For thousands of years, most human beings in most times and places the world over have taken for granted the existence of a creator, of good and evil, of death and judgment and an afterlife of endless bliss or eternal consequences.  But in the past hundred years or so, a movement has emerged that denies all of this.  It is a radical paradigm shift, historically unprecedented in scope, growth rate and societal impact.  It is notable for its total disregard for the accumulated wisdom of prior human experience, for its sharp break from generally accepted norms and for its eagerness to forsake and destroy its own past.

The new religion holds that the universe is the natural result of a series of accidents, without purpose or meaning; that reality is not fixed and external, but fluid and personal, determined solely by the emotions, tastes and wishes of the individual.  In this faith there are no absolutes, no truth or lies, no right or wrong, no fact or fiction.  All things are relative.

Question: What if the new view is not only morally and spiritually bankrupt, but also dangerous, deadly, and damning lunacy? This is, in fact, exactly what God’s word, the Bible, says it is, and in no uncertain terms.

But let us pause here to acknowledge that most people reading this will mistakenly assume that it does not apply to them.  They reject the Bible and the God of the Bible.  They justify themselves in their own eyes and do not perceive their peril in facing God’s judgment without Christ.

Jesus has something to say to them: “…They that are whole have no need of the physician, but they that are sick: I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance” (Mark 2:17).  In other words, He is aware that the self-righteous won’t call for a doctor, because they don’t realize (or won’t admit) that they are spiritually sick from sin. Jesus would heal them if they turned to Him, but He knows that tragically, many will refuse His help. They need our prayers.

To the other, much smaller group—composed of those who acknowledge and confess their sinfulness and recognize their desperate need of God’s mercy—Jesus says, “He that hath ears to hear, let him hear” (Matthew 11:15).  So, if your spiritual “ears” are not strictly for ornamentation, please listen carefully.

According to the Bible, God’s wrath is not merely a future appointment on God’s calendar for a Christ-rejecting world.  His anger against ungodliness and sin is already being revealed: “For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold [suppress] the truth in unrighteousness”  (Romans 1:18).

In the verses that follow, God details both the reasons for His wrath, and the nature of His wrath.  The latter is subtler and more intriguing than anything this generation is expecting. For convenience, the reasons for God’s wrath are presented in italics, the nature of God’s wrath (how it is displayed) in bold.

¹⁹ Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them.  ²⁰ For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse: ²¹ Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.²² Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools,²³ And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things.

²⁴ Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves:  ²⁵ Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever.  Amen.

²⁶For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature:  ²⁷ And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet.

²⁸ And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge,God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient;²⁹ Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers,³⁰ Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents,³¹ Without understanding, covenantbreakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful:³² Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them.

See the pattern? Each time liberty is turned into license, God pays out more rope. As rebellious humanity misuses God’s gift of free will and clamors to be loosed from all restraint, God progressively grants its stubborn, insistent demands.  This God-rejecting attitude is especially prevalent among the rich and powerful:

“Why do the heathen rage, and the people imagine a vain thing?  ² The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the Lord, and against his anointed [Christ means “anointed one”] saying, ³ Let us break their bands asunder, and cast away their cords from us” (Psalm 2:1-3).

Seeing no thunderbolts, those who can’t wait to be free of God sadly come to the wrong conclusions.  “Hey, look at me!  I reject God’s counsel.  I spurn His advice.  I ignore His warnings.  I push Him off the throne and take His place.  I shake my fist at heaven and curse God and nothing happens!  I was right to laugh off all that nonsense!  I’m really living, now that I do as I please!”

But according to Romans, the further they wander from the light, the more their foolish hearts darken.  And the darker it gets inside, the more enlightened they feel.  So, at the very moment they claim to be wise, they actually become fools, instead.  Psalm 14: 1 declares, “The fool hath said in his heart, “there is no God.”

God says, think again: “Seeing thou hatest instruction, and castest my words behind thee…These things hast thou done, and I kept silence; thou thoughtest that I was altogether such a one as thyself: but I will reprove thee…” (Psalm 50:17, 21).

Habitual rejection of the truth because one prefers a life of godlessness and sin can darken the mind and harden the heart to such an extent that a person can become blinded to God’s love and concern for all people.  But, “Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap” (Galatians 6:7).  How terrifying it would be to see the Lord Jesus on the judgment seat shake His head in sorrow and say, “Well, you finally got what you always wanted—eternity without God.”

There is still time to avoid this awful fate.  There is hope.  There is good news:

There is a Savior.  His name is Jesus. The Gospel of John (chapter 3, verses 14 & 15) states clearly that Jesus was crucified “That whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have eternal life.“ This purpose and plan of God is repeated for emphasis in verses 16 & 17: “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son [to pay the penalty for our sin], so that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.  For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world [Jesus needn’t have come just for that], but that the world through him might be saved.”

Jesus’ blood purchased a full pardon for you (a gift received by faith, not deeds). The Bible says “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.  For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation…For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved” (Romans 10:9-10, 13).

Don’t leave unclaimed the pardon that Jesus suffered and died to give you.  Repent of your sins and turn to Him today.  Surrender your heart to Jesus.  There is nothing more important or more urgent.  Act now, right now, before it’s too late.  God loves you, and he’s waiting for you this very minute.