Passage Read: Acts 28 - Romans 1
Meditation Verses: Romans 1:18-19
Thought
God's wrath "is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness." It is being revealed by the ever-deepening depravity they seek out. It is being revealed by the penalty they suffer in their own bodies. They know who God is; they know what He requires. They are not ignorant or misguided; they are deliberate in their rejection of God. And the result is their depraved sexual behavior: homosexuality and every other kind of wickedness. This is God's wrath against them: He turns them over to their ever-worsening lusts and rebellion against all God stands for. So that anyone with eyes to see can see that they are under the wrath of God and heaping up judgment against themselves. There is room yet for some to repent, but there is no hope for many. This is the wrath of God on display for all mankind and angelic being to see.
Application
It seems that God's wrath revealed would be something more like fire falling from heaven upon them or crippling disease or some other dramatic tragedy befalling them. And there is some of that, but the bulk of God's revealed wrath is their ever-worsening depravity. Their behavior should be abhorrent to all people, but it seems more and more people are getting caught up in their rebellion, defending and embracing their evil deeds. The deliberate rejection of God's holy standards is God's wrath revealed on the wicked. If they do not repent, they will be eternally condemned. So I cannot embrace or excuse any such behavior as Paul lists in these verses, including 29-31. Rather I need to stand against them and teach against them and call anyone who walks in them to repent, in hope of their salvation. God's wrath is already revealed in these things; compassion on my part is to plead with anyone held in the grip of these things to repent and turn to God in humility and submission to His instruction. That is intervening and interceding on their behalf.