Romans 1:18, Jeremiah 44:22, John 3:36, Ephesians 5:6,1 Thessalonians 2:16, Revelation 15:7

Summary: In Romans 1:1-17, Paul has presented his apostolic credentials, his desire to visit the brethren in Rome, and the power of the Gospel. His focus now shifts to the revelation of the wrath of God, a topic that too few believers and too many people in general are afraid to face.

In his multi-volume work on the book of Romans, the late pastor and Bible expositor Dr. Donald Grey Barnhouse wrote concerning the wrath of God, “It would be pleasant not to have to preach on this subject, but if one sets out to be an expositor of the Word of God, it is necessary to consider all of the revelation of truth in the order in which God has seen fit to deliver it to us. The minister has no right of choice, though there are some ministers that seek to interpose their choice in priority over the Divine Revelation” (Romans, Vol. 1: “Man’s Ruin”, p.215).

As these days continue to grow darker in this world in terms of spiritual warfare, the need to present this subject is even more profound as more ministers and their respective congregations prefer to have their ears tickled at the cost of their souls (Isaiah 5:20-21, 24; Mark 7:13; Timothy 4:1-5). One hardly hears anything from the average pulpit today on the “wrath of God” because it is either viewed as “too offensive” or gets in the way of the image of a deity they have conceived in their own hearts and minds that gladly looks the other way in terms of sin and accountability (Exodus 20:1-2). Facts outweigh feelings, especially when it comes to the truth and fact of our condition before a Holy, Sovereign, and Almighty LORD God.

Like the late Dr. Barnhouse and other faithful preachers of the Word, I don’t particularly enjoy bringing up the subject of God’s wrath, but I cannot be faithful to my calling as a minister of the Word if I neglect to address this serious issue (Ezekiel 3:18-19; 1 Thessalonians 5:14), if only to shake some sense into the growing flock of mind-numbed sheep following everything and anyone but the Good Shepherd and the salvation that He provides (John 10:11; Hebrews 13:20; 1 Peter 2:25, 5:4; Revelation 7:17). Any man of God (1 Timothy 2:12, 3:1-8; Titus 1:8-9) who preaches only on the “love of God” without presenting the fact of His anger towards sin and our rebellious attitude towards Him is not doing anyone any good. The messenger is to deliver the message, which is precisely what I aim to do from this point going forward.

Starting with Romans 1:18, Paul lays out the prosecuting case against humanity in terms of our sin and perpetual condition of hopelessness. Before there can be a remedy, there has to be an initial diagnosis, and before that, a case history.

As part of the case history, we need to establish the meaning of the term “the wrath of God.” What does the Bible mean when it describes this part of His Holy character?

In the New Testament, there are two Greek words used to refer to the wrath of God. The first word is “THUMOS,” meaning a sudden explosion of anger. We see this in Luke 4:28 when the citizens of Nazareth wanted to harm the Lord Jesus. The word used in Romans 1:18 is different. It is the word “ORGE,” meaning to become “red-faced,” picturing someone who is holding in his anger as it builds up inside of him, implying that there will come a time when the anger comes forth. God demonstrated this built-up wrath that came in the flood (Genesis 6-8), the judgment of Sodom and Gomorrah (Genesis 19), and at the Red Sea where He destroyed the armies of Egypt (Exodus 14).

When God’s wrath is described in Scripture, it is always done in a manner that is just, fair, balanced, and within the boundaries of His Holy, omnipotent, omniscient, sinless nature. When the wrath of God falls upon a person or a nation, it is because they deserved it, and it was executed in perfect, divine justice. He can bring the inevitable discipline to people as well as bring their doom due to their wickedness. As the days grow darker and the return of the LORD draws near, this discipline and judgment will increase and be more obvious to those who can truly see and who have ears to hear (Matthew 24:4-14; Mark 13:3-13; Luke 21:7-19). It is wickedness and sin on our part that gives the reason for why the wrath of a Holy God even exists.

In our present sinful condition, we are His enemies (Romans 5:10, 8:7; Ephesians 2:3). Due to our willful rebellion, we do not want to be under the rule and guidance of God. Therefore, every civilization and person outside of God’s redemptive grace has been more than willing to fashion a deity into their own liking and image that will not mind their behaviors and actions, even if they decide to deify themselves and deny the existence of the true God altogether (Psalm 14:1-3, 51:1-3).

Generations of foolish and arrogant civilizations have either believed, advocated, or assumed that their self-conceived “gods” would never demand an accounting from them at the end of life but welcome them into whatever sense of ethereal bliss their respective mythologies presented.

This present world is no different as people and organizations from all walks of life have come to decide that “God is love,” a blanket term to demand acceptance for their beliefs and lifestyles without any fear or consequences. Never mind the fact that they cannot seem to define the term “love” except as a combination of physical gratification and some kind of self-centered emotional idea that is in total conflict with the standards God has decreed in the Scriptures. In turn, these same corrupt souls will condemn the God of the Bible for having the “nerve” to send people into eternal hell.

The wicked are content in sin and depravity and do not want to face the possibility that they are wrong and blind to anything that might interfere with their lives. They do not want to hear or be confronted with their unrighteousness.

And as Paul will present in Chapters 1-3, this degrading behavior and its rotten harvest brings about the certainty of the judgment of God.

A good doctor will be blunt and open with any patient who is exhibiting the symptoms of a fatal disease. He will not prescribe a placebo or give a pain reliever that temporarily soothes discomfort. The caring physician will show their patient how the disease originated and the seriousness of what will happen if no treatment is given. Jesus is the Great Physician who shows us the terminal effects of our sins and rebellion towards God, and He provides us the cure by surrendering our diseased, sinful lives, which are bound for death and hell, to Him to cleanse us from our sins, and to give us eternal life that will be forever free from the curse of sin, death, and hell (Matthew 11:28-30; John 14:6; Acts 4:12; Romans 5:6-11; Romans 10:9-10; 1 John 1:6-10, 2:1-2).

Do not listen to confused friends, psychics, secular psychologists, nor the irritating empty heads and flapping gums of talk show hosts, political pundits, or even some so-called “ministers” who peddle the idea that we are not all that bad, that our “best life is now,” and if we “think good thoughts” or produce some other type of self-remedy, all will be well. The Bible makes it clear that we are not “good” in the eyes of a Holy God, and if you care to face the facts of reality, then continue to see how Paul lays out his case as he progresses through these verses. The Doctor is in, and he is waiting to give you the cure.

donaldwhitchard@gmail.com

www.realitycityreverend.com

My book, The Scope of Biblical Prophecy, is now available at www.parsonsporch.com.

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Donald was born and reared in the authentic “Cajun Country” of southern Louisiana. He is a graduate of Louisiana College (B.A. in History Education/ Biblical Studies, 1984), New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary (M.Div. In Christian Education, 1994), and Andersonville Baptist Seminary (Doctor of Ministry, Biblical Exposition, 2000). He has been in the Gospel ministry since 1986, serving as an evangelist, interim and supply pastor, hospital and rescue mission chaplain, high school and college teacher, and pastor in churches in Louisiana and Oklahoma.

In 2018, he began to devote his time to the rich field of internet and social media evangelism and outreach. In 2021 he became a member of the Oklahoma Conference of Southern Baptist Evangelists, using his skills as a writer to contribute articles and sermons to websites such as Rapture Ready, Sermon Central, and Inspirational Christian Blogs. He also writes Bible studies and curricula for churches in southeast and central Asia and Africa, the locations of which are anonymous. He can be contacted at: donaldwhitchard@gmail.com for inquiries, information, and speaking/preaching engagements. A copy of his resume is also available upon request.

Mainstream media outlets are crossing the line with their blatant disregard for the truth. Television Networks are directly hurting individuals in attempts to promote a political agenda. And now President Trump is suing the F.B.I. and Lisa Page, Peter Struck, James Comey, and several others in the D.O.J. for defamation, and the mainstream media as well.

Because of the propaganda, hate speech, and outright lies they spew daily, the mainstream media is suffering rejection by the American people. At the same time, independent internet news is taking over big time. There are no celebrities here, and in fact, many of them are new to news reporting. Take, for example, Stew Peters, the Christian conservative who’s taken the internet by storm, and others like him.

I quit watching television altogether several years ago and rely solely on the internet for my daily news these days. So much is happening in our country now that you can’t keep up with the news on the internet. Last night I heard that the doctor who claimed graphene oxide is in the jabs for Covid-19 was in a plane crash and is in the hospital with severe injuries. Carrie Madej is a doctor who is/was standing against big pharma. It is being speculated that this might have been an assassination attempt. She and her boyfriend were involved in a plane crash upon landing at a small airport in a Cessna (her boyfriend also survived.)

Another two doctors, Brian Artis and Dr. Zev Zelenko, are on a big pharma hit list. Dr. Zelenko died of cancer. (He expired before I wrapped up this article.)

The Sergeant at Arms during the Capitol riots quit his post afterward, and today he committed suicide. It was revealed that he had asked Madam Pelosi for more help to control the crowds of people approaching the Capitol building. He didn’t, however, get the additional help he asked for, and for some strange reason, he quit his post after the mayhem became the political inquiry it is today.

This all seems a little fishy. But if you consider that several people died in the fracas, it makes sense that he would quit the post, but one has to wonder why he chose to commit suicide.

Cassidy Hutchison, who on hearsay accused President Trump of acting like a lunatic and grabbing the steering wheel of the “Beast” limousine he was in – on the way to the Capitol – just perjured herself. The two players in her story denied even knowing her. Her confidant, Liz Cheney, the one who introduced her to the J6 trial, was out of town campaigning – how convenient.

Liz Cheney apparently joined the Republican party only to infiltrate and do harm to Donald Trump, a man she and most other Democrats hate vehemently.

On another front, Dr. Fauci, who contracted Covid – even after the shot – just had a re-infection. He says that this time it’s worse than before but that everyone should take the jab despite this turn of events. To this, I would say, “To what end?”

It seems that the Democrats’ dominoes are beginning to fall, and these fanatical subversive killers are being exposed as perverts, insurrectionists, and outright criminals. Take Hunter Biden, for example – every day now, the sexual exploits he had on his laptop are appearing on the internet everywhere. It seems he fancies himself a stud. He can do as he pleases, but the fact is that he has made himself a hostage to corrupt governments who are obviously blackmailing his father to the tune of billions of taxpayers’ dollars.

Mass killings are taking place around the globe by hate-filled individuals daily, to say nothing of the war and worldwide conflicts taking place. Natural disasters are also happening everywhere, and according to the worldwide news, famine will follow. You would be wise to prepare, for no one knows the day nor the hour when we will be raptured. One thing is for sure; those who are taken away are only those who have received Christ as Savior. So, if you are not ready, take care to receive Christ today.

If you are a news junkie like me, make sure you do your due diligence to know what is true or not, and you need to rely on the Holy Spirit to know truth when you read or hear it. The Holy Spirit that is given by God when you receive Christ is the revealer of all truth. This same Holy Spirit was prophesied in the book of Joel, in which he was speaking of Israel during the Tribulation. “And in those days, I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh…”

When the Holy Spirit has come, He will lead you into all truth. Wisdom to discern the times will ensue. Then, “When wisdom enters your heart, and knowledge is pleasant to your soul, discretion will preserve you; understanding will keep you.” “Happy is the man who finds wisdom, and the man who gains understanding.” There is also the added benefit of spiritual discernment.

I am convinced that this outpouring is happening among Christian people everywhere. Those closest to the Lord will be used in various ways to participate in the last great harvest of souls, souls that will be transformed and whisked away from planet Earth just before all hell breaks loose. But, at the same time, those who want nothing to do with God will become impervious to the truth and be given over to a reprobate mind.

“You shall know the truth, and the truth shall set you free.”

Book review

Overcomer is my latest read. This little book by Dr. David Jeremiah is filled with wisdom and powerful scripture verses, verses I have used with great results in dealing with life’s problems. Instinctively, I’ve used these and other verses throughout my Christian life and have never failed to get a good night’s rest in spite of the calamity and uncertainty swirling about everywhere in the world.

Despite the happenings in the world and closeness of the rapture, I may still try to get my book (manuscript) published. I’ve experienced a good number of miracles that can’t be explained away – repeatedly. The title of my manuscript is Miracles, Signs and Wonders.

YBIC

Jim Towers

Write me at jt.filmmaker@yahoo.com or visit me at www.dropzonedelta.com and my personal web page www.propheticsignsandwonders.com.