We saw last time that Paul, after sharing his excitement about the Gospel of salvation immediately proceeds to demonstrate the universal need of salvation. As he put it: “the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness” Why this sudden change in tone? Why not first explain how glorious the Gospel is? In other words, why not begin with the positive and uplifting and then mention some of the negative things that have to be said about man lost in sin.

You’ve heard people say, I have good news and bad news--let me first tell you the good news. Paul does that too, except that he says, ”Let me first tell you the bad news.” Why does he do that? For the simple reason that this is the biblical way. In this letter to the Romans the inspired apostle comes with a wonderful message of hope. But before he expounds that message he first confronts man with his sad condition by nature and his desperate need.

It is here where many modern preachers fail miserably. Much Gospel preaching falls on deaf ears and preachers answer questions no one is asking. Solutions are given that do not meet the real needs. Jesus said, “They that be whole need not a physician.” It is not until men are convinced that they are really sick that they will pay attention to the healing remedy that is offered to them in the gospel. That is why in our preaching we must always begin where Jesus began, and where Paul began. We must start with man’s need of salvation. Man’s problem is his alienation or estrangement from God. He has rejected God, his Creator and Lawgiver. That is disastrous because as Paul says elsewhere, it is in God that we live and move and have our being.

As I pointed out last time, when Paul sums up man’s sin and depravity he follows a definite order. In verse 18 of Romans 1, he says God’s wrath is revealed against ungodliness and unrighteousness. This means man first became ungodly and consequently he also became unrighteous or immoral. Let us reflect on this observation of the apostle Paul under the theme: