People have been trying to domesticate God throughout history because we all, naturally, would rather deal with God-as-we-want-Him-to-be rather than God-as-He-truly-is. And inevitably, the first aspect of God's character that people want to reject is divine wrath.
Yet, you cannot read the Bible without being confronted repeatedly with the teaching that the true God is a God of wrath. In fact, there are over 250 references to God's wrath in the Bible. Sometimes people get confused by the idea of God's wrath. God's wrath is not like human wrath. It is never unbridled. It is never out of control. Rather, as the late John Murray explains it, "Wrath is the holy revulsion of God's being against that which is the contradiction of his holiness" (1:35). It is not incompatible with His love. Rather, it is an expression of His holy love in the presence of sin. In our last study from Paul's letter to the church at Rome we looked at his statement of the theme of the letter in 1:16-17. The gospel saves everyone who believes it by granting them righteousness through faith. God saves everyone who trusts in Jesus Christ as Lord. Immediately after announcing this theme of his letter, Paul launches into an explanation of it. He intends to help us understand the gospel—this good news that God saves sinners by His grace.
The very first point that he wants us to grasp is why this salvation is so necessary. If God saves, then the question naturally arises, "Saves from what?" Why do people need to be saved? Paul answers that question in 1:18-3:23, where he explains the universality of sin and condemnation.
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Romans 05 The Grace of God in the Gospel Grace Baptist Church
