9 What then? Are we any better? Not at all. For we have already made the charge that Jews and Greeks alike are all under sin.

23 For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God

— Romans 3:9, 23

And He commanded us to preach to the people, and to testify that it is He who was ordained by God to be Judge of the living and the dead.

— Acts 10:42

5 But because of your hard and impenitent heart you are storing up wrath for yourself on the day of wrath when God’s righteous judgment will be revealed.

7 to those who by patience in well-doing seek for glory and honor and immortality, He will give eternal life;

8 but for those who are self-seeking and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, there will be wrath and fury.

— Romans 2:5, 7-8

Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience.

— Ephesians 5:6

8Thoughts on Today’s Reading

Grace, mercy and salvation from Christ to you.

Paul in Romans tells that he was not ashamed of the gospel. Gospel is God’s power to save people from His righteous wrath against sin. With his confidence in the gospel affirmed, Paul next accused wicked people of suppressing the truth about God that creation reveals. In Romans 1-3, Paul presents evidence that builds toward a climactic conclusion: “Jew and Gentile alike are all under the power of sin. … For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”

The Holy Spirit inspired Paul to offer timeless realities about God’s holy wrath and humanity’s struggle with sin. In the Old Testament, more than 20 words in nearly 600 passages refer to God’s wrath. In the New Testament, Jesus and the early Church fathers frequently spoke of God’s wrath. God’s wrath against sin perfectly expresses both His justice and mercy. Sin kills, so it deserves to be judged. God’s compassionate love cannot allow sin’s destruction to proceed unchecked.