The Wrath of God Revealed
A Sermon on Romans 1:18
Scripture
18For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness;
Sermon Description
When one thinks of God’s wrath, they often think of unrelenting rage. There are times in Biblical history when the punishment for sin was met with God’s mighty fist and proves this. However, in the sermon “The Wrath of God Revealed,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones offers that God’s wrath is rather His complete hatred of sin. Romans 1:18 points out that God’s wrath against unrighteousness has been revealed with the full authority of God. Dr. Lloyd-Jones outlines several evidences to prove how and when that the wrath is revealed. One evidence is that all people have a sense of right and wrong, and it is found in the conscience which often gives remorse over wrongdoing. God’s wrath may be immediate physical consequence of sin or His wrath could be postponed until the appointed time. Regardless of when, God will punish sin. One thing is to be sure, God’s wrath will come. It is shown in God’s perfect example of sending His Son to the cross. The cross proves that the wrath of God is only satisfied when the wages of sin are paid. The Old Testament illustrates this with the sacrifices that picture what Christ did on the cross. Before the love of God on the cross can be seen, the wrath must first be seen. It is only by understanding the depths of the wrath that one can understand the depths of His love.
Sermon Breakdown
- The wrath of God is a biblical doctrine and an essential part of the Christian faith.
- The wrath of God means God's hatred of sin. God cannot tolerate sin.
- The wrath of God has been revealed in multiple ways:
- Through human conscience and the sense of right and wrong
- Through the consequences of sin, including physical and natural consequences
- Through the fallen state of creation where there is suffering and death
- Through biblical history, including God's judgment of individuals and nations that sin
- Through the teaching of Scripture, especially in the prophets and Psalms
- Ultimately through the cross of Christ which shows how God's wrath demanded the death of His Son
- Through the resurrection which proclaims coming judgment
- God's wrath may be immediate or postponed but will ultimately be revealed in final judgment.
- God's wrath results in eternal punishment - eternal death and separation from God.
- We deserve God's wrath but He has shown us mercy through Christ.
The Book of Romans
Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones
Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones (1899-1981) was a Welsh evangelical minister who preached and taught in the Reformed tradition. His principal ministry was at Westminster Chapel, in central London, from 1939-1968, where he delivered multi-year expositions on books of the bible such as Romans, Ephesians and the Gospel of John. In addition to the MLJ Trust’s collection of 1,600 of these sermons in audio format, most of these great sermon series are available in book form (including a 14 volume collection of the Romans sermons), as are other series such as "Spiritual Depression", "Studies in the Sermon on the Mount" and "Great Biblical Doctrines". He is considered by many evangelical leaders today to be an authority on biblical truth and the sufficiency of Scripture.