ROMANS 1:18-20 IS GOD ANGRY WITH THIS WORLD?

 

If you had to conduct a survey on our streets asking this question, “Do you think that God is angry with this world?”, you might get some interesting responses. I guarantee you however that most people would say, “I don’t think that God is angry. How can a God of love be angry?”

What those people are saying is that God cannot be angry and loving at the same time.  Is that true? Before we answer this question let us do a quick revision to see where we have come from.

In 1:1-7, Paul, the author of this letter to the Romans, identifies himself as an apostle tasked with preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ. 

In 1:8-15, he expresses his gratitude to God for the church in Rome. He conveys his intention to preach the gospel to them and, indeed, to all people. 

In 1:16-17, Paul articulates his purpose for writing to the Romans, which is to proclaim the gospel to them. He emphasizes the transformative power of the gospel. He asserts that the gospel has the ability to save everyone who believes, regardless of whether they are Jew or Greek. This salvation occurs when individuals place their faith in God's Word and His Messiah.

An important question then arises: What must we be saved from? What is at stake? 

Paul addresses this question in 1:18-3:20. There he discusses the universal problem of sin. He examines the sin and guilt of the gentiles before God (1:18-32), followed by the Jews' own sin and guilt (2:1-3:8), concluding that all of mankind is guilty before God (3:9-20). 

This highlights the severity of the situation—the bad news. And this section begins with these words...” For the wrath (or the anger) of God is revealed from heaven...” . God is angry! But I don’t want to leave you hanging there and provide you with more context. After having told us that He is angry with the whole world, Paul in 3:21-5:21 explains how God deals with that anger towards us. This is the Gospel. He explains how the Good News is applied to those who receive it with faith, circling back to 1:16-17. There, he notes that it is the instrumentality of faith that leads us to the gospel- hence away from the wrath of God. 

The definition of faith is best captured in Hebrews 11:6: "And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to Him must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who earnestly seek Him." Faith encompasses believing, being convinced of His existence and diligently seeking Him. Faith requires not only belief but also persuasion and active pursuit of God.

Paul builds his letter on the foundational truth that "The righteous shall live by faith" (1:17). Hence, the  next verse  - 1:18 must be viewed in this context.

Here’s the BIG QUESTION: What about the unrighteous- those that have no faith in God and in  His provision- those who ignore the gospel?  The Bible says that  God is angry with them.

1:18 “… For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth.”  

This summarizes 1:18 - 3:20 about the dilemma of the unrighteous.  The whole world is in trouble with God. This is concisely stated in Romans 3:9 – 20. ALL have sinned. No-one is righteous. Paul’s argument is rooted in the  Old Testament Scriptures [Rom. 3:10 -12 - Psalm 14:1-3; 53:1-3; Eccl 7:20;  Rom. 3:13a - Ps 5:9;  Rom. 3:13b - Ps.140:3;  Rom. 3:14 - Ps 10:7; Rom. 3:15 – 17- Isa. 59:7,8;  Rom. 3:18 - Ps 36:1].

He shows us that 

(i) the gentiles are under God's wrath (1:18 - 32) 

(ii) The Jews (who claim to be God's people) likewise are under God's wrath, if  they have not obtained personal righteousness and prove this by living a life of faith (2:1 - 3:8).  

[NOTE: Jews and Gentiles  are synonymous for 'the whole world' and so he arrives at the conclusion in Rom 3:9 - 20: "All have sinned…."]

Can you see why Paul considers himself so privileged to be the bearer of the Gospel (the Good News) to a world that is sunken in sin, and subject to God’s wrath, God’s anger and God's righteous judgement. Here is an incredible message. Blessed are they that hear and receive this good news by faith in God’s Word. Please note, that the effective reception of the good news must begin with the acceptance of the bad news.

1: 18 How Is The Bad News Manifested? 

“The wrath (Gr.orge) of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men”.  

God’s judgement is not limited to the future.  It will be so on that final day at Christ’s appearing when we ALL shall all be gathered before the Great White Judgement throne. But let’s be clear on this. In this very present moment, as is true of the  past, God’s wrath – His righteous anger is revealed against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men. He was not pleased with his people in the Exodus when they grumbled, and when His wrath was revealed in that context. In our own day God is not pleased when He see the ungodliness and wickedness of our own generation.  We shall see this as we continue  to exposit this passage next time,  as  we find that God “hands them over“.

But what is it about the unrighteousness and ungodliness of men that makes God angry?

It is the suppression of the truth. The Greek word used here (katakein)  means  to press down with force.   Paul is saying here that people deliberately   push the truth down.   They are like children who are hearing something true said about them, and they close their ears with both their hands, whilst yelling at the top of their voice, “I can’t hear you… I can’t hear you… I don’t want to hear you.”

1:19 & 20

The truth of the matter is that everybody knows that there is a God -  “For what can be known about God is plain to them because God has shown it to them …”.  Paul is here referring to the general revelation of God. Theologians distinguish this kind of revelation from ‘special revelation’, which is found only in the Bible, and of which the supreme revelation is the Lord Jesus and His saving work on the cross- the gospel!

Paul asserts that this general revelation which comes from God makes God‘s truth plain. I experienced this as a 16 year old in the Namib desert. Lying in our sleeping bags looking up at the clear desert sky, with the Milky Way in our face, I asked my father, “Is there a God?”  I saw God in His creation. This is the power of the testimony of Creation.  It does not tell us about the work of Christ. That is true. For that information you need the special revelation – the Bible. But Paul asserts in 1:20 that in this general revelation,  God’s invisible attributes, his eternal power and divine nature have been perceived ever since the creation of this world, in the things that have been made. So, they are without excuse …”

Paul is  thus claiming that God’s general revelation  in what is revealed in Creation is sufficient to hold man accountable. Just as we can look at a painting and know that there is a painter, so we may look at the Universe and know that there is a Creator.

The greatest suppression of the truth in this regard has been the evolutionary theory propounded by Charles Darwin. Evolution has persistently attacked the view that the world is created by God – and instead has, in the name of science replaced creation with the man-made doctrine of random evolution or chance happenings.  Frankly speaking, it takes more faith to believe in random evolution than God’s creation.

It is true that the revelation of God in nature does not provide us with saving knowledge, but it does give us a real awareness that there is a God.  This awareness ought to move us to seek Him   and ask the question, Where can I find Him?  How can I know Him? This quest for truth if we pursue it with all our heart will lead us to God’s special revelation.

“So, they are without excuse…”.

The Bible asserts that there is enough evidence for the existence of God, simply by looking at Creation.  To say that there is insufficient evidence for the existence of God is to call God a liar. It amounts to suppressing the truth.

We are now ready to see how God’s wrath manifests itself against such insolence.  But we are going to have to wait for that until next time.

All I can tell you now is that if anyone deliberately suppresses of the truth about God, this will cause God to abandon such people to their own futile thinking. He will hand such over to their own passions and delusions – and who knows where that will take them?

Not without reason the Bible repeatedly says, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of  knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction…”  (Prov. 1:7). 

The God who loves you, warns you. 

Do not fall into the hands of an angry God.