1:18
In chapters 1-3 Paul shows that both Jew and Gentile are sinners and under God’s judgement, and that all, both Jew and Gentile, can be saved by grace through faith. The things mentioned in 1:18-32 are aimed predominantly at the Gentile world, though that is not to say that the Jews were completely innocent of these “crimes”. “The wrath of God is revealed against all ungodliness of men”. In 1:17 we read of the righteousness of God being revealed, now we read of the wrath of God being revealed. I have said this before, but will say it again, we need to understand the wrath of God. The wrath of God is not a concept that is very popular! There are even many in the church who don’t like it, and will even outright deny it. So here is a quick reminder of what the wrath of God is. It is both rational and passionate. It is an anger against sin and sinners that is utterly rational. Unlike human wrath, which so easily becomes an uncontrollable rage, God’s wrath is based on the truth of what sin is, what it does to the sinner, and what it does to others. It is also a passionate hatred. It is not merely mechanistic. We need to hold both aspects in view, the rational judgement on sin and sinners, and the passionate, but completely controlled, anger. “Who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth”. Sin suppresses the truth. We see this in various ways. With transideology the notion that someone can change their biological sex is so clearly untrue, yet people will do all they can to deny this truth. There is a mountain of evidence that children living in a stable family environment do better than those who don’t (on average, there are always exceptions), yet there is a tremendous reluctance to accept the self-evident truth.
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