“The Wrath of God is Kindled

"The Wrath of God is Kindled!"

Romans 1:18-32

Theme: Reasons for God’s anger.

(Rom 1:18-32 KJV) For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness; {19} Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath showed it unto them. {20} For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse: {21} Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. {22} Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, {23} And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things. {24} Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves: {25} Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen. {26} For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature: {27} And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompense of their error which was meet. {28} And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient; {29} Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers, {30} Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, {31} Without understanding, covenantbreakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful: {32} Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them.

INTRODUCTION:

There comes a point in God’s dealing with men and nations when he abandons them. They become required to reap the benefits of their own sin. If you were to ask me "What is wrong with America today in 1998", I could answer by saying that "God has abandoned America, and is now reaping what she sowed." More to the point however is the fact that America has abandoned God!

We have chosen to sin, chosen to turn our backs on God, chosen to reject the gospel, chosen to reject a Biblical morality, chosen to disobey direct commandments from God, and God is saying "Let them alone". He is in effect allowing us to "go our own way". Sin has an ultimate price, and as Americans, we bear the responsibility for the sins of our countrymen.

Three times in the scripture passage we see the dreaded words "God gave them over!" GOD GAVE THEM OVER!!!! Mankind has been found guilty before God, and God’s wrath is being released against guilty man! God has taken off the restraints, and is allowing us to live with the results of our own sinful nature. If we continue to go our own way, making our own choices, God will turn us over to an uninterrupted course that will allow us to feel the full effects of our sinful choices.

Sin has become rampant in our country. It is so widespread, so tolerated, that things once confined to the realm of the deviant are now commonplace. Living sinfully has become so widespread that it has become part of the very fabric of our society. Sin is not only the cause, it is also the effect! Sin results in more sin, and then more, and more, and more.

We want to tell mankind that all is well! We want everyone to be allowed to do his or her own thing. Afterall, that is what freedom is all about, RIGHT? God says "WRONG" The only morality prevalent today is a humanistic version do everything you can, while you can do it. This is a blatant rejection of the moral law given to us through scripture. It is no wonder that the wrath of God is kindled against us. Our rejection of Him causes it! I find four specific reasons in today’s passage to show us reasons for God’s wrath.

I. Revelation (V19)

The very first reason is the revelation of God to us. God has been revealed to us, and his will has been made known to us. We know what his will and desire is, yet we choose to ignore it. Verse 20 says we are without excuse.

1. Right has been revealed to us.

The power of God has been revealed through our very being. He created us in His image, giving each of us a part of Him. It is not obscure to believe in god, it is not unnatural, it is innate within us. Just as when you wound yourself, you feel pain. It is plain common sense to believe in God.

2. God is revealed through Nature.

Surely one must realize that somebody must send the rain. Somebody had to pain the sunsets, someone made the flowers, and caused them to grow. Someone gave us the variety of foods we eat. Someone makes life happy, makes life sad. Somebody had to be in charge of bringing precious sweet soft, tender newborns into this world. None of these things are mere happenstance. Someone has to be in control of them, and that someone is GOD!

3. God is revealed through Human Reason.

The mind and the reason, the very fabric of our soul cries out that there is a God. There is a creator! He is the most powerful. He is good, and wise. In Acts 17:23 Paul found an inscription on Mars Hill "TO AN UNKOWN GOD". He then told the who that God was!...that he was the God who made all things...the god who is Lord of heaven and earth, a God who does not dwell in temples made with mere hands. You see, Paul assumed that they would be able to rationally embrace what he was saying. Paul assumed that they would believe because it is common sense! The reality is that this world demands a creator! That is why we are without excuse! Since the beginning of creation Man has been aware of the invisible attributes of God. His eternal power, his divine nature, his love.

SECONDLY, God’s wrath falls on us because we reject him.

II. Rejection (v 21)

1. God is angry because mankind has rejected him!

When man discovered the truth, man proceeded to reject God. We didn’t honor him, we didn’t give him respect, we didn’t give thanks for our very being. We turned from his principles and invented our own. An unknown (to me at any rate) author penned these words:

"Will God give man brains to see these things, and will man then fail to exercise his will towards that God? The sorrowful answer is that both of these things are true. God will give a man brains to smelt iron, and to make a hammerhead and nails. And God will grow a tree and give man strength to cut it down and brains to fashion a hammer handle from its wood. And when man has the hammer and the nails, God will put out his hand and let man drive those nails through it and place him on a cross in the supreme demonstration that men are without excuse."

2. Man rejected God by dishonoring his creation. V 24

24 Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonor their own bodies between themselves:

Mankind dishonored the bodies that God has given us.We have begun to worship the things of our own hands rather than God. We have (verse 25) turned the truth of God into a lie!

3. Man rejected God by dishonoring Nature. (v 26-27)

I refuse to belabor this point, but Homosexuality is an abomination to God. There is no gray area, there is no way to make it OK, there is no way to call it anything other than sin. We cannot in any shape, form or fashion condone the homosexual lifestyle. It is within the bounds of scripture for us to expect a Christian to forsake a lifestyle of homosexuality.

4. Man rejected God by participating in things against his word. (v 29-32)

Paul gives us a shopping list of sins which many of us may be guilty of. The big things like murder and stealing we can probably be safe with, it is these other things that are liable to trip us up!

III. God’s wrath is kindled because of our rationalizations. (V 22)

1. We have blinded our selves to the point where we believe that we are doing OK, and all is well. We have focused the primary point of worship upon ourselves. Mankind has said I am the center of my world. No one sits in judgment of me. How utterly foolish.

2. We rationalize our sins according to our circumstances.

3. We rationalize our worship according to convenience.

IV. RELIGION (v 24,25,28)

The fourth cause is one we probably would rather not talk about. We don’t want to think that our religion is a cause for God to become angry. Yet because we profess ourselves to be wise, we invariably invent a religion to go along with our belief system. Man must believe in something, so he creates his own god to fill his mind. It has been said that "God made man in his own image, and man returned the favor".

Religion for the sake of religion is not based on scripture! True theology is derived from careful interpretation of the Word of God. Religion today is not based on God, but rather on the wants, and desires of mankind who created it! In fact religion today has become the rejection of God and the creation of alternate gods. Our "religion" has already been laid out for us in the scripture. Any attempt to modify the requirements or rationalize our approach is futile. Christianity is not so much a religion as a conviction. God will ultimately reject our pathetic attempts at religion because worshipping Jesus Christ is the only true religion to be found It is the only valid Worship. Only through Christ can we achieve salvation.

CONCLUSION:

Is there hope for us? God’s wrath is kindled, but do we have an opportunity to make things right? I say yes. We must first return to God as Creator. If we don’t return to God for our direction, his wrath will continue to be poured out upon us. When a man believes that there is no God, he loses all sense of hope and direction, and will ultimately find eternal death. However there is hope, we have to pray for hope. We have to pray that we as a nation will ultimately return to our belief in the risen savior. If we do this, God will bless us, if not the wrath will continue. Where do you stand today? Are you an instrument of God’s wrath? Or do you do what you can to cause it to cease? Make things right with God today.