All right, if you wish to follow
along, turn to Romans chapter 1 again. We actually last week went all
the way through, not in great detail, but in some detail, Romans
1 verses 18 through 32. And remember what I said, this
word, if you get nothing else for the next couple moments,
get this. In chapter one, verses 18 through chapter three and
verse 20, God is exposing us through the apostle Paul for
what we are by nature. Not what we used to be. but what
we still are by nature, even though he's writing to, chapter
one, God's people. God's people. I read this verse,
and I do not intend on going back over chapter one, but before
I go into chapter two, let me read the verse again. Romans
118, for the wrath of God is revealed. You remember that?
It's not the wrath of God will one day be revealed, though that's
still true, but that's not what Paul's moved right here. He said
the wrath of God is revealed, is revealed from heaven against
all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men. And I'll stop right there
for a moment. Now, pardon me a moment. You remember I told
you, chapter one, Paul, declares that God's wrath is revealed
from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness in three
ways. Man's perversion of the natural order. That's what we
looked at last week. Chapter one, verse 18 through
32. Also, God's wrath is revealed from heaven against man's finger
pointing and self-justification. Chapter two, verse one through
29. And we all still do it. Give you just a brief preview.
You ever heard somebody say, well, so and so, she's a flirt. But I'm a people person. What are you saying? I'm a flirt
too, but I'm not gonna call myself a flirt. That's finger pointing. That's
doing the same thing. Oh, here's one more. That person,
he's a tightwad. I'm frugal. All right, more of that, God
willing, next time. Again, for the wrath of God is revealed
from heaven. The third thing, God's wrath
is revealed from heaven because of man's universal, full, total,
complete corruption. Right now, today, outside of
Jesus Christ, I am still no good. no righteousness, no seeking
after God, no fear of God before my eyes. None whatsoever. You see, God's wrath, and I've
said this over and over again, but I'll say it again, God's
wrath is not an unfortunate response to man's sin, which God must
then grudgingly and reluctantly is forced into displaying. The
title of my message is this, The Perfection of God's Wrath. The Perfection of God's Wrath. Think about this, Romans, Paul
says it, God willing, if we're still here in that time we get
there, Romans chapter nine, verses 18 through 24, in one of those
verses, God says this to the apostle Paul, what if God, willing
to show his wrath, You see, wrath is not, wrath in God is not God
losing his temper. But it is a measured act of God
in divine justice against all unrighteousness and ungodliness
of men. It is the right thing for God
to do. If God is God and if God is just,
and that's not an if of possible, not possible, but an if of absolute
certainty, if God is God and God is just, he must punish A-L-L,
ungodliness and unrighteousness. All ungodliness and unrighteousness. Now one preacher once said, this
is not a quote, but it is a paraphrase. He said, when you preach to men
and women, preach of their corruption. Preach of their corruption, but
quickly run to the cross. Because if all we have is the
message of corruption, we have no hope. And the cross of Christ
is our only hope. I want to give you eight things
about God's wrath. And I will give you these eight.
I want to try to move quickly because the eighth thing is the
most important. And I don't mean that in any
way that the others are in any way unimportant. But the eighth
is the crescendo. And of course, this is just a
small list. And when I say, I'm not trying to say that there's
different kinds of wrath. God's wrath, not wrath. Never is it God's wrath called
wrath. It always is wrath. So if I state
it as though it sounds like a different wrath, it's just a miss slip
of my tongue. It's not what I intend. But let's go through these things.
Let's move quickly. Now you can turn if you wish,
but Exodus 22. Exodus chapter 22. And I'll make this statement,
then I'll read it. God Almighty will show His wrath,
does show it, not sometime in the future. Not in that great
day of His wrath, and that great day is coming one day. I'm not
denying that, but I'm saying that's not what Paul's talking
about here in Romans 1, 2, and 3. God's wrath is poured out against
disobedience to his law. Look at chapter 22, what'd I
say, yes, 22, and verse 22. Ye shall not afflict any widow
or fatherless child. Oh, God help us not to say, well,
they'll be okay. They can handle it without me,
hmm? Look, if thou afflict them in any wise, and they cry it
all unto me, I will surely hear their cry. And my wrath, who's
he speaking to? He's writing to his chosen nation,
Israel. Is he not? Made up of both elect
and reprobate, but he's not singling out the reprobate, he's telling
them all this. Right? My wrath shall wax hot,
and I will kill you with the sword, and your wives, and your
widows, and your children, fatherless. You see that? Fatherless. Think
about it, God's wrath against human aid to him. I'm not gonna
turn back and read it, but you can read it in 2 Samuel 6, verses
six through nine. Remember, David was bringing
the ark back to Jerusalem with great fanfare. And he'd built,
what was it, a new cart, and had oxen that had never pulled
a cart before, which is probably not a good idea. But nevertheless,
this is what they were dancing and having a party. And that
ark's sitting up on that cart. and them oxen stumbled and the
cart began to rock and it looked like the ark may fall off the
cart and was it Uzzah? Stuck up his hand to steady the
ark and God was angry with Uzzah and killed him dead. And it says
David was afraid of God that day. And David was displeased too. God
reigned on his parade. But you don't help God. If something is said to be of
the Lord, take your hands off. Take your hands off, because
God will reveal his wrath from heaven against such ungodliness
and unrighteousness. Number three, God's disgust with
unbelievers. Isaiah, or Isaiah, I'm sorry.
Psalm chapter, Psalm 7. It's not really a chapter, is
it? Psalm chapter seven, God's disgust
with unbelievers. Verse 11, God judges the righteous
and God is angry. You remember one of the meanings
for the word wrath? To be angry with. God is angry
with the wicked every day. You see that? God has hatred,
wrath, toward the wicked every day. Every day. Fourthly, God's wrath reveals
his eternal living veracity. Jeremiah chapter 10. Jeremiah chapter 10. I am along with our brother the
Apostle Paul trying to expose what we are down in here. But
I'm trying to get to the cross. Look at it, Jeremiah 10 and verse
10. Am I in the right place? Yes,
Jeremiah 10 verse 10. But the Lord is the true God. He is the living God and the
everlasting King. Remember what I said? His wrath
reveals his eternal living veracity. God must show wrath, not out
of compulsion outside of himself, but it flows from within his
holy character against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men. Living God and everlasting King,
at his wrath the earth shall tremble. and the nations shall
not be able to abide his indignation. You will not stop God's wrath. You will not stop God's wrath.
Here is the fifth thing. God is no doting, helpless, emotional
grandpa. I realize that's not the most
eloquently put point, but look at Ephesians chapter five and
what the Apostle Paul writes about it to our brothers and
sisters of Ephesus and to us. Ephesians five verse six, let
no man deceive you with vain words. For because of these things,
what? Unrighteousness and ungodliness.
Actually, Romans chapter one lists a bunch of them. We went
through those last week, didn't we? Look at it. Let no man deceive
you with vain words, for because of these things cometh the wrath
of God upon the children of disobedience. Be ye not therefore partakers
with them. Do you see that? Do you see that? Number six, even Christ the redeeming
Lamb is not absent of wrath. I'm not gonna read that, it's
a little lengthy, and I know if I start reading it, I'll start
making way too many statements. Revelation 12 through 17, it's
even called the wrath of the Lamb. That seems to be opposition,
does it not? But it's not because God is one. God is one. God don't have two
sides, and I can't explain it. He has one side. and all of his
perfections fit together in perfect harmony. In perfect harmony. You could preach on that for
months, for months. Number seven, Christ's wrath
is promised against his elect enemies, his elects enemies.
Let me read that one. I do wanna make a couple statements.
Romans chapter 12, God willing we'll get there and look at it
in more detail later. Romans 12, verse 17, recompense
to no man evil for evil. That's hard to do. Yea, it's
impossible to do in a Christ-honoring way apart from the Spirit of
God. We can put on a show, but deep down inside it's like, really
God, I hope you get them. Makes us sound pretty righteous
when we ask God to do it. You don't have to ask God to
do it, why? Look, provide things on us in the sight of all men.
If it be possible, as much as life in you, live peaceably with
all men. Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves,
but rather give place under wrath, for it is written, this is God
speaking, Vengeance, and there's where the one word wrath, the
word wrath is translated vengeance in this book. Wrath is mine,
this is God's promise. I will repay, saith the Lord. God will deal with our enemies.
God will deal with our enemies. And he'll do so in justice. Because
his wrath is just. Therefore if thine enemy hunger,
feed him. If he thirsts, give him drink, for in so doing thou
shalt heap coals of fire on his head. Be not overcome of evil,
but overcome evil with good. Remember, overcoming evil with
good is not you make sure results come to pass, but just do evil,
good, in the face of evil, and let God deal with the results. He will repay, whether his wrath
is revealed from heaven now, or whether it's dealt with in
the last day. one or the other. So as I said, wrath against disobedience
to the law, wrath against human aid, disgust with unbelief, God's
wrath reveals his eternal living veracity, God is no doting helpless
grandpa, even Christ the Lamb is not absent of wrath, Christ's
wrath is promised against his elect enemies. Now turn to Habakkuk
chapter three. Now I knew I was going there,
so I got mine marked, so I'm there already. But I want you
to turn there if you're turning. And it's just a few books back
from the last few books. It's four or five books back,
Habakkuk. Turn to chapter three. Habakkuk chapter three. Verse two. Oh Lord, this is Habakkuk
speaking. And Habakkuk is a book mainly
of judgment. There's a lot of judgment pronounced
by God through Habakkuk. But look what it says, O Lord,
I've heard thy speech and was afraid. You see that? O Lord, revive thy work in the
midst of the years. You see it? Revive thy work in
the midst of the years. And I know most people that I
used to hear preach, every preach from this verse is about bring
us a revival. Let us have a good old-fashioned gospel revival.
People get under Holy Spirit conviction. Well, I'd like to
see that come too. But that's not what Habakkuk's
talking about here. Look at what it says. Oh Lord, revive thy
work in the midst of the years. Oh, look at this. In the midst
of the years, make known. Here it is. In wrath, remember
mercy. Notice what it actually says.
In wrath, not instead of wrath. Although there's senses in which
we may say that's true. If God's merciful to me, it's
because he hasn't poured out his wrath on me. But bless God,
his wrath's gonna be poured out against all ungodliness and unrighteousness. It's going to. Sin has to be
dealt with. Sin has to be dealt with. God
must punish sin. His wrath is revealed and shall
be revealed one day in a final swoop against all unrighteousness
and ungodliness. In wrath, remember mercy. It's
not have mercy instead of wrath because God is willing to show
his wrath. It's not after wrath. Then remember mercy. No, it's
in wrath. And it sounds, when I first read
that, it took me aback. I mean, I could feel my mind
like stepping back from the page. And so what? What? In wrath? Remember mercy? It's not in wrath as opposed
to. mercy, or in mercy as opposed
to wrath. God must deal in wrath against
all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men. And he has, is, and shall. And he will either deal with
my ungodliness and unrighteousness in me, deal with it in me personally,
or he will deal with it, no, he has dealt with it in the blessed
person of his son. Awake, O sword, against the man
that is my fellow. Smite, does that sound like love
to you? No, and yes. Because in wrath,
he was remembering mercy. Because while he poured out his
holy, indignant wrath upon his son, he was being merciful to
those the son stood for when he poured out his wrath. Christ
is the burnt offering. He wasn't a barbecue. Now I'm
not being flippant. A barbecue, you take the meat
and you roast it and you cook it and you partake of the meat,
right? The burnt offering was consumed. There was nothing left but ash. Do you get it? In wrath. Habakkuk's crying out for the
Messiah, folks. He's crying out for that work
and though he did not have the advantage we've got today of
the New Testament and the New Covenant being clearly unfolded
with inspired writers, he knew, Paul, that one's coming. Joe,
that one's coming. That seed, that's who all believers
were looking for. Think about it, 400 years, God
gave no outward witness to his glory after Malachi, did he?
And yet there was a man called Simeon that was looking for God's
salvation. And he realized, who was preaching
the gospel right then? Not too many people, but somebody
evidently was, Mason. Somebody had some light, did
they not? And that old man picked up that
little baby in his arms and said, Norah, I could die now, kill
me now. For mine eyes have seen thy salvation. And God didn't
forego his wrath. He didn't become, Joe, less holy.
He poured out his complete holy vengeance and wrath upon his
son, and he burnt him to a crisp. He turned his back on the Son. Because his Son had in his body
our unrighteousnesses and our ungodlinesses. And God poured
out his wrath against the Son. He cried out, my God, my God,
my God. Why hast thou forsaken me? But
yet he goes immediately and says, but thou art holy. He wasn't asking because he didn't
know. He was asking as our substitute, folks. He knew why he was being
punished with the wrath of God. Because he felt, he experienced
our sins in his own body on the tree. God, the father turned
his back on the son, and the bones were consumed, and the
meat was consumed, and nothing but a pile of ash lay there. And God didn't spare one ounce
of his wrath against the ungodliness and the unrighteousness that
he put on his son on that tree. Now if that don't make you rejoice,
if you don't have no life from God. But if that gives you just
a little ray of hope, even Mason, just a little ray of hope, then
just maybe, just maybe, God Almighty's given you eyes to see and ears
to hear and a heart to perceive. And while you know you're just
as bad as everybody else, because all too often, You make great
praise of God with your lips, but your old man is completely
far away from God. And all too often, you sick the
old man on yourself and say, let's do what he wants to do. Huh? Do we ever do that? Oh, yeah. God's opened your eyes
and your ears and given your heart. You can't read through
Romans chapter one, two, and three and say, that's me. That's
me. And thus we know. Those whom
God has saved, they can relate with the apostle Paul when he
says, oh, wretched man that I am. You see it? Oh, wretched man
that I am. Who? Thank God if you know it's
a who and not a what. And thank God if you know the
who is Jesus Christ and not yourself or somebody else. Who shall deliver
me from the body of this death? I thank God through Jesus Christ
our Lord. And folks, he gives us, I don't
mean to be flippant, I don't mean that, I just don't have
the best words. You can think about words all day long, I don't
think any of them really said, the wretched man's always there.
But when God Almighty, through the truth of His word, whether
you're hearing somebody like me preach or you're reading the
Bible yourself, if He's opened your eyes, your ears, and given
you a heart to perceive, or you're reading a message, maybe printed,
a man wrote three, four, 500 years ago, and it gives you a
little bit of deliverance when you hear that Christ is a friend
of publicans and sinners, isn't it? He says, come unto me and
take all you that labor and are heavy laden. It doesn't mean
you're working for your salvation. It means God's put the burdens
of what you really are, God's exposed you for yourself. And
you can't get away from it. When you pray, your mind is filled
with sin. And you end up finding out you're
praying just for your own lusts. Doesn't James tell us people,
the people of God? James wasn't talking to a bunch
of rebels, he was talking to believers. When he said, you
ask amiss and you don't receive, because you ask amiss, you're
consuming of your own lust. Oh God, I want to see so and
so saved. You ever pray, oh God, I pray you want to see so and
so saved. What do we usually do? I want
this, I want that. Oh God, and Lord, if it's your
will. That's the way we usually pray. Now come on, let's be honest.
Aren't you glad that the spirit of God also, we don't know what
to pray for as we ought. We don't know what to pray for,
but he helpeth them in firmities, huh? Makes intercession for us. Oh, my beloved brothers and sisters,
Paul goes on to say these words. Look at it, and Joe read from
it. Verse 24, chapter three, being justified, how? Freely. Freely. Now, it's not
free altogether. It's free on our behalf. It's free from our side. It cost
Christ. living in a human body. Did he not? It cost Christ coming
down to this world and being hated and rejected even of his
own people to start with, his elect. His elect! Oh, but he knew the glory that
should follow. And think of it, he will eternally,
Mason, be a man in glory. That boggles my mind. Why did
he do that? Because he loved us that much.
All right, let's stand and sing.