Dad's Wrath...

Today we're looking at only two verses, Romans 1:18-19, and bracing for the weeks (and months, maybe) to come. This verse, along with the ones coming up, are not what we would consider "warm fuzzy" verses, and today's verse, especially, hits us with the thought of God's wrath.

I can think back to many times in my early life when I considered the thought of a "wrath." My dad was very loving to me when I was a child, and he did a pretty good job of keeping his cool. But, I must say that I found many ways to push him to that point...you know, that point of having to face the wrath of your parent. My mom was at home with my brother, sister and I during the summers as she worked at a school, and there were times (probably daily) when we would really aggravate her and she would get mad. This was not good, but when I drove my dad to the point of him wanting to pour out his wrath on me...that was REALLY not good! Now, as a dad, my parents wishes have come true...that wish where I end up with a child just like myself. I can definitely see many of the same tendencies in Brian that I possessed as a child, and there are times when I am moved beyond being upset, past being mad, and I'm ready to allow my loving son to experience my wrath!

The Greek for "wrath" really refers to "a settled, determined indignation, not to the momentary, emotional, and often uncontrolled anger to which human beings are prone." So, as much as I didn't like it when I drove my dad to the brink, and as much as I don't like being driven to the brink, this is nothing compared to the wrath of God. What makes these times so hard is the fact that most of the time, I aggravated situations even though I knew the rules and I knew that dad was not going to be happy. In the same way, the human race has known from the very beginning what the rules were with God. He created Adam and Eve, and He spent time with them daily, sharing with them. They, just as we frequently do, chose to go against the Creator's wishes and did their own thing, thus bringing condemnation upon themselves.

Verse 19 goes on to share that they (and we) knew better because "God made it evident to them." This "General Revelation" is what gets us realize that there is a God to begin with, and then to search out more about Him.

So, not a "warm and fuzzy" day, but a day to again evaluate how we are living before Him. John MacArthur shares this: "A disease has to be recognized and identified before seeking a cure means anything. In the same way and for the same reason, Scripture reveals the bad news before the good news. God’s righteous judgment against sin is proclaimed before His gracious forgiveness of sin is offered. A person has no reason to seek salvation from sin if he does not know he is condemned by it. He has no reason to want spiritual life unless he realizes he is spiritually dead." Today, we see a sense of the "bad" news, but greater days are coming!

Be reading through Romans chapter 1.

PJ