Wrath and Truth

-
"Theology Directing the Labours of Science and Art" at the
Rylands Library, Manchester



Scripture:


Rom. 1:18   For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and wickedness of those who by their wickedness suppress the truth. 


Observation:


Paul moves from the encouraging words of his opening to this statement on the wrath of God. This is an important move because there is a juxtaposition in that “sinful existence is characterized as attempting to suppress the truth about God” (Edlin & Modine, NBBC). This wrath isn’t some kind of emotional rage, but is a revelation of the character of God’s faithfulness, because to excuse sin “would make him untrue to his own nature as God” (Edlin & Modine). If there are no consequences for sinful behavior, then humanity is left to self-destructive folly and God loves us too much encourage us to live in sin. Therefore, God’s wrath is continually revealed in his prevenient grace, reaching out to draw us away from sin and shine a light on deception through God’s truth. 


Application:


The language of wrath is very offensive to the modern ear. We imagine indiscriminate action of an angry God against a people, but that’s not what Paul had in mind. What we are to understand is that God’s nature does not condone, nor does it sustain ungodliness and wickedness. There truly is a spiritual battle which raging on in our world — a good vs. evil battle, and it is the desire of evil to distort the truth of God. 


During Jesus’ wilderness experience the enemy came to tempt him, and did so by distorting the truth. Cunningly, the enemy even tried to twist Scripture in such a way that it might sound good to Jesus, but was actually a manipulation of God’s word. We must recognize that these are the tactics of the enemy who is in the business of creating a false vision of truth that will be enticing to the eyes and will tickle the ears. This is what inures God’s wrath, for the trickery displayed by evil results in the self-destruction of God’s beautiful creation. 


Just as a parent is distraught over the destructive actions and practices of a child, so God’s wrath is continually revealed “against all ungodliness and wickedness.” It is God’s love for all of creation that requires a response of wrath. If God were uncaring, there would be no response, but simply a distant God who would allow us to fall away into sin and folly. Since the temptation of Adam and Eve in the garden of Eden, the tempter has been distorting truth and drawing humanity away from God’s intended plan and purposes. Our loving Heavenly Father simply desires to draw us home and back into a relationship where truth will be revealed. 


If we are to experience truth, then we must be grateful for the wrath of God. Yes, sounds a little counter-intuitive, but is really life-giving. 


Prayer:


Lord, open my eyes to your truth that I might live in your truth as your child. Amen. 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Take Off Your Ornaments

-
Scripture: Ex. 33:4 ¶ When the people heard these harsh words, they mourned, and no one put on ornaments. Ex. 33:5 For the LORD had said to Moses, “Say to the Israelites, ‘You are a stiff-necked people; if for a single moment I should go up among you, I would consume you. So now take off your ornaments, and I will decide what to do to you.’” Ex. 33:6 Therefore the Israelites stripped themselves of their ornaments, from Mount Horeb onward. Observation: The people had sinned before God by making and worshiping the golden calf!  They had taken their golden jewelry — the earrings and other items they had gotten from the Egyptians and used them to create an idol.  Now, in an act of humility and repentance they were to take off all of their jewelry and ornaments.  It was a time of mourning over their sin and it included intentional action on the part of the Israelites.  Application: We don’t do all that well with humility and repentance!  It seems that we live in a time when we try to carry
Read more

Does God Value Boys More than Girls?

-
Scripture: Lev. 12:1 ¶ The LORD spoke to Moses, saying: Lev. 12:2 Speak to the people of Israel, saying: ¶ If a woman conceives and bears a male child, she shall be ceremonially unclean seven days; as at the time of her menstruation, she shall be unclean. Lev. 12:3 On the eighth day the flesh of his foreskin shall be circumcised. Lev. 12:4 Her time of blood purification shall be thirty-three days; she shall not touch any holy thing, or come into the sanctuary, until the days of her purification are completed. Lev. 12:5 If she bears a female child, she shall be unclean two weeks, as in her menstruation; her time of blood purification shall be sixty-six days. Lev. 12:6 ¶ When the days of her purification are completed, whether for a son or for a daughter, she shall bring to the priest at the entrance of the tent of meeting a lamb in its first year for a burnt offering, and a pigeon or a turtledove for a sin offering. Lev. 12:7 He shall offer it before the LORD, and make atonement on her
Read more

The Advantage of Sanctification

-
Scripture: Rom. 6:22 But now that you have been freed from sin and enslaved to God, the advantage you get is sanctification. The end is eternal life. Rom. 6:23 For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. Observation: Two sides of life are presented here in great contrast.  One is a life of sin and enslavement to evil.  The other side of life is freedom which provides the advantage of sanctification (or holiness as some translate the word) that leads to eternal life.  The options here are a life of sin, slavery and death; or freedom, holiness and eternal life.  The advantage of holiness or sanctification is the benefit of the life of freedom.  Jesus died so that we might be made holy like him and this is something that is offered as a “fruit” or “advantage” right now.  The end is eternal life — but the living of life is that it can be lived out in holiness.  The next verse is really just an affirmation of the verse 22.  Sin will lead
Read more