For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth. For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse. For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Claiming to be wise, they became fools, and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things.
--Romans 1:18-23
The God of Scripture is
a God of grace, love, and mercy. We know this because He grants salvation and
righteousness to those who believe in His Son alone (1:16-17). But He is also a
God of justice, vindication, and wrath. Therefore, when human beings fail to
honor the Son, God demonstrates His wrath in an eternally and spiritually
devastating way. God’s wrath is not sudden or random. Nor is it aimed at a
certain people group. God pours His wrath on all those who deny, oppose, and
resist the truth of the gospel of Christ.
The evidence for God is
irrefutable. This can clearly be seen from conscience, creation, God’s Word,
and His attributes. Foolish is the man who claims there is no God. This man is striving
to fool Himself, for even his logic and reasoning reveal the Creator (Psalm
14:1). The earth, seas, and skies reflect the glory and majesty of their
creator (Psalm 19:1). God’s very essence is truth. That is not just a part of
His character, but His definition (John 14:6). God’s attributes, including His
eternal power and His divine nature also prove His existence. One can travel to
the most remote of villages and find a people who worship a god. The fact that
we, as humans, have a knowledge of a supreme higher being, is rational proof
that a supreme deity exists. Despite these overwhelming proofs, human beings
still refuse to acknowledge Christ as Lord. God has placed us in front of His
creation every day. We live in it, talk to it, eat it, and breathe it. It
literally slaps us in the face on a cold, blistery day. But yet mankind refuses
to acknowledge the Almighty God. Therefore man has no excuse on the Day of
Judgment.
Even though man claims
that either God does not exist, or that the God of Scripture is not the One
true God, all men are conscious of God’s existence through general revelation.
Everyone has a knowledge of God in their hearts. But many people choose not to
give Him honor, worship, and praise. They roam around, vainly searching for
their purpose in life, refusing to acknowledge that the chief end of man is to
glorify God and to serve Him forever. Therefore, their thinking is flawed and the
Lord has darkened their hearts, just as He darkened the heart of Pharaoh, who witnessed
firsthand the reality of God’s power (Exodus 7-12). These people teach in
schools and universities; they invent great technological advancements; they
write important pieces of legislature; they theorize and postulate scientific
and mathematical formulas; and they are some of the most brilliant minds on the
face of the earth. But they are fools who revel in their own personal greatness
and not the One who created them with these skills. Instead of giving the glory
to God, they worship other things: philosophies, science, political leaders,
money, fame, family, sports, the list goes on and on.
Thank the Lord that He
is a God of mercy, grace, love, and forgiveness, for everyone would be blinded
by our own depravity if not for God’s sovereign election, justification, and
sanctification. Thank the Lord for the salvation that only comes through Him.
Pray for those who have been blinded by the enticements of this world. Ask the
Lord to quell His wrath and to open the hearts and ears of those who refuse to
acknowledge Him as Lord.
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