The Revelation of Divine Wrath and the Need for Grace.

The wrath of God.

Introduction:

The passage from Romans 1:18-32 confronts us with an undeniable and severe reality: the wrath
divine is revealed against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men (Gentiles) (v. 18). This wrath, in
meanwhile, it is not arbitrary or unjust. It is God's just response to the deliberate rejection of
humanity to Your revealed truth. No one can escape the just judgment of the Creator; his
the position regarding disobedience and human rejection is one of disapproval. God, in His justice and
love chose to reveal itself to man through the wonders of creation. Paul's argument is
It is possible to know God sufficiently for salvation through created things. In the
Meanwhile, humanity's response was not submission to the revelation received; on the contrary, the
man rebelled against God, created his own gods and fell into a state of futility
mental, practicing what God disapproves of and even approving those who do the same.
The consequences of this were disastrous: the Creator handed humanity over to its own
sinful desires for your self-destruction. The apostle makes a point to begin the letter to
Romans, showing them the situation of all humanity, and affirming that 'there is no one righteous
desire," and that everyone needs Christ to be justified before God. And in the letter, the
the apostle will show that this Jesus whom the Jews were rejecting was not just salvation
for the Jews, but for all humanity. (Rom 1:16) For I am not ashamed of the gospel,
for it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes, first for the Jew and also
from Greek;

For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes: first to the Jew, then to the Gentile.

(Rm 3.24) "being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in"
Christ Jesus,

The Revelation of God (v.18-20):

Throughout biblical history, God has always opposed all human injustice.
God reveals from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth by
injustice;...) who besides exchanging the truth of God for the lie, became merciless and
Perverts. God revealed all men '19 for what can be known about God
It is manifest among them, because God has revealed it to them." And in what God revealed to them, the
to know his eternal power and divinity, man would be able to know him enough to
to worship Him in truth, knowing that there is no other God besides the one who created all things
visible and invisible things that manifested in their consciousness.
20 For the invisible attributes of God, namely his eternal power and also his
propriety, clearly recognized since the beginning of the world, being perceived by
middle of the things that were created. Such men are, therefore, inexcusable;”

Here, God is close to them, they were able to know Him. No one has an excuse not to
recognize the existence of God. In his commentary on this text, ADOLF POHL Commentary
Hope, Hope Publishing, Curitiba says:

This perception of truth against which the Gentiles rebel needs to be explained.
It exists thanks to a third "revelation", namely, the revelation of goodness of
Creation of God. Although careful, the formulation is significant. Among them, there is not
manifesto the very God, but merely something of Him, that is, what is perceptible in
God. It was God who revealed it to him. Thus, at first, God is not far from them.
They live their existence "surrounded by the wisdom of God"

God also manifests Himself in the moral conscience, which is inherent to human nature.
In Romans 2:15, Paul says that 'they show that the work of the law is written in their hearts,'
while your conscience also bears witness, and your thoughts sometimes accuse them and in
at other times they even defend them.

II. The Rejection of Man (vv. 21-23): Although they knew God, men did not...
they did not glorify Him nor give Him thanks. (21 although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as
God, they didn't even give thanks to Him;...) Instead, they became futile in their thoughts and
their senseless hearts were darkened. 'inability to judge or discern' (21b before,
they became vain in their own reasonings, and their senseless heart was darkened
They exchanged the glory of the incorruptible God for images.

(23A.in exchange for the glory of the incorruptible God) This act of rejection was not just a
unhappy choice, but a deliberate rebellion against the Creator. In his presumption, man
he adored the creature instead of the Creator, submitting to what he should have dominated. This tragic
role reversal dates back to the beginning of humanity in Eden, where man allowed himself to be
dominated by the serpent, a creature they were supposed to dominate (Gen 3). Thus, humanity
fell into a state of folly and madness being annulled, worshiping and serving the creation in
instead of the Creator. In his commentary on this text, Osborne says:

Instead of the Divinely Revealed Truth, sinful Gentiles preferred 'a

lie," and as a result "they adored and served the creature instead of the Creator."
Putting the creature above the creator is the heart of sin. We worship and serve ourselves.
the same, the creature, and we removed God from the plan of our lives. Idolatry for
definition is the elevation of created things, human, - animal or inanimate objects -
for the place of worship of our lives that only God should inhabit.
Letter to the Romans / Expository Commentary. 2022, p. 78
III. The Consequences of Rejection (vv. 24-32):

As a result of their rejection, God gave men over to impurity and vile passions.
(24Therefore,God delivered them to uncleanness, through the lusts of their own
heart, to dishonor your body among themselves, ...) The result was catastrophic, for God
handed the men over to their own desires, a punishment that has a destructive potential
overwhelming.

(28E, for havingfor disregarding the knowledge of God, God Himself delivered him to a
reprehensible mental disposition, to engage in inconvenient things, ...) This happens because it is
from the heart come all the problems, such as evil intentions, homicides, adultery,
prostitution, thefts, false testimonies, and blasphemies, according to (Mt 15:19 and Tg 4:1)

All injustices, moral depravity, wars, etc., are just a confirmation of a problem
that is directly linked to the fact that man has exchanged the revelation of the creator for things
created, are consequences of choices centered on the self.

29filled with all unrighteousness, malice, greed and wickedness; possessed of envy, murder,
contentiousness, deceit and malice; slanderers, calumniators, haters of God,
insolent, arrogant, presumptuous, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, senseless,
treacherous, without natural affection and without mercy.

The consequences of exchanging the revelation of the Creator for created things affect all areas of
life. Let's see:

1. Interpersonal relationships:
2. Family:
3. Society:
4.Individual:

In his commentary on Romans in these verses, Charles Odge notes:

...three designations that express the different forms of pride: the insolent, the
arrogant, presumptuous. We read: they invent ways to practice evil;
disobey your parents. The fact that disobedience to parents is included in this list
terrible shows how the sacred writers considered this sin. ...Foolish
means 'without perception regarding religious or moral things' — that is, so blind and
confused that evil is considered as good, and good, as evil; disloyal
— that is, treacherous; without love for family refers to those in whom natural affection
for country or children is suppressed; relentless (ARA, AA, ACF: "without mercy")
term omitted in some ancient manuscripts, means 'without compassion 32. Although
know the just decree of God. That is, "although they know well..." It is said that the
pagans whose deeds have just been described are men who know the just decree
of God.” (Odge, Charles, 2019, p. 48)
Conclusion and application:

This passage that shows us how humanity is lost is a grim reminder.

the consequences of sin and God's rejection. However, it does not end here. The good
the news of the gospel is that, despite our total depravity, God in His grace offers us
salvation through Jesus Christ.

The apostle Paul, throughout this passage from the Letter to the Romans (Rom 1:18-32),
describes a sinful and decadent condition of humanity, resulting from the rejection of God and
from the exchange of truth for lies. He does not directly present a solution in these verses,
but the rest of the epistle and other writings of Paul provide insights into the solution for this
problem. The solution that Paulo proposes for the problem of depravity and rebellion of
Humanity against God is based on the gospel of Jesus Christ. 'The righteous shall live by faith.'

Rm 3:21-26: Paul teaches that justification comes through faith in Jesus Christ, who is the propitiation.
for our sins. This means that salvation and forgiveness come through faith in Jesus and
Your redemptive work on the cross.

But now, apart from the law, the righteousness of God has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify;
the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all [and upon all] who believe;
for there is no distinction, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, being
justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus,25a
whom God proposed, in his blood, as a propitiation, through faith, to manifest his
justice, for having God, in His tolerance, left the sins committed previously unpunished;
26considering the manifestation of his justice in the present time, in order for him to be just and the
justifier of those who have faith in Jesus.

2. Paulo emphasizes that faith in Jesus is the way to reconciliation with God, and His wrath is
completely fulfilled through Christ in the lives of those who trust their lives to Jesus, and
peace is definitively established between both.

Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.

3. Spiritual death is the bad news, but Christ is the good news. Rom 6:23: "For the wages of sin"
Sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus, our Lord.

Death is not more powerful than the sacrifice of Christ, and this is excellent news to everyone.
sinner man.

4. Rom 10:9-11: "If you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord and believe in your heart
that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes to
justice and with the mouth one confesses regarding salvation. For the Scripture says: Every
he who believes in him will not be ashamed.

All someone needs to do to have peace with God is to believe in Christ with all their heart,
confessing Him as Lord of your life, and eternal life is guaranteed to us.