Romans 5:9 Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God.
Paul wrote about the wrath of God in 1:18 and 2:5, 8. This verse reviews the key ideas thus far in the letter. God shows wrath towards those who rebel against him by worshiping idols, living in sinful ways, and having pride of heart. God’s wrath can be described in the present time as God turning his face and presence away and allowing people to destroy themselves, and then at the final judgment, as eternal death and separation from God in hell. These are sad and utmost serious ideas. We can avoid God’s wrath by turning to Jesus and accepting his sacrifice on the cross for us. We place our trust in what he has accomplished and not what we are able to do, which is not adequate for eternal life. I am afraid that many people fool themselves into thinking like the Gentiles in Romans 1:18-32, that they can find meaning in their lives by their own reasoning ability. Or, they can create their own gods to grant them eternal life. I am also afraid that some people are like Romans 2:1-29 who have pride and think they are righteous because they follow a set of laws and rules. They are only fooling themselves in their pride because they do not follow the laws and rules very well. They may look like it on the outside, but they deceiving themselves. They trust their own abilities to be good but are sadly missing out on the truth. The only way to experience righteousness and eternal life is through accepting what Jesus’ blood provides for us. He took our sins upon himself and opened the way to God.
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