A young woman who had about given up on life and was about to jump from a bridge, but suddenly a verse came to her mind. She sought out a Biblical studies professor to ask some questions. As she was questioned about the event she realized the only time she had ever been to church was with her grandmother years ago to a VBS. The professor asked what she did at VBS. She said all she can remember is writing words on sheets of paper and memorizing them. He told her the saving power of the gospel had been stored up in her heart through the words of Scripture to save her life. The gospel can certainly save eternally but it can also save people from making desperate choices even in this life.
God’s justice involves salvation and wrath. God’s wrath is not just some random indignation. It is purposeful. He is operating appropriately according to His justice, His righteousness.
Why doesn’t a good God deal with evil? Some ask and do not understand His patience. He allows us to make the choices we make and so that sometimes involves evil. There are consequences to our actions. If God were to deal with all evil, that means he would have to deal with me too. So there are two sides to the idea of God’s justice. When we feel good about things, we want God to come down harshly on evil. And when we are struggling, we want God to extend us His grace. We find ourselves then a dilemma if we question God’s justice. Instead we should understand that God’s judgment is a matter of divine wisdom. It is not subject to human scrutiny. It is our job to align ourselves with what God has revealed.
Gods wrath is revealed against….
1. Worthless thinking. 1:23- “they exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things.” These people know there is a God, they can see that in nature, but they just ignore it. There is a majestic, divine being who has created everything and they focus instead on animals and creeping things. If we aren’t careful we can take advantage of God’s grace and patience because we don’t see immediate consequences to our sinful behavior. Worthless behavior starts with our thinking.
2. Warped worship. 1:25- “they exchanged the truth of God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the creator.” Modern idolatry is not really in the form of images, but it is still in the worship of things like money, sex and status. Idolatry is really an effort to glorify human desire and self serving. Everyone is worshiping something. If not God, then something else we throw ourself into and place above everything else. Covetousness is idolatry, Paul says. Idolatry messes with your mind and cause erroneous thinking.
3. Wicked passions. 1:26- “they exchanged natural relations for those that are contrary to nature.” The things that they think are right are actually evil and dark. God isn’t going to force us, he leaves it up to us. Look at the list in verses29-31. Some of these sins we all struggle with. Many of these sins lead to their own natural consequences. Our world is a mess. When we can’t decide that there are two genders we’re in serious trouble as a society. When we make choices contrary to the will of God and we will suffer the consequences.
Rom. 2:6-8: “He will render to each one according to his works; to those who by patience in well-doing seek for glory and honor and immortality, he will give eternal life; but for those who are self-seeking and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, wrath and indignation.”
God wants us to be His. He is not looking for us to trip up so He can punish us. The choice is ours. Will we accept Him or reject Him to serve our own desires?
Sermon by Brent Moody
