Wrath and Truth

Romans 1:18
“For the wrath of God is being revealed from heaven upon all irreverence and unrighteousness of men, the ones holding down the truth in unrighteousness…”

This passage begins a new section in Paul’s letter to the Romans. It is the first official doctrine, although Paul has some heavy stuff in his intro:
Romans 1:3-4 – The doctrine of Jesus Christ
Jesus being completely human
Jesus being completely God
Romans 1:9-17 – The doctrine of the ministry of the gospel

This passage addresses the doctrine of condemnation (Rom. 1:18 – 3:20)
1. God’s indictment of the Gentiles in Romans 1:18-23.
In verses 18 – 20, Paul begins the prosecution against the Gentiles by showing how God reveals Himself to them.
In verses 21 – 23, Paul shows that the response of the Gentiles to God’s revelation of Himself condemns them.
2. God’s indictment of the Jews in Romans 2
3. God’s universal condemnation in Romans 3:1-20.

How many times do we hear people say things like, “Why does God let bad things happen to good people?” “How could God let all those innocent people die?” “I refuse to believe in a God who is so capricious!”

The truth is, Christendom has deformed God. People are ready and willing to accept a God who is good and kind, merciful and benevolent, patient and long-suffering. They say they want a God who is fair, but that is not true. A fair God would give everyone what they deserve. Since every person has sinned, and the payment for sin is death, every person deserves death. Eternal separation from God. God is not fair, and this is good. But we want God to be only a portion of who He is - the kind side of God. But God is immeasureable, and way beyond our limited and finite comprehension. God is merciful and vengeful, kind and jealous, generous and selfish, intimate and beyond our imagination, patient and instantaneous, a hater and a lover, a creator and a destroyer. Most want a palatable, docile God. A tame God. And He is not tame!! We have slowly bought into the erroneous belief that the creature is equal to his creator.

Paul has shown us who Jesus Christ is. What the gospel is. He has carefully pointed out that God has and is revealing Himself to every single person coming into this world. We all know God, the question is, how do we respond to the revealing of God – the Light. Those who have rejected The Light stand in condemnation. Verse 17 talked about the revelation of the righteousness of God, now verse 18 talks about the wrath of God.

The wrath of God. The word for wrath is orgay. This word is used eleven times in Romans. It is a legal term that includes reason and law. It is the wrath of the judge in a courtroom. It is a deep seeded anger, contrasted with the Greek word thumos, translated rage, or a heated passion that flares up quickly and is burned out. Thumos is used a lot in Revelation. It is also the word we get our word thermos from.

Is being revealed. This word is in the present tense, which means it is constantly being revealed right now. Along with the gospel being revealed to all now, the wrath of God is presently being revealed.

The source of the wrath of God is heaven. The direction of God’s wrath is upon all irreverence and unrighteousness.

Irreverence. This word asebeiah comes from the word sebo, meaning devout with an alpha privative making it negative (without, un-). It is to be without devotion, translated ungodliness or irreverence. This is toward God. It defines a person that has no respect for God.

Unrighteousness. This word is also a legal term (Greeks LOVED the legal system). It is the word for "unjustice", "without punishment". This term is toward fellow man. Harm toward men. I love the way that Paul first addresses our relation to God and then our relation to fellow man. But it is also reflective. My relationship with God determines my relationship with my fellow man. 1 John 5 says that how we obey God IS how we love (minister to) our bretheren.

These people, the ones without devotion to God and as a result, without righteousness towards others, are the objects of God’s wrath.

It is the irreverence and unrighteousness of men that is holding down the truth.

Holding down. Katachonton. Is a present active participle. It comes from the preposition kata (which when used in the genitive) means “down” or “against”, and echo means “to have or to hold”. The suppressing of the truth is presently happening right now. In order to hold something down, you have to have it, which further supports the previous discussion that men already have the truth.

The truth. This word truth is interesting. It comes from the word lanthano, meaning “ to be hidden, or to be secret”. It is something that is concealed. The word parade comes from this word. A parade is concealing the truth in regards to what the street was actually made for. The word here has a negative particle attached to the front of it, making it in the negative. This word means "out in the open". Something NOT concealed.

I love the fact that God’s truth comes first! John 3:17 says that God enlightens every man coming into the world. He manifests Himself to everyone who is born. What happens here on earth is the result of what people are doing with The Truth. Life is all about how creatures respond to the Truth, their Creator. At the time of judgment, the question will not be “Why should I let you into my heaven?” Or, “Did you say the sinner’s prayer?” But rather, “How did you respond to The True Light?’

This passage shows us that those who are experiencing, right now, God’s wrath, have and are exposed to the truth, yet they hold it down and push it away, while continuing to live in unrighteousness.

Surrender

Romans1:10

Koine Greek is such a precise language! So exact and orderly is the language that it is no surprise God chose it to reveal the gospel to man. It is a language based on verbs, where word order is according to importance. This is the word order of the Greek:

“petitioning always upon the prayers of me, if perhaps, now at last, I will be prospered to come, in the will of the God, to you.”

Petitioning (deomenos) is a present middle participle, coming off of the word “I make “(mention of you ), from verse 9. Coming from the root word, deo, “to bind”, deomenos means “, to make a specific petition, to request”. So Paul isn't just tossing up a general blessing for a group of people he doesn’t interact with, or even know. His petitions are specific, detailed. I hate it when speakers or pastors say, ” I pray for every one of you!”, to a congregation. I don’t believe them. This critical spirit exposes to you that I lack love (I do not believe the best). I have been so disillusioned by lofty men on pedestals- falling. Also, growing up as a pastor’s kid, no one will ever come close to my father’s excellent example to me. So sadly, they all have one strike against them before getting up to the plate. But I want to be like Paul, thinking and making supplication to God for those I know intimately, and those I have only heard about. And not just a sentence prayer, but really putting myself in their situation and praying circumspectly for them.

Always. This adverb pantoteh is an extreme description coming from tas the adjective “all or every”, joined with the particle hoteh meaning “whenever, when or while”. Putting them together as an adverb reads, “at all times”

Then comes the prepositional phrase, “upon the prayers of me”. Paul is saying, at the occasion of my prayers, I always remember you specifically. My prayers for you are not general. I pray that God’s will be done in your life and that everyday you become more and more like Him.

If perhaps is a conjunction that expresses submission. Paul’s desire is to go to them, but he is first looking to God to see if this is God’s desire for him. Paul will go, if God so allows.

Now at last. This shows an eagerness to get there. But restrained by the ever-prevailing will of God in His life. The literal translation for this would be, “that now at last somehow it might happen…” I want every little thought and desire of mine to be constrained by such a submission-such a willingness of laying aside hopes and dreams and desires, if they are not God’s will for my life. I know there have been big moments in my life where I have done this. They are my memorial stones. Yet, what of the daily surrenders, the instinctive decision-making pauses of surrender and seeking the face of the Lord in the little things?

Everything Happens Invisibly

Romans 1:9

“For the witness of me is the God whom I serve in the spirit of me, in the gospel of the son of Him.”

Previously we looked at how Paul referred to himself as a slave to Christ (vs.1). When Paul makes reference to “the God whom I serve”, he does not use the same Greek word dulos (slave), but rather the word patris (meaning to serve; to hire for public service). In the New Testament, the word patris is always used to make reference to religious service, specifically, the function of the priest.

The last part of the verse is two prepositional phrases, which I find extremely fascinating. The first is, “in the spirit of me”. This is the preposition en which is in the dative case, signifying location, or sphere. Paul is going out of his way to point out the fact that this “service” is taking place, not in his flesh, but in his spirit! This was revolutionary for the Jewish community, for the Hellenistic Jews, and for the Gentiles. Can you imagine a religion that is not based on works? I doubt they could have. In our churches, the mindset is so pervasive, that the truly spiritual people are the ones doing all of the "work", and the "carnal" christians are the ones not involved. But the same truth that Jesus was exposing (the Pharisitical thought that works=righteousness) in his day, is just as prevalent today. I need to fight against judging christians on the basis of what they "do" in the church. God works in the spirit of men and women.

John 4:23-24 says, “But the hour is coming and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him. God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.” The word “worship” means "to bow down and kiss the hand". It is an act of submission. Or should I say, it is a heart attitude made manifest in worship.

John 3:6, “That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.” God’s spirit is the only one that produces spiritual things. Flesh can only produce flesh. Spirit can only produce spirit. That’s why Jesus’ words to Nicodemus were so revolutionary. We are physically born of the flesh in the flesh. The only way we can be born of the spirit is in and by the Spirit!!

Philippians 3:3, “For we are the circumcision, who worship God in the Spirit, rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh…”. The emphasis here is on the spiritual, not the fleshly religiosity produced by man’s efforts.

The next phrase, “in the gospel of the son of Him” give us Paul’s area of service. The gospel is all about Jesus, the Son of God. It is not about us. Not about Satan, Not about Bad things happening to good people or good things happening to bad people. Not about our worth in Christ. The gospel, the good news, is Christ. Him crucified and risen. Everything Paul does and says is only within the confines of Christ. The gospel is the tabernacle in which he serves as a priest.

As believers, everything important and substantial happens in our spirit. It is where the Spirit dwells and functions. Because of His work in our spirit, we have a holy calling to serve within the gospel of Christ. What does that look like? Is it like an electric collar that zaps us every time we step out of the perimeter of the gospel and into the area of works or the runious world? No. Look at Paul’s life. He had a job. He was a tentmaker. He worked to earn a living, but he didn't work FOR a living. He was always functioning (in his spirit) under the influence of the gospel of Christ, and with the motives of the gospel of Christ.

Oh, I wish I were so propelled, in every menial task, by such a deep and strong love for the gospel, that it all counted for eternity and nothing would be burned up (like wood, hay, and stubble. see 1 Cor.3: 12-15)!!! God, raise up your Spirit in my spirit, to love, joy, and peace!!!

Persuasion invading the whole world!!

Romans 1:8

“Indeed I give thanks first to the God of me through Jesus Christ on behalf of all of you because the faith of you is being announced in the whole world.”

What’s interesting here is the cause or reason for Paul’s giving thanks. The conjunction “because” is dependent on the context. It is expressing the reason for something. Paul is thankful that the faith of them is being announced in the whole world.

Faith. This is a concept that I am only just beginning to grasp. Pistos (faith) comes from the word peitho (to persuade). I wrote previously about faith (being persuaded) that God will do and act according to what He has promised. It is all God, saying something, and doing it, exactly the time and place and way He intended to do it. The Spirit of God gives us the faith to believe that He will do it. That is faith-being persuaded. Faith is the presence and activity of God’s Spirit, NOT the believer’s works. Galatians 5:22……….. Faith is, being persuaded by God. I think of the old hymn:
“But I know whom I have believed,
And am persuaded that He is able
To keep that which I’ve committed
Unto Him against that day”

Is being announced. This is a great word!! Katangelos is the word angelos (a messenger, or angel) with the prefix kata (a preposition meaning according to, after or against.). Actually, this is interesting because, when you put certain prepositions in front of this word, it changes the meaning. For example, if you put the preposition pro in front of angelos, the word means “to announce beforehand”. The preposition ana in front of the same word changes the meaning to “to bring back news”. Our preposition kata, makes the word mean “to spread out news, up and down”. Paul is saying that the Roman’s faith was being announced throughout the whole world. It was spreading, like a first century tweet, or a tabloid headline. I hear excitement and wonder in Paul’s tone. The awe of God's incredible sovereignty!!

The phrase that Paul uses next, “ in the whole world” is a hyperbolic statement. Paul uses them occasionally, and they were very common to ancient Romans and Jews. A hyperbolic statement is an exaggerated phrase or colloquialism. When someone is overweight, a hyperbolic statement would be they are “bigger than a house”.

When was the last time you were so excited to hear that the work of God's Spirit in someone you know was causing Christ's name to be spread up and down the whole world? My first thought was of the Survivor contestant Matt, who testifys daily to the power of Christ working in his life to bring glory to Himself, and this excites me!! Oh how I wish that were true of me!! I know that Christ shines most in weakened individuals, which frightens me a little.

Beloved and Holy

Romans 1:7

“ To all the ones being in Rome, beloved of God, called saints:”

Beloved. To be the object of God’s love. Some people are very comfortable being in the position of beloved. They adroitly handle being the object of love, and there is no compunction for them. I don’t know what it is about me, but I am not comfortable in that skin. I am comfortable with flying under the radar. I am comfortable with my limitations. My faults are my constant companions; not in a self-abasing way, just in a realistic way. Yet, I am the object of God’s love, not because I can do amazing things, look stunning in a Dior, negotiate million dollar deals, or debate philosophical conundrums in several languages (btw-I can’t do any of those things). This is so hard for me to own! I wrestle with this truth often; training my heart to believe something my mind tells me is reality. And sometimes, for a brief while, I live in the beauty of being beloved.

When I find it particularly difficult, I pull up this snapshot in my head. Zarissa is a little bitty tow-headed three year old, she is looking up at me with a huge smile and love in her eyes. She sees the smile playing behind my eyes, and the corners of my mouth turning up. She smiles bigger. I am looking down at a mess! She has gotten into my make-up. It is all over her face. She loves color and is not afraid to try anything. This fact attested to by the mascara on her cheeks, several shades of lipstick on her eyelids, and rainbows of eyeshadow from her neck to her forehead. She is a mess, and I know I will have to clean it all up. It’s my stuff she’s ruined. Yet looking down into her smiling face, I love her. Not because she is all cleaned up and presentable, but because she is mine, and she trusts me and depends on me. This is my reset button. I picture myself with crap all over my face looking up into the all-knowing face of the Savior of the World, with Him kneeling down and looking into my face, loving me. Beloved.

Called Saints. Called is an adjective that describes what kind of saint we are. We are saints by calling. Not by merit. This helps me to understand why I am beloved. Just as I am not loved for my own merits, talents, or abilities, so I am not called because of anything I did or am doing or will do. I am a called saint.
Saint comes from the word holy (hagios), a separated one. This word does not reflect moral character. This phrase is in the dative case, which means it is the direct object. The called saints are receiving the action from the verb. As saints we are set apart, sanctified, not just for the Lord but separated from the common use of the world.
How often I become engrossed in the common things of this world! But I am not common, I am set apart and separated for the things of Christ. I am trying to function moment by moment in the knowledge of this truth. In Greek, called saints (klaytos hagios) has a Hebrew parallel. In the Old Testament this phrase was used for the holy convocation. The time the shofar was blown to assemble everyone. Paul uses it here to show us that God calls us. We are His holy convocation.

Beloved is personal and intimate. Called saints is corporate and exceptional. Together we are a holy convocation. We are His people to be used by Him for uncommon purposes. Uncommonly delicious!!!