purity must stand against corruption.

The cross itself proves the reality of divine wrath. If God could simply overlook sin, why did Christ die? Why the agony of Gethsemane? Why the darkness at Calvary? Why the cry, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?” (Matthew 27:46).

The cross is the greatest demonstration that God’s wrath against sin is real.

II. THE PRESENT REVELATION OF GOD’S WRATH

“The wrath of God is revealed…”

Notice the tense.

Paul does not say it will be revealed. Certainly there is a future day of judgment. Scripture is clear on that point (Acts 17:31).

But Paul says it is revealed.

The wrath of God is a present reality.

As we continue through Romans 1, we shall discover one of the chief ways in which God reveals His wrath. Three times Paul says that God “gave them up” (Romans 1:24, 26, 28).

What is judgment?

Sometimes judgment is not God striking a man down. Sometimes judgment is God allowing a man to continue in the path he has chosen.

A society rejects God.

It rejects His truth.

It mocks His commandments.

It despises His ways.

And eventually God says, in effect, “Very well. Have what you desire.”

The result is moral confusion, spiritual darkness, broken families, corrupted minds, and ruined lives.

One of the most fearful judgments God can send is to leave people to themselves.

When we look at the chaos of the modern world, we are not merely seeing human progress gone wrong. We are seeing evidence of divine judgment upon human rebellion.

The wrath of God is being revealed.

III. THE SOURCE OF GOD’S WRATH

“The wrath of God is revealed from heaven…”

This is important.

Paul reminds us that this wrath is not merely the natural consequence of bad choices. It comes from heaven.

God Himself is involved.

History is not out of control.

The universe is not governed by blind chance.

The moral order of creation reflects the character of its Creator.

Every sin is ultimately committed against God.

David understood this after his great failure. Though he had sinned against many people, he cried, “Against You, You only, have I sinned” (Psalm 51:4).

The ultimate issue in sin is not social. It is theological.

Sin is rebellion against God.

Therefore God’s response comes from heaven.

IV. THE OBJECT OF GOD’S WRATH

“Against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men…”

Notice the comprehensiveness.

Paul says all ungodliness and unrighteousness.

There are two dimensions of sin described here.

Ungodliness refers primarily to man’s relationship with God.

Unrighteousness refers primarily to man’s relationship with others.

The first is vertical.

The second is horizontal.

The first table of the Ten Commandments concerns God.

The second table concerns our fellow man.

Sin violates both.

Modern people often pride themselves on being decent neighbors while ignoring God entirely.

But Paul says ungodliness itself deserves judgment.

A man may never rob a bank.

He may never commit murder.

He may never appear in court.

Yet if he lives without God, refuses God’s authority, and ignores God’s glory, he is guilty of ungodliness.

The greatest sin in the universe is not merely breaking God’s laws.

It is disregarding God Himself.

The first duty of every creature is to honor the Creator.

V. THE TRAGEDY OF HUMANITY

“Who suppress the truth in unrighteousness.”

This is one of the Bible’s most penetrating diagnoses of the human condition.

Notice what Paul does not say.

He does not say men are seeking truth and cannot find it.

He does not say men desperately desire God but lack sufficient evidence.

He says they suppress the truth.

The picture is of holding something down.

Pushing it away.

Silencing it.

The truth confronts them through creation (Romans 1:19-20).

The truth confronts them through conscience (Romans 2:15).

The truth confronts them through the Word of God.

But fallen humanity resists it.

Why?

Because the problem is not primarily intellectual.

It is moral.

Men reject the truth because they love their sin.

The issue is not lack of evidence.

The issue is rebellion of the heart.

That is why education alone cannot save the world.

Knowledge alone cannot save the world.

Politics cannot save the world.

Philosophy cannot save the world.

The problem lies deeper than the mind.

It lies in the heart.

The sinner does not merely need information.

He needs regeneration.

He needs a new heart.

He needs the grace of God.

CONCLUSION

This verse leaves every one of us facing a solemn question.

How shall we stand before a holy God?

The wrath of God is real.

The wrath of God is revealed.

The wrath of God comes from heaven.

The wrath of God is directed against all sin.

And humanity naturally suppresses the truth.

Is there any hope?

Thanks be to God, there is.

The same epistle that reveals God’s wrath also reveals God’s righteousness.

The same God who judges sin has provided a Savior for sinners.

The same God whose wrath is revealed from heaven has sent His Son from heaven.

At Calvary, Christ bore the judgment that His people deserved. There the wrath of God fell upon the sinless Substitute so that guilty sinners might receive mercy.

Therefore do not suppress the truth.

Do not argue with it.

Do not flee from it.

Bow before it.

Confess your sin.

Trust in Christ.

And discover that where sin abounded, grace abounded much more (Romans 5:20).

BDD