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Through the Bible with Les Feldick
LESSON 3 * PART 1 * BOOK 20
GOD’S WRATH – IMMORAL MAN – ROMANS 1:17-32
Continuing in Romans Chapter 1. In verse 18 we see the other side of the coin and that is that God is also a God of wrath.
I want you to understand that for the last 1900 + years God has not been pouring out wrath whatsoever. Because we’re living in the Age of Grace, and even to the ungodly world, and to those steeped in wickedness, God is still dealing in Grace, and not in judgment. Even the flood as awful as it was, that was not the wrath of God. That was God Who was broken-hearted that everything that He had begun with Adam had so totally fallen apart, but it still wasn’t His wrath. The flood was almost instantaneous destruction, and to God it was like starting over.
Because God will be bringing down His wrath on mankind which is rejecting Christ. God’s wrath is going to be poured out especially during the last 3 1/2 years of the Tribulation because the vast majority of Christ- rejecting people will be living at that time. Now verse 18:
Romans 1:18
“For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness.”
Romans 1:19,20
“Because that which may be know of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it (the truth) unto them (now how did God show it?). Most of you know that from the time of Abraham all the way up into the Book of Acts that God dealt primarily with the Nation of Israel. Ephesians 2:12
“That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world:”
They were lost, but God stills holds them responsible because they could have known. Turn to the Book of Acts, Chapter 17. “For as I passed by, and beheld your devotions (their rituals of pagan worship), I found an altar with this inscription, TO THE UNKNOWN GOD, Whom therefore ye ignorantly worship, him declare I unto you. God is speaking through the Apostle Paul that even these pagan Greeks with no exposure to Judaism, or any written Scripture, should have had a knowledge of the Creator God. The Scripture indicates that The Word of God was written in the stars once upon a time. I think Adam was able to comprehend it, and the pre-flood people understood that the very make-up of the constellations and the planets were to interpret the very Word of God. There’s another verse in the Book of Titus. Titus 2:11
“For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath (already) appeared to all men.”
Now granted, when Paul wrote, the Roman Empire comprised ninety percent of the then-known world. When Noah and his three sons and their wives came off the ark, they all had a knowledge of God. Remember all the revelation that God had given mankind, beginning with Adam. Deep in the heart of every human being, even in that Adamic nature, is the knowledge that there is a God. I’ve had people tell me they are atheists, but that’s just an excuse. They’re trying to convince themselves they are, but down deep within each atheist is the knowledge of God. So man has that knowledge that there is a Creator. Now verse 21: the reason they are without excuse is:
Romans 1:21
“Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations (Solomon said, “Vanity, vanity, all is vanity.” Humanism! When they leave God out of their thinking, then it’s empty), and their foolish heart was darkened.”
God did! As soon as God began dealing with Pharaoh through Moses and Aaron, when they confronted him, and said, “Let our people go,” God was putting Pharaoh on the spot. Then God sent the first plague, and it made Pharaoh think, but that’s as far as it went. So all God really does is put him on the spot.
Now it’s the same way with mankind as a whole, when we speak of man’s heart being hardened, it isn’t that God is responsible, but rather man does it to himself. But it’s under the Sovereign volition of God, and this is why when it says that they became vain and their foolish heart was darkened, it became a response of God to their own choosing of their will. And remember, that everything that mankind does under God is based on that free will. We are all constantly facing choices. Let’s go back to Psalms, Chapter 14, verse 1. So read this verse with those two words left out), no, God…”
The foolish man is a man destitute of faith, and so he says, “No.” Not that there is no God, but he says “no” to what God has said. God said, “Bring me a blood sacrifice, and I’ll accept you.” “No, God, I’m not going to bring a blood sacrifice, I’m going to bring what I have grown.” “No, God.” “No, God, I’m not interested.” God has said it, but what does man say?
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