Wrath revealed from heaven

 

18 For there is revealed God’s wrath from heaven upon all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold down the truth in unrighteousness [of life]; 19 because that which is known of God is manifest in them; for God made it evident to them. 20 For the invisible things of Him from the creation of the world, made known to the mind by the things that are made, are clearly perceived,—both His eternal power and divinity; so as to render them inexcusable: 21 because, though knowing God, they did not glorify [Him] as God, nor were they thankful [towards Him] but became vain in their reasonings, and their senseless heart was darkened. 22 Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, 23 and changed the glory of the incorruptible God for the likeness of an image of corruptible man, and of birds, and of quadrupeds, and of creeping things.

24 Wherefore God gave them over in the lusts of their hearts unto uncleanness, so that their bodies were dishonored among themselves:—25 such ones as they! who changed the truth of God into the lie! and worshipped and served the created thing rather than the Creator,—Who is blessed unto the ages! Amen.

26 On account of this, God gave them over to shameful passions: for their females changed the natural use into that contrary to nature: 27 and in like manner also the males having left the natural use of the females, were inflamed in their lust one toward another, males with males working out shame, and receiving in themselves the recompense of their error which was due.

28 And just as they did not approve to have God in [their] knowledge, God gave them over to a mind disapproved [of Him],—to practise things not befitting [His creatures]; 29 having become filled with all injustice, destructiveness, covetousness, malice; full of envy, murder, strife, guile, malignant subtlety; secret slanderers, 30 open slanderers, hateful to God, insolent, arrogant, boasters, inventors of bad things; without obedience to parents, 31 without [moral] understanding, without good faith, without affection for kindred, without [consent to] truce, without mercy: 32 who, conscious of the righteous decree of God that those practising such things are worthy of [the sentence of] death, not only keep on practising the same, but also are pleased with those that are practising them.

1. Wherefore thou art without excuse, O man,—any one judging [others]: for in the very matter in which thou judgest the other man, thou art giving judgment against thy very self: tor the same things thou art practising,—thou who art judging!

2 And we know that the judgment of God is according to truth against them that practice such things. 3 And dost thou reckon this, O man, judging them that practice such things, and thyself doing the same, that thou shalt escape the judgment of God? 4 Or dost thou even despise the riches of His goodness and forbearance and long-suffering, not knowing that the goodness of God is meant to lead thee to repentance? Romans 1:18-32: Romans 2:1-4

 

"...the judgment of God is “according to truth.” Every man is naturally blind to his own state and sins. Not unless mightily convinced by the Holy Ghost, can any man imagine God’s dealing in justice with him! The third verse brings this out. Godet (though seeking to confine this passage to the Jews) strikingly renders it: “Dost thou reason that thou wouldst escape,—thou? A being by thyself? A privileged person?” And he adds, “The Greek word here used (logid-zomai—to reason) well describes the false calculations whereby the Jews persuaded themselves that they would escape the judgment wherewith God would visit the Gentiles.” 

But Paul does not begin with the Jews as a class until verse 17. Here in the first part of the [2nd] chapter he is seeking to arouse all men from that sense of security arising from self-love and self-flattery. We must apply these searching sentences to all “respectable” persons, to all those who, being themselves impenitent, yet “judge” others.

God sees the facts, nay, the motives behind the facts, of the life of every creature. Of course, this whole second chapter, and the first part of the third, is meant by God, whose name is Love, to drive us out of our false notions of Himself and His judicial procedure, into the arms of our Redeemer, Christ; who has borne wrath, the wrath of God, as our Substitute. But whether you are brought to flee to Christ or not, you must face the facts: God is a God of judgment, and a God of truth. See how He “spared not His own Son, but delivered Him up.” It is not because God loves to judge and condemn, for He definitely says judgment is “His strange work” (Isa. 28:21). Nevertheless, He must judge, and it must be “according to truth,” according to the facts, the realities which are, of course, known to Him. He needs no “jury” to decide any case. He is Himself Witness, Jury and Judge.

Now, in the next two verses (3 and 4), we see God dealing with the accursed folly of the deceitful heart of man, who dreams that by merely judging others (though he practices the same things), he shall escape God’s judgment. Some one says, “We hate our own faults when we see them in others.” But this state goes beyond even that, for it puts God right off His throne, and makes Him connive with a guilty sinner, just because, forsooth, this sinner discerns clearly and decries loudly the sins of others,—while committing the same himself.

Furthermore, such a “judge” of others becomes, in his self-confident importance, blind to God’s constant mercy toward himself—not feeling the need of it; and in his self righteous blindness knows not that the “goodness” of God is meant to lead him to personal repentance instead of to judgment of his fellows.

Note the degrees or stages, also, of God’s kindness during the earth-life of such a man: First, it is God’s “goodness,” in daily preserving him, providing for him, and protecting him. Second, Divine goodness being despised by him, God’s “forebearance” is exercised,—God does not smite instantly the proud ingrate, but goes on in goodness toward him, withholding wrath even at times when disease, danger, or death threaten all about him. Third, all God’s goodness and forbearance being despised, God’s “long-suffering” keeps waiting, even over “vessels of wrath” (see 9:22).

5 But after thy hardness and impenitent heart treasures up for thyself wrath in the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God—

We have here the second principle, the cumulative character of continued impenitence. This shows how the hardened and impenitent sinner “lays up” during a prosperous earth-life constant “treasures” of wrath, which will be revealed at the Great White Throne judgment of Revelation 20, when all the evil works of the lost will be shown in all their ramifications and evil influences, and effects upon others, as well as in the fearful personal guilt of hardness and impenitence against God’s mercy. Not until the last evil result of a life of sin has been marked and weighed, can the final reward of the sinner be shown,—as all will be shown in that “Day.” This is the outlook, probably, with most people we meet! How dread and awful that outlook for the sinner who has taken God’s earthly gifts and blessings as a matter of course,—no brokenness of heart or contrition toward God! Nay, not even thankfulness! 

“Behold, this was the iniquity of Sodom: pride, fulness of bread, and prosperous ease [was in her and in her daughters; neither did she strengthen the hand of the poor and needy. And they were haughty, and committed abomination before me: therefore I took them away as I saw good.]” (Ezek. 16:49, 50). 

And our Lord, in speaking of the utter carnal security of the Sodomites, says,

“They ate, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they builded; but in the day that Lot went out from Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven, and destroyed them all; after the same manner shall it be in the day that the Son of Man is revealed” (Luke 17:28-30).

So they are today, in these last days: “Treasuring up unto themselves wrath” for that fearful “day of wrath.”

Remember, if the goodness of God toward you is not leading you to repentance, then every day, every hour, you live, drops another drop into the terrible “treasure” of indignation which will burst the great dam of God’s long-suffering—in the great Day of Wrath, when God shall reveal His righteous judgment! (Of course, if you flee to Calvary, you will “not come into judgment” (John 5:24): for Judgment has already struck there!)"

William R. Newell, from Romans Verse by Verse, Chapter 1 and Chapter 2

 

"Who his own self bore our sins in his own body on the tree."

Sin and sins have been dealt with judicially on the cross. Sin in the flesh was there condemned, and we are dead, in His death, unto sin. (Rom. 6)

"How shall we live any longer therein?"

From Readings and Meditations on the Epistles of John

 

 

 

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