It’s pretty mind boggling how you can read through this Bible for years, and think...you have a ‘handle’ on a good portion of it; then, one day some ‘light’ gets turned on for you and it becomes a whole new book of ‘revelation’ and understanding.

Granted, there are many who are convinced they already know what it says, and when the Holy Spirit tries to give more understanding, they reject it. That is what the Pharisees did with Jesus, you know. (John 1:1,14,11; Mark 7:8-9,13)

But as we discussed yesterday, Jesus has this way of ‘revealing’...the ‘inside scoop’ on God’s word...to His disciples. (Luke 24:31-32,45). And when He does this...all bets are off and your walk with Jesus begins to take on a whole new life that is marked with a peace, a joy, and a freedom unlike anything you may have ever known in the past. Well, it did for me, at least, which was just over five years ago and my life has never been the same since.

I think I understand more clearly now, what Paul’s prayer was all about in Eph. 1:17-18, when he prayed for the ‘eyes of our understanding to be opened’...and that we might receive a ‘spirit of wisdom and revelation’. There really is something to this having our ‘eyes opened’ as we ‘turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God’ (Acts 26:18). And I don’t know who needs to hear this, but if you are still ‘practicing sin’, the case could be made that Jesus might not...truly be your Master...and you can’t serve two masters. (John 8:34; 1 John 3:6,9; Matt. 6:24; 2 Cor. 13:5)

I know it seems as if maybe I diverted from the topic we had been studying earlier in the week, you know...that warm and fuzzy subject on the ‘wrath of God’? But I felt a need to address this concept of ‘revelation’; or what it means to have something ‘revealed’ to us, by the Holy Spirit. I am convinced that this topic of God’s wrath and judgments has been ‘hidden’ from us for a long time. And it is because of this ‘blindness’ and/or ignorance, that many of God’s people are hurting, suffering, and being ‘destroyed’, as Hosea points out in 4:6 – due to a ‘lack of knowledge’.

Would you please turn to Jeremiah 8. There’s a reason I refer back to the OT prophets on a regular basis. You may not have been taught this, but we are told that these prophets, ‘from Samuel on...’ have spoken of these days...(that we are in now) and that we should ‘be mindful of the words spoken by them’ (Acts 3:24-26; 2 Pet. 3:1-2). What scriptures do you think Jesus was ‘opening their understanding’ to there in Luke 24?

So listen to God’s assessment of His people as Jeremiah spells it out for us: “the storks know their appointed times...as do turtledoves and swallows...but My people do not know the judgement of the Lord.” (Jer. 8:7)

Now, flip back and read 5:3-6, which is basically telling us what has happened to the people. And we know of course, that Jeremiah would go on to foretell of the coming destruction of their beloved city and temple before they would be carried off to Babylon where they would remain as captives for 70 years. And would you like to know why, or how the people became so blinded and ignorant of God’s judgments, not to mention forsaking His laws? Go read Jer. 8:8, and then 23:16-29. Now convince me that has not happened today – 2 Tim. 3:1-7;4:1-5.

Let’s steer this back to Romans where we will wrap up for the day. We read in the opening verses of this book where Paul boldly confesses how he is ‘not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes...” (1:16). Then, be talks about the ‘righteousness of God being revealed...from faith to faith’ (17). Did you catch that word again, ‘revealed’...that seems to keep popping up? We know by now that this revealing is only made available to those who come to Jesus with their whole heart. And if/when one does, the Holy Spirit begins to ‘take the cover off’ and reveal the truth of God’s word to us. This ought to make us shout with great joy as it truly is the power of God to transform us and make us a ‘new creation in Christ’ (2 Cor. 5:17; 1 Thess. 2:13; 1 John 2:6; Rom. 8:29)

And I need to state this loud and clear, despite the pushback some will want to give: We are not ‘made righteous’...nor does God look down and see us as now being ‘righteous’... simply because we prayed some prayer, ‘accepting Christ as Savior’. It simply does not ‘work’ that way, despite the years of being taught this. Just last Sunday, I heard a guest minister make that same statement from the pulpit and I nearly jumped out of my seat in frustration. I can elaborate more on this subject later as I don’t want to get sidetracked now; but let me also add that we don't become 'righteous' by working for or 'earning' it either.

So look what Paul writes in vs. 18...”For the wrath of God IS (being) REVEALED... from heaven against ALL ungodliness and unrighteousness of men...” . He then continues to expound upon this topic, spilling into the next chapter...elaborating on God’s ‘righteous judgments’ that are here today. Romans 2:1-16 is not ‘light reading’, but make no mistake about it: Paul’s message is clear. We are living the day where God’s wrath and righteous judgments are being ‘revealed’ (2:5). And it is not what most have thought it was.

Why spend so much time looking at this uncomfortable topic of God’s ‘judgments’? That is a legitimate question in which I will be happy to address. We read earlier here in Jer. 8:7 that God said His people don’t even know what His judgment looks like when it’s staring them right in the face. Why should that be an area of concern for us today? Take a look at 1 Pet. 4:17.

“For the time has come for judgment to begin at the house of God; and if it begins with us first, what will be the end of those who do not obey the gospel of God?” Peter then quotes a passage from Proverbs that adds to the seriousness of his warning. Friends – for all you who have been taught that the ‘household of God will be long gone’ when judgment falls... how do you explain this verse? What is Peter even talking about? And if we are in the same condition that God’s people were back in Jeremiah’s day...then we don’t even know what judgment looks like. All the more reason for you to come back and meet me here tomorrow.