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Romans 1:18

The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of people, who suppress the truth by their wickedness

The first reading of this verse raises two questions in my mind: What is the wrath of God? When is the wrath of God coming?

The wrath of God can’t sound pleasant to anyone who is an enemy of God. God is an all powerful deity, and the definition of ‘wrath’ is extreme anger. An extremely angry, all powerful deity is intense, and it certainly is intense when it comes to God. But the difference between the definition of wrath and God’s wrath is that God isn’t reacting out of a loss of emotional control. Instead, God has set up laws that guide us fallible humans into a stronger relationship with him. It is seen in the Old Testament that when the Mosaic laws weren’t followed, God would inflict his wrath upon people. At a few times in history, like at the city of Sodom (Genesis 19) or the threat to the city of Nineveh (Jonah), God’s wrath was supernatural and immediate. Paul believes that God’s wrath will once again come at the end of time at the ultimate judgement.

There are arguments made, however, that God’s wrath can be seen in the events that have taken place in history (even modern history), and events that are taking place now; that all the bad things that happen now are a result of God showing us a minuscule portion of his wrath that is to come on the day of judgement.

That’s a pretty sobering thought for almost everyone; the bad things and situations that happen to us on earth as a result of sin are but a blip of the suffering to come. But it also offer us hope that because of the Gospel, we have the opportunity to experience God’s grace and avoid his wrath and have an ever lasting relationship with him!

ASK YOURSELF: What difficulties do you have in your life? What difficulties do your friends and family have in their lives? What are you willing to do to help them see that a relationship with the one, true God will change their lives forever?

Dear God, I pray for the people in the world that are struggling to recognize you as a just God; capable of wrath but also of grace. Bring Christians across their path and open their eyes to see your love for them. Amen.