I was born in 1970 amidst the new trinity of sex, drugs, and rock ‘n roll as the sexual and social rebellion of the 1960’s was rooting into the culture and classroom. In 1973, Roe vs Wade legalized abortion. In 1974, the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders by the American Psychiatric Association stopped listing homosexuality as a mental disorder. In 2012 as my then home state was legalizing same-sex marriage I was on Fox and Friends, the View, and other media outlets discussing the issue from God’s viewpoint according to the Bible. In 2015, the U.S. Supreme Court legalized same-sex marriage.
When I was born, abortion was illegal and today it is a government-funded right, various views of sex and gender were mental disorders and today they are civil rights, and marriage was between one man and one woman. The speed of change is breathtaking. People born in more recent decades think that this world is normal because it is all they have known, but it is very new in history.
Since God has not showed up to throw flaming road tar from Heaven like He did in Sodom and Gomorrah in Genesis, some conclude that either God is not real, the Bible is not true, or God has changed His mind and caught up with the times.
No.
We are living under the wrath of God.
Some bristle at the wrath of God. The Bible does say that God is love (1 John 4:8), but the attribute of God mentioned more than any other is holiness mentioned with some twenty varying words appearing roughly six-hundred times in the Old Testament alone. God’s love and holiness are why He acts in wrath. Love requires hatred of what destroys the beloved which is why you hate cancer if your spouse has it. God’s wrath is in two forms:
- Passive wrath – Romans 1:18 says, “For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth.”
- Active wrath – Romans 2:5 says, “…you are storing up wrath for yourself on the day of wrath when God’s righteous judgment will be revealed.”
Passive wrath is when God lets you do whatever you want without stopping you. Jesus’ passive wrath was revealed to Judas Iscariot when Jesus told him to go do what he wanted and betray Christ. America, along with everyone else who is alive and sinning on the earth, is currently experiencing God’s passive wrath. Passive wrath allows you to sin, storing up judgment for yourself on the day of God’s active judgment.
No one is getting away with anything.
Everyone is storing up everything.
The wrath of God is dealt with in one of two ways:
- Jesus took God’s wrath for you on the cross
- Jesus pours out God’s wrath on you in hell
Some people think God rules Heaven and Satan rules Hell. The truth is, Jesus Christ is Lord over all and rules both in Heaven and Hell as Satan rules no one, nowhere, and nothing when all is said and done. Revelation 14:10 speaks of the unrepentant sinner who stored up passive wrath in life who then experiences active wrath in death saying, “he also will drink the wine of God’s wrath, poured full strength into the cup of his anger, and he will be tormented with fire and sulfur in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb.”
Have you ever heard of God’s passive wrath? Do you find this comforting or concerning? Why?
To find the free Romans study guide for individuals and small groups, hear Pastor Mark’s entire sermon series on Romans, or find a free mountain of Bible teaching visit realfaith.com or download the Real Faith app.