Use the below questions and thoughts for personal reflection and group discussion.

1. The Wrath of God

Read Romans 1:18-23.

• What is it that mankind failed to do that we should have done?
• What has mankind done that we should not have? 
• Verse 23 says we “exchanged the truth about God for a lie.” How would you explain this terrible exchange in your own words? 

Read Romans 24-32. This is a list of all the manifestations of our sinful hearts that come as a result of God giving us over (verse 24) to our own sinful desires.

• Why was God just in giving us over to our own sinful desires?
• Why did He do this?

2. The Salvation of Christmas

Read Romans 2:1-6; 16. These verses tell us that God’s wrath towards our sins ends in a terrible judgment that is coming upon the whole world. No one will escape this judgment because all people have failed to “honor God” as their God (verse 21) and have been handed over to their own sinful hearts.

But God has offered a way out of this judgment. Read Philippians 2:5-8 and Isaiah 53:5-8. Jesus, the only person who never rejected God is punished for us who did reject God so that we can be forgiven and restored to God. This is the good news of the gospel.

But it does not stop at forgiveness. Jesus came to undo and reverse the terrible exchange that is portrayed in Romans 1. He explained what the undoing of this exchange is meant to accomplish when He proclaimed the greatest goal of human life as to “love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind” in Matthew 22:37.

• Explain in your own words why loving God this way would be the undoing of the terrible sin portrayed in Romans 1:18-23.

Jerry Bridges wrote, “… because of Christ’s death in our place, God's justice is now completely satisfied. God can now, without violating his justice or his moral law … extend his grace to us; he can show favor to those who, in themselves, deserve only wrath.”

God is committed to undoing the curse of Romans 1 and restoring us to love Him fully and forever; to become people who will “honor God as God” (Romans 1:21).

• Consider Bridges quote. Why can we trust that God will do all He can and must do to accomplish this great salvation in us?

3. Pray.

Spend some time in prayer, thanking God for sending Jesus to take away His wrath from you. Thank Him that He has reversed that terrible exchange on behalf of all who put their faith in Him.

Thank Him for sending Jesus to restore you; to restore the heart of His perfect Son in you so that you will truly and fully love Him with all of your heart, mind, and soul. Ask Him to do all He sees fit in your life to restore that image of Jesus in you – for there is nothing greater we could want.