Saved from Wrath – Romans 5:8-10

 As the extremities of the earth were explored in the 17^th and 18^th centuries, the people who were involved in those discoveries often gave them names based on the events of that day or how they felt about the place. Sometimes the same name has been given to several places hundreds of miles and continents apart. But there are some places that have names that are absolutely unique. One such place is the most northerly spot on the Scottish mainland. I am told that it is bleak, barren and thoroughly weather-beaten. It is at the same latitude as Seward and Homer, Alaska, but instead of being surrounded by the warm Japanese current of the Pacific, it juts out into the desperately cold Norwegian Sea. To the east are the Outer Hebrides Islands, and to the northeast, the Orkneys. As I say, it was given a name that is unique in the world – it is called “Cape Wrath.”

The word “wrath” as it is found in the Bible means “anger,” and it is once translated “vengeance.” Although the word is sometimes used to describe extreme anger in human beings, most of the time it is applied to the Lord. Paul has used the Greek word “orge” (or-gay’) four times thus far in Romans and always applied it to God. And if you stop and think about it, that is the way that most people use the word today. I have not been able to discover who named that most northerly point in Scotland “Wrath,” but I am reasonably sure that it has something to do with the fear of God and with a very desolate, desolate place. Perhaps someone decided that it was so terrible a place that it was like the wrath of the Lord.

Solomon spoke a great deal about wrath, but usually it was about the foolishness of the human variety. For example in Proverbs 16:14 he said, “The wrath of a king is as messengers of death.” And in Proverbs 19:12 – “The king’s wrath is as the roaring of a lion.” If the wrath of an earthly king is so severe that it might be compared to the roaring of a lion, to what can the wrath of God be compared? “The king’s wrath is as the roaring of a lion,” but the Lord’s wrath is worse than that lion’s attack.

Picture yourself on a hike into the mountains above Priest Lake. Your companion called just before you left, saying that he had sprained his ankle and couldn’t join you. But for weeks you had been preparing, and you had your heart set on this all-day hike, so you decided to go out on your own. Two hours into your walk, you thought that you heard the snarl of a mountain lion off in the distance. An hour later you had a sensation that you were being watched. Later you heard a twig break behind you and off to your right on the hill above you. Then a few minutes after that you see a tawny flash and feel 200 pounds of cat crashing into your back. You feel his claws ripping your coat sleeve apart and sinking into your arm. And then you see those huge canine teeth just before they sink into your face. It is probable that you cannot imagine the attack of a mountain lion. But if you could, it would have to be multiplied a thousand times before it could begin to come close to the attack of the wrath of God.

Let’s think, this morning, about what Romans 5:9 teaches us about the wrath of God?

First, it teaches us that wrath is something from which we should WANT to be saved.This verse is talking about the anger of God, not about any form of the anger of man. Some people have real problems when it comes to personal anger. Some people are so full of pride, or ambition, or vengeance that anger can come on them instantly. Some people think that the world is against them, and they become defensive and angry whenever they perceive anything which they think is negative. But let me remind us you that pride, ambition and vengeance are all sins. Even though there is room for godly anger in a Christian’s life, I think that it is safe to say that the person who is constantly angry is not behaving like a Christian. And the person who becomes furious at drop of a hat is probably not full of righteous anger. The scriptures give us a great deal of warning about the sins of personal wrath and anger. Things like – “Be not hasty in thy spirit to be angry: for anger resteth in the bosom of fools.” “My beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath.” Because. “He that is soon angry dealth foolishly.” “He that is slow to wrath is of great understanding: but he that is hasty of spirit exalteth folly.”

Romans 5:9 says, “being now justified by (Christ’s) blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him.” There is a sense in which when a sinner is saved through Jesus’ blood, he is also saved from the sins of his own wrath. But that is not what this verse is saying. Nor is it saying that through Jesus’ death the Christian is saved from the wrath of other wicked men.

And in redemption neither are we delivered from the wrath of Satan against us. Yes, there is a sense in which the Devil hates the saint of God, and would love to pour out his wrath on us. Was there wrath against him in Satan’s attack upon Job? No doubt there was. And was there no hatred against David and Israel when Satan provoked David to number the people? Yes. But in reality Satan’s wrath against those men was actually against the Lord. Every saint of God has reason to fear the wrath of the Devil, but this verse isn’t talking about his wrath. And what’s more, we have the promises of God against the Devil, so there is nothing that he can do to really harm us. There is reason to fear Satan, but then again practically speaking, there is no reason to fear him.

Like all of Paul’s preceding references to wrath, this is talking about THE WRATH OF GOD.In chapter one, Paul said that he was anxiously awaiting the opportunity to preach the gospel in Rome. And one reason was because the wrath of God was going to be directed towards Romans as well as Jews. “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. For therein is the righteousness of God 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 hold the truth in unrighteousness.”

To the Jews in Romans 2 Paul said, “And thinkest thou this, O man, that judgest them which do such things, and doest the same, that thou shalt escape THE JUDGMENT OF GOD? Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance? But after thy hardness and impenitent heart treasurest up unto thyself WRATH against the day of WRATH and revelation of THE RIGHTEOUS JUDGMENT OF GOD; Who will render to every man according to his deeds.”

Then in chapter 4 he said that obedience to the law couldn’t help either Jews or Romans because the nature of the law is wrath. “For the promise, that he should be the heir of the world, was not to Abraham, or to his seed, through the law, but through the righteousness of faith. For if they which are of the law be heirs, faith is made void, and the promise made of none effect: Because THE LAW WORKETH WRATH: for where no law is, there is no transgression.”

Although later Paul talks about the wrath of man, in these chapters – which deal with salvation from sin – the only kind of wrath worth speaking about is the unimaginable wrath of Almighty God. To be delivered from the wrath of Satan, but not of God would be a shameful waste. To be given the ability to control our own anger, and still die under the penalty of our sins, would be an eternal waste. This verse is talking about God’s anger, wrath, and even vengeance, against us for our sins.

But to some people’s warped thinking wrath is not a part of the nature or ability of God.These people have spent little or no time in the Bible. Nor have they even given the thought much serious consideration. The people who deny the wrath of God are living in a fool’s paradise. They have no concept of the righteousness of God. They have no idea what constitutes justice. And they have no recognition of their own sin and depravity. The very nature of God demands divine wrath. The Bible constantly affirms divine judgment and vengeance for sin. And Paul was well aware of the unbeliever’s arguments before they were ever asked. In chapter 5 he uses the Greek word “orge” (or-gay’), but it is translated in another way. “Is God unrighteous who taketh vengeance (expresses His wrath)? (I speak as a man) God forbid: for then how shall God judge the world?” If God does not judge wickedness and evil in this world, then He is not truly God. The Lord’s vengeance – or wrath – is an expression of His sovereign deity.

I read a sermon outline the other day which dealt with this subject. It said that the wrath about which these verses are speaking is the wrath of an HOLY God. The holy God has an hatred of sin which is absolutely infinite. We cannot imagine how much God hates sin. Robert Jarvik says that he engineered his artificial heart because his father had an heart attack. The founder of MADD. Mothers Against Drunk Driving, established that organization because she had a child who died in a car accident because of a drunk. Here are people who dedicated their lives to a cause because of their hatred against sin and the results of sin. But these cannot be compared to the infinite hatred of God against sin. Second, this is the wrath of the infinitely JUST God. Jehovah cannot judge sin any less than it absolutely deserves. If it deserves a penalty of an hundred, God cannot punish it with a 99.9. Furthermore this the wrath of an OMNISCIENT God. There is no sin of which the Lord is not aware. Whereas your mother, or your child, or your spouse thinks that you have committed two sins, the Lord knows that you have committed two hundred. Whereas you admit that you have committed ten sins, the Lord knows that you have committed a thousand. And perhaps our errors in addition just add to the wrath and vengeance of God against your sin. This wrath is that of the ALMIGHTY God. His ability to punish sin cannot be resisted by any force or created being.

And this is the wrath of the UNCHANGEABLE God. The Lord hasn’t grown angry against sin over the ages since Adam first transgressed. His wrath hasn’t developed through the years. He hated sin as much before sin began, as He does today. Furthermore, He hasn’t grown weak or unconcerned about it. The Lord hasn’t mellowed, softened, cooled or relaxed. Jehovah has not forgotten a single sin, threat against him, rebellious look, or impudent glare. Psalm 90 says, “Who knoweth the power of thine anger? even according to thy fear, so is thy wrath.” One of my commentaries interprets that verse to say, “No one knows what Thy anger can do, and what Thy wrath is, estimated by a true piety.” The Lord Jesus once warned us, “And I say unto you my friends, Be not afraid of them that kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do. But I will forewarn you whom ye shall fear: Fear him, which after he hath killed hath power to cast into hell; yea, I say unto you, Fear HIM.” Should that be read as I just did emphasizing “God,” or should we emphasize the word “fear”? “Fear him, which after he hath killed hath power to cast into hell; yea, I say unto you, FEAR Him.”

Now let’s return to our scripture in Romans.“But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we SHALL be saved from wrath through him.” Could I justly add – we must be saved from wrath through Christ?

This wrath is absolutely sure. It is not just a possibility; it is not just a threat in an attempt to make us behave. This wrath has been decreed by the sovereign God. It has been planned and ordained, and the wheels have been set in motion. Furthermore it has been publicly declared as well as decreed. The first reference to this wrath in Romans 1 says, “The wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness.” And then to put icing to the cake, the government of God throughout the world, and through human history, reminds us again and again that the wrath of God is coming.

And yet through it all, Romans 5:9 says that there is salvation from that wrath through Christ.There is deliverance – there is an escape from this wrath. But it comes through only one means – Christ Jesus. “But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” “Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.” “For when we were yet without strength (and hope), in due time Christ died for the ungodly.”

Now we come to the marvelous part of this entire equation. The infinitely holy, perfectly sinless, eternal Son of God, whom we know as the Lord Jesus Christ – died. But death is the divinely promised and decreed judgment for sin; death is a part of God’s wrath against sin. “The wages of sin is death.” “Behold, all souls are mine; as the soul of the father, so also the soul of the son is mine: the soul that sinneth, it shall die.” “Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned.” When Christ Jesus died, He died specifically because of sin, and for those whom He intended to save.

So there is a sense in which the saints of God are saved from the wrath of God BY the wrath of God. The Lord God poured out his wrath upon His righteous and beloved Son. And as that wrath was felt by Christ, it could never be felt by His elect. The saint of the Lord is truly free. “We have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.”

Are you absolutely sure that you possess that peace with God? What makes you think so?

What makes you think so?