A Somewhat Surprising God
We have now officially entered the Uncomfortable Zone. For most modern American Christians all this talk about sin and wrath and law leaves them feeling distinctly uncomfortable if now downright creeped out! However, since this didn't deter Paul, let's not let it deter us either!
The first thing we learn about God is that he does indeed have and express wrath. Now this isn't what our culture wants to hear, but in this text Paul stands with the rest of Biblical revelation in stating that when faced with sin and evil, God has wrath.
Two things about it strike me. One, Paul says the wrath of God is being revealed from heaven, but he doesn't say how. Don't you wish he had? It would save us from these nut cases running around claiming the wrath of God has struck every time something bad happens. But he didn't, leaving it up to us to figure out what he means.
Isn't it interesting how much room God gives us to use our minds, to ponder, think and grow in our relationship with Him?
Second really interesting thing is that God seems especially angry when THE TRUTH IS BEING REPRESSED! Bad enough to depart from the truth and sin, but when you KNOW the truth, and LIE about and seek to HIDE it from yourself and others - then God's wrath is really stirred up against you.
Paul tells us we are accountable for our sin because God has made his basic nature PLAIN to us in CREATION! Paul does not say God IS creation, only that many of his attributes and nature can be seen IN nature!
He specifically mentions God's eternal power, which is indeed seen every time nature displays it's awesome power. He then mentions God divine nature, which is displayed in all of nature as well. How diverse, complex, ordered and flexible creation is. All attributes of God.
The bottom line is clear - we are without excuse if we claim there cannot be a God, which so many claim today. They lie in the face of all creation, and should heed the many sign posts God put into the natural world, less they fall beneath the wrath of God.
This isn't the God our culture wants, and might surprise even a lot of church goers, but this IS the God of the Bible - like it or not!
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