The Wrath of God Really Matters. How Does Truth Change Everything? ⋆ Effie Darlene Barba %

The truth of the Wrath of God really matters. Without it would we ever understand His love and grace for us. Bare with me as we explore this further in this text which lay the groundwork for our studies in Romans

If we return to the Greek to review this passage. And we remember the Bible was not originally divided into verses. We will get some additional insight I believe. The ending of verse 17 was a quote from Malachi. “The just shall live by faith.” This is followed by 18. And in Greek reads. “Is revealed for the wrath of God from heaven on all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men. The truth by unrighteousness suppressing,¹ (Then 19) Because the known of God manifest is among them. God for to them has revealed (it).²

When you consider this. Truly it is a comfort to know the just live by faith. Who are the just? Those set aside as righteous because of the blood of Jesus Christ. And faith? It is that faith which God Himself instills within us. Only then we realize how tremendous is that declaration of being declared Saints by His Act of Grace. Our faith a gift from Him.

Consider this

Were it not for Grace. Would not I have been drawn aside to suppress the truth out of all my actions of unrighteousness. How indebted I am that He has covered me with the blood of Christ. How often would my actions lead to suppressing the truth of God? Were it not for His Grace that takes my failures and turns them into something good in His hands. Of course, that occurs because His Spirit within me convicts me and draws me back. How much do I too deserve the Wrath of God; but am given grace and mercy. He will bring things into my life to draw me back to Him. But I would rather go into heaven with a broken body, heart, and mind if needed. Rather than to ever spend even a moment without Him.

The Wrath of God Revealed

We see the evidence of the Wrath of God revealed from heaven itself. That occurred during the flood and the burning of Sodom and Gomorrah. It was seen when the earth opened to swallow up Korah with his followers. These are very dramatic scenes. However, we cannot say every hurricane or natural disaster is a display of the Wrath of God. Some may be. Yet, many are the natural progression of a broken, sin laden world. Yes, He is aware and could stop it. However, often those disasters may cause some to fall on their knees to turn to Him. Only, a Holy, Just God can bring good even out of the disasters. Furthermore, it kind of destroys the theories of evolution. That is if instead of evolving the earth and the people are devolving instead.

The word wrath here is not that of gigantic uncontrollable, unreasonable anger as we consider wrath to be. Instead, it is a steady, controlled sadness and resolve against all that destroys what He created. Unrighteousness and the suppression of the truth of God, destroys the hearts and minds of those whom God so loves. His perfect Holiness and Righteousness sees the depths of the destruction sin brings to His beloved creation. So why did He allow all this? Huge discussion; but, remember we do not have the mind of God. Thank God, I am not God. Nor do I want to be. Yet, how can anyone love without choice? And how can I recognize His Righteousness or Goodness if I never saw what life without Him is?

Understand the Wrath of God through Seeing What is Known of God

God reveals Himself in nature itself.

The heavens declare the glory of God;

And the firmament shows His handiwork.

Day unto day utters speech,

And night unto night reveals knowledge.

There is no speech nor language

Where their voice is not heard.

Their line has gone out through all the earth,

And their words to the end of the world. Psalm 19:1-3 NKJV

His revelation of Himself goes beyond this.

He created man with a “conscience” and thought. Mankind screams about “justice” declaring that certain things are wrong. Such as murder, rape, incest, pedophilia, theft, etc. However, these lines are becoming more blurred. There mostly remains still some desire for orderliness, law, and some form of government to keep out chaos. Those are felt within the human’s heart. Also present are the desire for awe, wonder, joy, hope and love. We aspire to things that are beyond just nature’s instincts. The desire for creativity and to become someone admirable are not found in the animal kingdom as such. Mankind was created with a vacuum that only God can fill. After the fall of humanity, human beings tried to fill that hole with various other things. Pushing aside the obvious and even purposefully denying the existence of God.

No one must look beyond their own heart to recognize that some creator/designer had to create us. A box of legos cannot suddenly be shuffled together and come out as a beautiful work of art. There has to be a designer. One who carefully designs, positions, and places each in such a way as to create a masterpiece of artwork. The same is true of the universe and our own bodies. Each intricate cell brimming with the truth that God IS.

No Excuse for Those Who Will Face the Wrath of God

For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead Romans 1:20 (NKJV)

Invisible attributes clearly seen. Sounds like a backward statement; but not really. His invisible attributes are clearly seen through the reflection of those attributes throughout nature itself. And within the central core of human souls. There are the frustrations, depressions and anxieties that push us toward so many things. Just hoping to fulfill the longing deep within us. Then there is that desire for eternity. Some even want to freeze their bodies to be awakened when a cure can be found. Others want to have their “conscientiousness’” transmitted to some robot, believing that will make them eternal. While still even others desire to create such a legacy that their legacy is eternal.

He has put eternity in their hearts, Ecclesiastes 3:11 NKJV

God even placed the longing for eternity into our hearts that we might desire Him. He ordained the idea of love, marriage, and family. That so we might even understand the Triune God’s union and love together. As well as His design to call out a wife in the Jewish Nation. And a bride for His son from the Gentile. All this symbolic of His plans of love, union and togetherness. Only sin broke it all. Rather, humanities desire to rule, dominate, and be God has progressed us to where we are.

so that they are without excuse because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened Romans 1:20-21

The Wrath of God revealed in the Degradation of Humanity

Professing to be wise, they became fools and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like corruptible man—and birds and four-footed animals and creeping things. Romans 1:22-23

Note from Romans 1:21, humanities decline began by not giving God the Glory nor thanking Him. How often, we who know Him as Lord and Savior, drift into lives of anxiety, depression, and spiritual drought by doing the same. Yet, we have the Holy Spirit who will draw us back, eventually. Sometimes having to knock us down or allow us to hit rock bottom first. But assuredly, He will finish the work begun in us. However, those who do not have Him to bring them back. Those who do not know Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. All who cannot proclaim their justice from being washed in the blood of Christ, clothed in His righteousness. They just keep drifting further away. In other words they keep digging their own hole deeper and deeper. Until they have not even a glimpse of light left.

Therefore, God also gave them up to uncleanness, in the lusts of their hearts, to dishonor their bodies among themselves, who exchanged the truth of God for the lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen. Romans 1:24-25 NKJV

Fornication, lust, adultery, abortion, etc-my body, my choice. God gave them up to uncleanness. This is His wrath saying, “Go ahead and do as you want to. I am not going to try to stop you anymore.” Humanistic psychology was the full teaching of this. “Being and Nothingness” by Jean Paul Sartre led the masses. Along with Sigmund Freud, Nietzsche, and Bertrand Russell. All of whom were miserable themselves.

A Form of the Wrath of God

When God recalls His restraining hand in the life of a person. Or a nation. He displays a form of His Wrath. Since He is their source of all that is good, right, just, and even their basic provisions. Anyone have to read Hierarchy of Needs by Abraham Maslow? If so, you will note that people sometimes begin this backwards spiral. They end with even the basic needs failing at some point. The peak of “self-actualization” where life is fulfilling completely can only be truly achieved with a union with God. No society can ever provide it. Therefore, that is why our world remains in such a chaos. We need God.

Society continues to deteriorate the further God allows people to “do what they want”. Even try to play God. Attempting to fix what was broken, the human race plunges deeper in sin. And thus further away from their only source of healing.

For this reason, God gave them up to vile passions. For even their women exchanged the natural use for what is against nature. Likewise, also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust for one another, men with men committing what is shameful, and receiving in themselves the penalty of their error which was due. Romans 1:26-27 NKJV

Then as it progressed

And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a debased mind, to do those things which are not fitting; being filled with all unrighteousness, sexual immorality, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, evil-mindedness; they are whisperers, backbiters, haters of God, violent, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, ]undiscerning, untrustworthy, unloving, unforgiving, unmerciful; who, knowing the righteous judgment of God, that those who practice such things are deserving of death, not only do the same but also approve of those who practice them. Romans 1:28-32 NKJV

Why does the Wrath of God really Matter for you and me

It is a reminder to we who believe where we truly came from. And how much love and grace He has given us.

Therefore

We must fall on our knees to Glorify God and Thank Him for our salvation

Then, we must go into the world and preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ to a lost and dying world. We are the SALT and Light. Therefore, let us live like we are the children of God. With love for the lost, not for their sin. There are the moments we will need to walk away from some people. But never stop praying for their salvation as long as they live. And never get trapped into being the angry, bitter social media people bent on arguing.

To all we meet:
- Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice. And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you. Ephesians 4: 29-32 NKJV

To Others in the church
- I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called, with all lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love,endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; 6 one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all. Ephesians 4:1-6

Furthermore

Never forsake the study, recognizing Jesus Christ Himself ordained us to be under pastors, teachers. They are His gift to His church.

But to each one of us grace was given according to the measure of Christ’s gift. Therefore He says:

“When He ascended on high,

He led captivity captive,

And gave gifts to men.”

(Now this, “He ascended”—what does it mean but that He also [d]first descended into the lower parts of the earth? He who descended is also the One who ascended far above all the heavens, that He might fill all things.)

And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head—Christ— from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love. Ephesians 4:7-16 NKJV

Concluding Thoughts

Knowing and understanding the Wrath of God against sin matters as His truth transforms us. Jesus Christ, God’s Only Son bore all the judgement and wrath of God against me. For my sin. So I might be set free. Therefore, I must act like I am free. How? by loving those who are placed in my path; even when I might not like some of them. I must not compromise to their standards. However, I am to love them in their confusion. Hoping and praying the light will shine into their hearts. Precisely it may be through the holes in my life. My own broken heart allowing the light of the Holy Spirit to shine through the cracks. Wrapped tight. Hidden in my own hard shell will never reach someone else. Only when I am broken for Him, will He shine brightest through me to others.

Listen to this song written and sung by Steve Green.

DO YOU KNOW CHRIST AS YOUR SAVIOR AND LORD? He is our only Hope in Life and Death! Our Joy is found in Him.

Therefore if you don’t know Jesus Christ as your Savior and Lord: I urge you today. Go to my page titled How to Be Saved by clicking on this link. There is nothing more important than this; because He is the way, the truth and the life. Therefore, I urge you to seek Him today.

For Prayer or Comments

If you have a prayer request feel free to email me by clicking here

Furthermore, if you would like to share your story or thoughts, you can comment here

Who Are You Really Called by God to be in the World Today?

Disclosure of Material Connection: I have not received any compensation for writing this post. Furthermore, I have no material connection to the brands, products, or services that I have mentioned except for my own books. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.

Please note: This Post only has quotes from the KJV Bible except where otherwise indicated

BSB (BEREAN STUDY BIBLE)

The Berean Bible and Majority Bible texts are officially dedicated to the public domain as of April 30, 2023.