1:18 How is the wrath of God revealed from heaven here?

Most Christians consider the wrath of God in scripture as something unrepentant sinners will only be confronted with on Judgement Day. However, God's wrath is not only the divine response to man's unfaithfulness in the future judgement; it is a present and continuous reality which is best understood against the background of what Paul goes on to say in V19-32 (CP V19-32).

God's wrath is revealed from heaven here against all the ungodliness and unrighteousness of those who have rejected his truth in V18-20. God has given them over to their ungodly lusts and has made them subject to all the consequences of their sins as divine chastisement, in this life. This is the law of sowing and reaping, which applies to everyone - believers and unbelievers alike (CP Ga 6:7-8). Look what happened to King David (CP Psa 38).

David had committed adultery with Bathsheba, and even though he had confessed and repented of it and had been forgiven by God, he was still subject to the consequences of his sin. David was stricken with venereal disease, and in Psa 38 he acknowledges that it was a result of his sin (CP Ro 1:21-22).

Here we see that the thoughts and the directions of those who reject God's truth are worthless. They are destitute of real wisdom and their already foolish hearts are darkened even further. This is what Solomon experienced when he rejected the truth of God (CP Ecc 1:2).

All that Solomon tried was futile, unsuccessful in giving him complete satisfaction, and this is the pattern of his life right throughout Ecclesiastes, after he rejected God's truth. He also exchanged the glory of the incorruptible God for a corruptible image (CP Ro 1:23 with 1Ki 11:4-10).

When men choose to reject the Creator and worship the creation, God delivers them into the control of the sinful things they preferred to Him (CP Ro 1:24-25 with Psa 81:11-12).

This does not mean that God causes men to sin, but that because lust dwells in their hearts, when men persist in pursuing those lusts, God's grace, which restrains men from sinning gives place to wrath, and He then abandons them to their passions (CP Ro 5:20 - 6:2 with 1:26-28).

The word recompense in Ro 1:27 refers to the natural result of their sin which pays them back for what they have done. So it could be said that the herpes and aids viruses and other sexually transmitted diseases are a recompense for the rampant sexual promiscuity and blatant homosexual practices which men and women engage in today.

In V28 God gave those who rejected His truth over to a "reprobate mind". A reprobate mind is one void of judgement, in which the divine distinctions between right and wrong are confused and lost, so that men become filled with all the unrighteousness of V29-32 (CP V29-32). The wrath God visits on sinful humanity consists of simply letting humanity have its own way. God's wrath in the context of Ro 1:18 is not directed against persons, but against their godlessness and wickedness (CP Mt 3:7; He 2:1-4; 3:10-12; 4:2-3).

In closing here it should be noted that notwithstanding that God's wrath is being revealed from heaven against all the unrighteousness and wickedness of those who have rejected His truth now in this life, God is ever willing to receive and restore those who practice these evils to fellowship with Him, if they will but repent of their ways and ask for His forgiveness (CP Lu 15:11-32 with 1Jn 1:9).

See also comments on Lu 15:1-7; Ro 1:24-28, 1:29-31, 1Cor 6:9-10; Ga 5:19-21; 1Jn 1:9.

"Romans"