Sin and salvation: What does the church really need? -PART V-

         Let's move over to another revealing passage, a necessary one in understanding the nature of sin, which is, at its core, total rebellion against the law of God. Paul's letter to the church at Rome: this great theological book begins by setting the world stage. Paul makes it very clear that God is not on trial; MAN IS. The indictment has been made and our deserved punishment is imminent. This readies us to hear the Good News! But first we look at Romans 1:18 "For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness." This is a sweeping, and honestly, troubling statement.God's 'orge' (wrath), His settled, good, and necessary fury is being revealed from heaven, which is the only court where true justice is being done and all sin is correctly confronted.
         A good side-note here is to think about the Disciple's Prayer, "Our Father who art in heaven...thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven..." What is God's will, and how can the church carry it out on earth as it is carried out in heaven? What is Jesus telling His disciples to pray for here? What is the Lord doing from/in heaven? He is revealing His anger against sin. He has given us His Word, which tells the truth about sin and the human condition. So how is the church most like heaven? When it is confronting sin! The goal of the church is hold out the truth, to hold the line, so that believers will be more and more conformed to the image of the Son (Romans 8:26-31). Being conformed to His image requires the elimination of evil desires and deceived thinking. This is the process of sanctification, becoming like Him in His death, burial, and resurrection.
(Romans 6:1-14)
          So, back to Romans 1:18. God's good anger is being revealed from heaven against all (asebia or ungodliness) and (adikia or ungodliness). If any would claim that they are not ungodly or unrighteous, Paul strikes down that lie in the following chapters (2:1,2 and 3:9-20)
         So ALL are ungodly and unrighteous. The first term describes 'a lack of reverence for, devotion to, and worship of the true God, a failure that inevitably leads to some form of false worship." (MacArthur/N.T.commentaries) Unrighteousness focuses on the result of of ungodly thought and behavior. "Sin first attacks God's majesty and then His law." (MacArthur " ") When men cease to be rightly related to God, their actions become unrighteous. Man's hostility with his fellow man begins with him being at enmity with God.
         That's enough to consider right now. I'll finish the verse in the next post!