In these first five weeks, we’ll explore the fundamental problem of humanity—sin—and the incredible promise of God’s righteousness. Paul paints a stark picture of the universal problem of sin, but he also provides a powerful promise: the righteousness of God, revealed through faith. We will journey through Paul’s theology of human depravity and God’s provision, grounding ourselves in the reality of both our brokenness and the hope found in Jesus Christ.

This week focuses on God’s righteous anger against human wickedness and the consequences of rejecting Him. Paul outlines the downward spiral of sin and the resulting moral decay that ensues when people turn away from God.

How does understanding God’s wrath against sin influence your commitment to live a righteous life?

Read:
Romans 1:18-20
18 The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of people, who suppress the truth by their wickedness, 19 since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. 20 For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse.

Cross-Reference:
Psalm 19:1-4; 
The heavens declare the glory of God;
    the skies proclaim the work of his hands.
2 Day after day they pour forth speech;
    night after night they reveal knowledge.
3 They have no speech, they use no words;
    no sound is heard from them.
4 Yet their voice[b] goes out into all the earth,
    their words to the ends of the world.
In the heavens God has pitched a tent for the sun.

Revelation 14:7 ;
7 He said in a loud voice, “Fear God and give him glory, because the hour of his judgment has come. Worship him who made the heavens, the earth, the sea and the springs of water.”


1 Corinthians 15:1-4:
15 Now, brothers and sisters, I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you, which you received and on which you have taken your stand. 2 By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain.
3 For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance[a]: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures,

Reflection:
God's wrath is revealed against all ungodliness and unrighteousness. His invisible attributes are clearly seen in creation.

Question:
How does the revelation of God’s wrath motivate you to appreciate His creation and His righteousness?

Prayer:
Lord, help me see Your creation as a testament to Your glory and turn away from any ungodliness in my life.

Read:
Romans 1:21-23
21 For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. 22 Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools 23 and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like a mortal human being and birds and animals and reptiles.

Cross-Reference:
2 Thessalonians 2:10-12:
10 on the day he comes to be glorified in his holy people and to be marveled at among all those who have believed. This includes you, because you believed our testimony to you.

11 With this in mind, we constantly pray for you, that our God may make you worthy of his calling, and that by his power he may bring to fruition your every desire for goodness and your every deed prompted by faith. 12 We pray this so that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you, and you in him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.[c]
 
Jeremiah 2:11-13; 2
Has a nation ever changed its gods?
    (Yet they are not gods at all.)
But my people have exchanged their glorious God
    for worthless idols.
12 Be appalled at this, you heavens,
    and shudder with great horror,”
declares the Lord.
13 “My people have committed two sins:
They have forsaken me,
    the spring of living water,
and have dug their own cisterns,
    broken cisterns that cannot hold water.

Reflection:
Although people knew God, they did not honor Him as God and exchanged His truth for lies, resulting in futile thinking.

Question:
In what ways have you seen the exchange of God’s truth for lies affect the world around you?

Prayer:
Father, help me hold fast to Your truth and reject any falsehood that leads me away from You.

Read:
Romans 1:24-27
24 Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another. 25 They exchanged the truth about God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator—who is forever praised. Amen.

26 Because of this, God gave them over to shameful lusts. Even their women exchanged natural sexual relations for unnatural ones. 27 In the same way the men also abandoned natural relations with women and were inflamed with lust for one another. Men committed shameful acts with other men, and received in themselves the due penalty for their error.

Cross-Reference:
 Ezekiel 14:4-6;
4 Therefore speak to them and tell them, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: When any of the Israelites set up idols in their hearts and put a wicked stumbling block before their faces and then go to a prophet, I the Lord will answer them myself in keeping with their great idolatry. 5 I will do this to recapture the hearts of the people of Israel, who have all deserted me for their idols.’

6 “Therefore say to the people of Israel, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Repent! Turn from your idols and renounce all your detestable practices!

6 “Therefore say to the people of Israel, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Repent! Turn from your idols and renounce all your detestable practices!
 
 1 Corinthians 10:14:
14 Therefore, my dear friends, flee from idolatry.

Reflection:
God gave people over to their lusts and degrading passions as a result of their idolatry and refusal to acknowledge Him.

Question:
How does the impact of idolatry in this passage inform your understanding of God’s judgment on sin?

Prayer:
Lord, help me to recognize and avoid idolatry in my life, and keep me from falling into the traps of sin.

Read:
Romans  1:28-32
28 Furthermore, just as they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, so God gave them over to a depraved mind, so that they do what ought not to be done. 29 They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit and malice. They are gossips, 30 slanderers, God-haters, insolent, arrogant and boastful; they invent ways of doing evil; they disobey their parents; 31 they have no understanding, no fidelity, no love, no mercy. 32 Although they know God’s righteous decree that those who do such things deserve death, they not only continue to do these very things but also approve of those who practice them.


Cross-Reference:
2 Timothy 3:1-5;  
Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, in keeping with the promise of life that is in Christ Jesus, 2 To Timothy, my dear son:
Grace, mercy and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.

Thanksgiving
3 I thank God, whom I serve, as my ancestors did, with a clear conscience, as night and day I constantly remember you in my prayers. 4 Recalling your tears, I long to see you, so that I may be filled with joy. 5 I am reminded of your sincere faith, which first lived in your grandmother Lois and in your mother Eunice and, I am persuaded, now lives in you also.
 
Titus 1:16;
16 They claim to know God, but by their actions they deny him. They are detestable, disobedient and unfit for doing anything good.

Reflection:
Those who reject God are given over to a depraved mind and indulge in various forms of wickedness.

Question:
How does understanding the consequences of rejecting God deepen your commitment to live according to His ways?

Prayer:
Father, keep me from a depraved mind and help me pursue righteousness and justice in all aspects of my life.

Read:
Romans 2:1
You, therefore, have no excuse, you who pass judgment on someone else, for at whatever point you judge another, you are condemning yourself, because you who pass judgment do the same things.

Cross-Reference:
 Matthew 7:1-2;
7 “Do not judge, or you too will be judged. 2 For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.

James 2:13; 
13 because judgment without mercy will be shown to anyone who has not been merciful. Mercy triumphs over judgment.

Reflection:
aul warns against judging others while committing the same sins, highlighting that God's judgment is based on truth.

Question:
How can you avoid hypocrisy and align your actions with God’s standards of righteousness?

Prayer:
Lord, help me to judge with integrity and seek Your truth in my own life before addressing the faults of others.

Read:
Romans  2:6-8
God “will repay each person according to what they have done.”[a] 7 To those who by persistence in doing good seek glory, honor and immortality, he will give eternal life. 8 But for those who are self-seeking and who reject the truth and follow evil, there will be wrath and anger.

Cross-Reference:
1 Peter 1:17;
17 Since you call on a Father who judges each person’s work impartially, live out your time as foreigners here in reverent fear.
 
Revelation 20:12
12 And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life. The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books.

Reflection:
God will repay each person according to what they have done. Those who do good will receive eternal life, while those who do evil will face wrath.

Question:
How does the impartiality of God’s judgment influence your actions and decisions?

Prayer:
Jesus, help me live in a way that honors You, knowing that You will judge everyone impartially according to their deeds.

Read:
Romans 2:16
This will take place on the day when God judges people’s secrets through Jesus Christ, as my gospel declares.


Cross-Reference:
 Ecclesiastes 12:14;
4 For God will bring every deed into judgment,
    including every hidden thing,
    whether it is good or evil.
 
 2 Corinthians 5:10 :
10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each of us may receive what is due us for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad.

Reflection:
God will judge people’s secrets through Jesus Christ according to the Gospel.

Question:
How does the reality of God’s judgment on secrets impact your relationship with Him?

Prayer:
Lord, help me to live openly and honestly before You, knowing that You see and judge all things.