The Scripture says that God's wrath "is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of people, who suppress the truth by their wickedness" (Rom. 1:18, NIV).
This is the truth that unbelievers deny. They suppress this truth in their wickedness. It is bad news to those who live in their sin and do not fear God.
In simple but unflinching language, Romans 1:18-25 tells us that "God's judgment is already on unrighteous people who do not want to know God (v. 18). God did make Himself known (v. 19). In creation all people can see that God exists; therefore nobody has an excuse (v. 20)."
There is a sense that everyone knows God. Both in what He has made (His creation) and in man's conscience, God surely has provided sufficient evidences of His "invisible attributes."
Such revelation of God is enough to confront man of his sin and inform him of his being under condemnation (Rom. 1:20; 2:14-16). God's creation and man's conscience render man without excuse. He knows he is accountable before God who made him.
"But people refused to acknowledge God (v. 21). Thus they became stupid (v. 22), so stupid that they bowed for birds, beasts, and reptiles (v. 23). Their present immorality is God's judgment over them (v. 24), because they worshiped the creatures instead of the Creator (v. 25)" (Rev. Andrew Kuyvenhoven, "Romans: A Study Guide," 4).
There's no other way for man to get out of his predicament. No effort or any amount of striving on his part that could deliver man from his sad state and miserable condition. That's the bad news.
However, God has provided a way of salvation for man. He has revealed this way in His written word, the Holy Scripture. The only way for sinful man to be saved from the wrath of God, according to the Scripture, is for him to turn to the right way, away from his sin, and to believe in the only provision of God for his sin, a provision that propitiates God's wrath.
That provision of God is the only way out and the only way back to Him. That way is the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, who came from heaven, born of a woman. He lived in complete obedience to the Father, without sin, under the law of God by the Spirit of God. And He did suffer and die for the sins of His people.
But the narrative of Christ's saving work did not end in His death for sinners. He also came back to life for their justification and ascended back to heaven to present Himself to the Father as One who finished His redeeming work.
Thus God the Father crowned Him king and gave Him a name that is above every name - King of kings and Lord of lords - that at the name of Jesus every knee shall bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus is Lord to the glory of God the Father (Phil. 2:9-11). This is good news!
This good news is in Christ! Thus the call to repentance and the offer of forgiveness must be proclaimed in Christ's name to all the nations of the world (Luke 24:47).
One Gospel-writer said, "Whoever believes [in this message of salvation in Christ] and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned" (Mark 16:15-16).
In fact, anyone who does not believe this gospel is condemned already "because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God" (John 3:18b).
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