But I tell you that anyone who is angry with a brother or sister will be subject to judgment. Again, anyone who says to a brother or sister, ‘Raca,’ is answerable to the court. And anyone who says, ‘You fool!’ will be in danger of the fire of hell. – Matthew 5:22.
INTRODUCTION
Romans 1: 18-32 – 2:16 develops Paul’s argument that no one can claim by his or her own efforts or merit to be good in God’s sight. All people everywhere deserve God’s condemnation for their sin. The wrath of God is not an uncontrolled emotional burst of anger like humans often display. Rather, it is a display of justice and a holy reaction toward anything that is contrary or defiant against God’s standards and character.
God’s wrath is provoked by the wicked behaviour of individuals and nations and by the unfaithfulness of His people. Any judgement or punishment that results from God’s wrath against sin is actually an expression of His righteousness and holiness.
ROMANS 1:18-32 – 2:16
But God shows His anger from heaven against all sinful, wicked people who suppress the truth by their wickedness. They know the truth about God because He has made it obvious to them. For ever since the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky. Through everything God made, they can clearly see His invisible qualities—His eternal power and divine nature. So they have no excuse for not knowing God.
Yes, they knew God, but they wouldn’t worship Him as God or even give Him thanks. And they began to think up foolish ideas of what God was like. As a result, their minds became dark and confused. Claiming to be wise, they instead became utter fools. And instead of worshiping the glorious, ever-living God, they worshiped idols made to look like mere people and birds and animals and reptiles.
So God abandoned them to do whatever shameful things their hearts desired. As a result, they did vile and degrading things with each other’s bodies. They traded the truth about God for a lie. So they worshiped and served the things God created instead of the Creator himself, who is worthy of eternal praise! Amen. That is why God abandoned them to their shameful desires. Even the women turned against the natural way to have sex and instead indulged in sex with each other. And the men, instead of having normal sexual relations with women, burned with lust for each other. Men did shameful things with other men, and as a result of this sin, they suffered within themselves the penalty they deserved.
Since they thought it foolish to acknowledge God, He abandoned them to their foolish thinking and let them do things that should never be done. Their lives became full of every kind of wickedness, sin, greed, hate, envy, murder, quarreling, deception, malicious behavior, and gossip. They are backstabbers, haters of God, insolent, proud, and boastful. They invent new ways of sinning, and they disobey their parents. They refuse to understand, break their promises, are heartless, and have no mercy. They know God’s justice requires that those who do these things deserve to die, yet they do them anyway. Worse yet, they encourage others to do them, too.
And this is the message I proclaim—that the day is coming when God, through Christ Jesus, will judge everyone’s secret life.
WHY IS GOD ANGRY AT SINFUL PEOPLE?
Because we have substituted the truth about Him with a lie. We have stifled the truth God naturally reveals to all people in order to believe anything that supports our own self-centered lifestyles. God cannot tolerate sin because His nature is morally perfect. God wants to remove the sin and restore the sinner – and He is able to, as long as the sinner does not stubbornly distort or reject the truth. But God shows His anger against those who persist in sinning. Let’s make sure we are not pursuing a lie rather than the true God and not suppress the truth about Him to merely protect our own lifestyle.
CONCLUSION
- In the past, God’s justified anger toward sin and rebellion were revealed through such things such as the flood, famine and plague, total destruction, scattering of people and burning of the land.
- In the present, God’s anger is seen in how He gives wicked and defiant people over to moral filthiness, spiritual corruption and ungodly passions. That is to say, he allows people who rebel against Him to go their own wicked and selfish way, bringing ruin, destruction and death on themselves.
- In the future, God’s wrath will include great distress for the ungodly of this world and a coming day of judgement for all people and nations. The final end of God’s wrath will be eternal punishment and permanent separation from God for those who refuse to turn from their own way, surrender to His purposes and receive His gift of eternal life.
- God’s wrath is not His final word to humans because He has provided a way of escape. People may admit their sin, accept God’s forgiveness, turn from their own ways and yield their lives to Jesus Christ.
We must identify with and participate in God’s anger against sin, not in the sense or retaliation or revenge, but by showing true love for what is right and true hatred for what displeases God according to His holy standard. This attitude should not be shown through personal judgement toward those who do not follow God – judgement is God’s right alone. Instead, our hatred for evil should be shown through our refusal to compromise with or participate in ungodly behaviours and lifestyles that exist around us. While we hate sin, we must show compassion for sinners in the hope that our message and lifestyle may lead some to accept and follow Christ for themselves.
Remain Blessed!
Please note that the preaching program on Sunny 88.7 FM – Tuesdays at 5:30 am has been temporarily put on hold. However, please continue to join us on Asempa 94.7 FM – Sundays at 5:30 am and YFM 107.9 – Sundays at 6:30 am for our Radio Bible Study, as well as on Sunny 88.7 FM every Sunday at 3:30 pm for Hymns and Their Stories.
