Romans Week 1 | The Gospel and The Wrath of God

Introduction

Today we begin an eight-week walk through the book of Romans — a letter that has shaped hearts and re-formed the church for two thousand years. Paul takes us to the very center of the gospel. Over these weeks we’ll see God’s holiness, our need, and His grace that rescues. Romans tells us not just what we believe but why it changes everything.

Some words sound good until you put them together — like “comfort” and “cross,” or here in Romans 1, “gospel” and “wrath.”

We love talking about grace and forgiveness, but wrath makes us uneasy. Yet Paul links them because we can’t appreciate the good news until we’ve faced the bad news. Romans 1 is where God’s holiness meets human sin. It reminds us that the same God who saves also judges — and His justice makes His mercy shine brighter.

We’ll move through three movements today:

1. The Gospel — God’s Power and Righteousness Revealed (vv. 1–17)

2. The Suppression of Truth — Humanity’s Rebellion (vv. 18–23)

3. The Downward Spiral of Sin — Consequences of Rejection (vv. 24–32)

Let’s check it out.

MAIN POINT 1: The Gospel: God’s Power and Righteousness Revealed (vv. 1–17)

Romans 1:1–7, 16–17 (ESV)

Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God … concerning his Son, who was descended from David according to the flesh and declared to be the Son of God in power … Jesus Christ our Lord … 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 for faith, as it is written, “The righteous shall live by faith.”

Paul opens not with advice or opinion but an announcement — news from God. He calls it “the gospel of God,” meaning it started in heaven, not here. The gospel is not good advice about what we must do; it’s good news about what God has done.

When Paul says he’s not ashamed, remember how radical that is. He preached a crucified Savior in a culture obsessed with status and strength. But he knew this message carried divine power — dynamis in Greek, where we get “dynamite.”The gospel isn’t weak religion; it’s explosive grace. It breaks chains, changes hearts, and raises what was dead.

And... it reveals God’s righteousness — not just His moral perfection but His way of making sinners right with Him. We don’t earn it; we receive it by faith. That’s why Paul quotes, “The righteous shall live by faith.”

In verse 7 he writes, “Grace to you and peace.” Grace always comes first. You can’t have peace with God until you’ve received grace from God. Grace is the foundation; peace is the fruit.

Before Paul ever mentions wrath, he starts with grace. Before he names what’s wrong with the world, he reminds us of what’s right with God.

Write this down - The gospel is God’s power to save — and that same power still works today.

MAIN POINT 2: The Suppression of Truth: Humanity’s Rebellion (vv. 18–23)

Romans 1:18–23 (ESV)

For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth. For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse. For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Claiming to be wise, they became fools and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things.

Paul’s tone shifts here from grace to gravity. The same God who reveals righteousness also reveals wrath. His wrath isn’t like ours — it’s not a temper tantrum; it’s His settled, holy opposition to evil. Because He loves what is good, He must oppose what destroys.

Paul says humanity “suppresses the truth.” We know there’s a God — creation itself testifies — but we push that truth down, like trying to hold a beach ball underwater. It always pushes back up.

He writes that what can be known about God is plain because God has shown it. This is what theologians call God-consciousness. Every human being, regardless of culture or education, has an inner awareness that there is a Creator. That awareness doesn’t save a person, but it opens the door for the gospel to enter. When someone responds to that light, God sends more light. He makes sure the message of salvation reaches the seeking heart.

But many don’t respond. They reject God’s clear revelation and trade it for substitutes. They worship creation instead of the Creator. And when you trade the glory of the immortal God for images, you don’t become enlightened — you become enslaved.

Sin always involves a tragic exchange: truth for lies, glory for shame, worship for idolatry. We don’t stop worshiping; we just change the object of our worship. That’s why idols today don’t look like golden statues; they look like bank accounts, reputation, comfort, or self.

Paul says that because people refused to acknowledge God, their thinking became futile and their hearts darkened. When you close the curtains against the sun, darkness is the natural result. Rejecting God doesn’t make us free thinkers — it makes us blind.

MAIN POINT 3: The Downward Spiral of Sin: Consequences of Rejection (vv. 24–32)

Romans 1:24–28, 32 (ESV)

Therefore, God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, to the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves, because they exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever! Amen. For this reason God gave them up to dishonorable passions. … And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them up to a debased mind to do what ought not to be done. … Though they know God's righteous decree that those who practice such things deserve to die, they not only do them but give approval to those who practice them.

Three times Paul writes the phrase, “God gave them up.” It’s one of the most sobering statements in all Scripture. It doesn’t mean God stopped caring. It means He allowed people to chase their desires until those desires enslaved them. He removed His restraining hand and said, in effect, “If that’s what you insist on, go ahead and see where it leads.”

That’s the essence of judgment in this life — when God lets sin run its natural course. The human heart is like a car that keeps steering toward the ditch, and apart from His grace, we never straighten the wheel.

Notice the progression: they exchanged truth for lies, they worshiped pleasure instead of purity, and they followed feelings instead of faith. When we reject God, we don’t remain neutral; our hearts grow darker, our minds grow clouded, our consciences dull.

Paul lists the results: envy, murder, strife, deceit, gossip, arrogance, disobedience, and a lack of love and mercy. It’s a picture of a world unanchored — and if it sounds familiar, it’s because it’s today’s newsfeed. Our culture celebrates what God condemns and condemns what God celebrates.

Behind every moral collapse is a spiritual rebellion — humanity saying, “We know better than God.” And the end of that road is not freedom but futility. Verse 32 says, “Though they know God’s righteous decree, they not only do these things but give approval to those who practice them.” That’s the final stage of a hardened heart — not just sinning, but cheering for sin.

Yet even here, Paul’s purpose isn’t to make us hopeless; it’s to make us hungry for grace. He shows how far the fall goes so we can marvel at how far God’s mercy reaches. When we see the darkness clearly, the light of Christ shines even brighter.

Gospel Connection

If all have sinned and wrath is real, what hope do we have? Our only hope is the same message Paul began with — the gospel of Jesus Christ.

At the cross, the wrath of God and the mercy of God meet. Jesus took the full weight of our sin and the judgment we deserved so that through faith we could receive the righteousness we never could earn. The gospel doesn’t deny wrath; it satisfies it. The debt is paid. Justice is fulfilled. Mercy is offered.

When we see the seriousness of sin, we begin to see the beauty of grace. The wrath of God makes the gospel shine brighter.

So, Paul’s call is simple:

• Acknowledge sin’s seriousness — stop minimizing what God condemns.

• Embrace God’s mercy — run to the cross where wrath was satisfied and grace poured out.

• Live unashamed — if Paul wasn’t ashamed of the gospel, neither should we be. The world still needs truth wrapped in love.

Conclusion

Romans 1 is heavy, but it’s honest. It shows what happens when people turn from God — and how far He was willing to go to bring us back.

The gospel is more than good news; it’s God’s rescue plan. It pulls us out of the spiral and sets us on solid ground. So don’t suppress the truth. Don’t ignore conviction. Let the gospel do what only it can do — save, cleanse, and transform.

Because the God whose wrath is real has mercy that’s greater, and the cross of Christ stands as proof.

Application & Personal Challenge

This week:

1. Reflect — Where are you tempted to trade God’s truth for something easier?

2. Repent — Bring it into the light; grace always comes before peace.

3. Rejoice — Thank God that His power to save still works today.

If you’ve been living ashamed of the gospel, ask God to give you Paul’s courage. If you’ve been avoiding hard truths, ask Him for humility, and if you’ve been carrying guilt, remember the cross: Jesus bore the wrath so you could walk in peace.