QuickThoughts: God’s Righteousness vs. Man’s Unrighteousness

An interesting contrast is revealed in Romans 1:16-20. Often when we discuss God’s judgment against unrighteousness, we will begin with v. 18 of the text, but that isn’t where Paul begins.

He actually begins this topic in v. 15 by letting the Romans know he is eager to preach the gospel to them. Why?

He tells them why:

📘 For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, “But the righteous will live by faith.”

Romans 1:16-17

Paul gives two reasons for his eagerness to share the Gospel:

1. The Gospel is the very power of God for salvation (v. 16)!
2. The Gospel reveals God’s righteousness (v. 17)!

It is here that Paul tells how God’s righteousness is revealed in judgment against the unrighteous:

📘 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, because that which is known about God is evident within them; for God made it evident to them.

Romans 1:18-19

God’s righteousness demands wrath. To let wickedness go unpunished would make Him a cruel and tyrannical deity. He is neither!

The unrighteous, however, reject the God they know exists, suppressing that basic truth to justify their unrighteousness.

Yet God chose to make His presence clear within them; the very fact that the unrighteous can reason and make moral judgments is proof enough of God’s existence and righteous nature.

Paul does not stop there, though, because God went further:

📘 For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, both His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse.

Romans 1:20

Not only has God revealed Himself in our consciences and capacity for logic, He ensured that even creation itself screamed of His majesty, displaying His power, His divine nature, His creativity, and even His care what what has been made.

Verse 20 even ends with an explanation for WHY God chose to reveal Himself to all mankind in this way: “so that they are without excuse.”

God chose to reveal His eternal power and divine nature to ensure that no one could claim ignorance on the day of judgment! No excuses.

But the unbelieving world tries to make excuses anyway, usually in embarrassingly stupid ways:

📘 For even though they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God or give thanks, but they became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish heart was darkened. Professing to be wise, they became fools, and exchanged the glory of the incorruptible God for an image in the likeness of corruptible man and of birds and four-footed animals and crawling creatures.

Romans 1:21-23

By consciously rejecting the obvious truth of God and His perfection, they are forced to explain Him away with futile and foolish theories, speculations, and alternative man-made objects of worship (we are, after all, MADE for worship; all mankind worships someone or some thing).

This is what Paul was excited to share with the Romans. The Gospel of Christ reveals not only God’s righteousness, but also the unrighteousness of the world, thus exposing our need for a Savior!

The Gospel message is far more than simply “Jesus loves you.” It comes with both a proclamation of God’s goodness AND a warning of the wrath to come and the wickedness of rejecting God.

May we all be as eager as Paul to share this message!