Romans 1:18-32

Romans 1:16–17 CSB

For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, first to the Jew, and also to the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith, just as it is written: The righteous will live by faith.

The Problem of Wrath

Illus: of men refusing to go to the doctor.

The Message of Romans A. The Wrath of God against All Humankind (Romans 1:18–3:20)

Deny the problem, and nothing can be done about it; admit the problem, and at once there is the possibility of a solution.

Why is the Gospel necessary?

Our fundamental problem is that we are not righteous.

Our fundamental problem is that we are not righteous.

God always acts rightly, in accordance with his nature and promises, and his perfection in this regard is the standard against which every person is measured.

God must punish sin. The extraordinary good news of the gospel is about how God can make us righteous, without compromising His own righteousness.

The Message of Romans 1. What Is the Wrath of God?

Human anger, although there is such a thing as righteous indignation, is mostly very unrighteous. It is an irrational and uncontrollable emotion, containing much vanity, animosity, malice and the desire for revenge. It should go without saying that God’s anger is absolutely free of all such poisonous ingredients.

We are made righteous by faith in the gospel , not by works.

God is not pleased with our sin—

Who or what do we need to be saved from? (Sin?) GOD.

God is angry because of our wickedness which consists of our rejection of the truth about Him.

Suppress the truth—Illus of a beach ball under water.

OT—God of wrath—Flood, Sodom and Gomorah and in the destruction of Israel.

NT— THE CROSS

We have no excuse for rejecting God—

We have no excuse for rejecting God—Romans 1:19-20

General Revelation—creation reveals a Creator. Even redemption.

God is powerful and deserves our worship. What else? (Wise—compassionate, joyful, sense of humor?)

God’s self revelation in creation does not save people, rather, because they do knoe better, it makes their rebellion culpable.

Special Revelation—God’s Word about who He is and salvation through Jesus.

Humanity is given over to our sin because we reject God— (3 cycles)

Humanity is given over to our sin because we reject God— (3 cycles)

We are made to worship and in our rejection of God we misuse and redirect our worship to things that are unworthy.

We reject