Understanding the Wrath of God in the Context of the Gospel
I have made the assertion that the subject of this letter to the believers in Rome is the Gospel. Paul desires that there would be an obedience that comes from their faith. He is aiming to help them understand the Gospel so that their practice would reflect that Gospel and ultimately bring glory to Christ. The Gospel means good news. Paul explains that this Gospel reveals a righteousness from God that has the power to completely save a person from the penalty of their sin, the power of sin, and ultimately the presence of sin. That is really good news, but then Paul immediately shifts to the subject of God's wrath. How is that good news? Romans 1:18 "For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth." In our culture, we have a tendency to downplay the wrath of God because of our fear that others would see God as angry and abusive. We like to talk about salvation
