Application of Romans 3:25-32

11/1/2023

*Note: The small group discussion for this passage was preparatory, taking place before the study.*

How do you feel about the idea of God having wrath against sin and sinners?

Have you ever thought God was angry with you? Can you think of a time?

• The good news for believers: God took all His wrath out on Jesus--He will never pour out His wrath on those who are united to Christ through faith.
• But He does discipline us like a father disciplines his child.

Do you really think it’s okay for God to be angry with people who don’t worship Him? Why or why not?

• People in our culture get uncomfortable with the idea of God’s divine wrath against sin.
• Many people tend to think outward displays of goodness (like acts of charity, benevolence, pleasantness—living a good moral life outwardly) is good enough.
• As a result, the think that any God who punishes good people for not worshipping him properly is an egomaniacal bully with whom they want nothing to do.
• But this belief that what people worship and how they behave/treat one another are unrelated is not found in the Bible or reality.
• We can do a few good things for others without worshipping God. Unbelievers can do great acts of charity.
• But the root problem for the brokenness of this world is improper worship.

When we truly, reverently, passionately, and joyfully worship God as he created us to do, God’s holy peace characterizes our lives and temperaments.

• Yet sin causes us to replace worship of God with worship of his creation and do horrible things (cf. Rom 1:18-32).
• When our worship is directed toward the wrong things, humans are capable of terrible things that destroy God’s creation.
• He is just in being full of wrath against those who destroy the peace that He established with His creation.
• But He is also slow to anger. He regularly withholds His judgment longer than we are comfortable with…so that sinners can come to repent and follow Him.