For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, “The just shall live by faith.” For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, because what may be known of God is manifest in them, for God has shown it to them. (Romans 1:16-19)

The Righteousness And Wrath Of God

From the beginning, God’s word is a measure of righteousness and His wrath. God told Adam and Eve that they were forbidden to eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. The penalty for disobedience was death. They could eat from every tree in the garden, but not the forbidden fruit. When they disobeyed the word of the Lord, they were punished. Noah preached righteousness to the fallen world of his day. Only eight souls were saved as the wrath of God destroyed everything with the breath of life. Moses gave the Hebrews the law, which contained the blessings and curses of the word of the Lord. He gave them the choice of life or death. If the people obeyed the word of the Lord, He would bless them immeasurably. He warned them that if they refused to obey Him, He would destroy them. The latter became their history.

Jesus died on the cross to establish a covenant between God and man. This covenant was based on the blood of Jesus. As the Prince of peace, the Son of God came to bring salvation to a lost and dying world. The teachings of Jesus highlighted the righteousness of God and the warnings of His wrath. Jesus taught more on eternal damnation than anyone. He taught on grace and love. When the early church began to teach the gospel of Christ, they also taught the righteousness and wrath of God. Paul declared that the gospel is about the righteousness and wrath of God.

The gospel is the power of God to salvation to everyone who believes. Through Christ, all men, Jew and Gentile, can find salvation through the blood of Jesus. In the gospel, the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith. Paul wrote about the joy of salvation and that there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ. John tells his readers that he writes to them to let them know they have eternal life. The righteousness of God is found in the grace of God, His eternal mercy, and His unending love. From beginning to end, the scriptures extol the joy of knowing God is a loving and compassionate God who does not desire for anyone to perish.

The gospel reveals the wrath of God against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness. Contained within the gospel is the wrath of God. The language is plain. Jesus taught that a man will be condemned by his words. When Nicodemus came to Jesus, the Lord told him that those who do not believe in Him will be lost. He gave a commission to the eleven that those who did not believe in Him would be condemned. Paul wrote that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God. Those who engage in fornication, idolatry, adultery, homosexuality, sodomy, thievery, coveting, drunkenness, reviling, and extortion will be condemned. The gospel presents the wrath of God against unrighteousness. Not everyone will be saved. Most people will be lost. That is the wrath of God. The righteousness of God is found in those who obey the gospel. In obedience, the wrath of God is removed.