For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth. For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse. —Romans 1:18–20

In Bee Movie, Barry B. Benson is a honeybee who, upon discovering endless shelves stocked with honey in a grocery store, decides to take humanity to court. He sues them for exploiting honeybees everywhere. They steal, consume, and sell honey—without giving due credit or thanks to the bees behind such a glorious creation.  

It’s not unlike what Paul does in chapter one of this letter. It has the feel of a courtroom scene. He is playing the role of prosecuting attorney and calling multiple witnesses to testify. His claim? The whole world is guilty of cosmic crimes against God.

You might consider this passage his opening statement in court. He is going to make three claims for his audience in order to establish guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.  

Claim #1. God Is Angry: This should get our attention. Paul says that God— Who is “merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness”— is furious. God’s wrath is revealed against all ungodliness and unrighteousness. 

The word for wrath signifies a settled and abiding condition. It is not God flying off the handle with emotional, uncontrollable rage, like human anger. No, God’s wrath is perfect and controlled. The Greek word has a root that means to grow ripe. Why is God angry? What could provoke such response from a gracious and long-suffering God?   

Claim #2. We Are Guilty: What’s our crime? Suppressing the truth. Tampering with evidence of God’s power and glory. Trying to bury and scrub it from our memory.   

The world Paul used is translated suppress. It’s a compound Greek word for “hold” and “down.” Human beings who see reminders of God seek to push it down—and hold it down. To smother and strangle that truth out of existence. This goes beyond merely hiding. It means to prevent or render ineffective. Humanity has taken the general truth about God built into both creation and conscience, and sought to bury it under a mountain of their own unrighteousness. 

Why would a human do such a thing? Because, to them, that truth represents a threat. So they react with aggression and force. Think of a gigantic spring or coil that would require all the strength in our body to push and hold down. Or think of a beachball being pushed under the water. It never stays down, does it?  

I remember seeing in war movies the bouncing betty bombs used by the Germans to slow invading infantry. When stepped on, the bomb would signal activation with a loud clicking noise. The cautious soldier would keep all his weight on the bomb, holding it down in fear of what awaited him upon detonation: severe injury and possibly death.  

So often, we view God’s truth that way. If we let it up, it will end our life—destroy our freedom and autonomy. We're afraid of what following Christ might mean for us socially, culturally, relationally, sexually, or financially. We don’t like the idea of a king ruling us.

Aldous Huxley, one of the most well respected atheists from the last century, confessed his motives when He wrote "I had motives for not wanting the world to have a meaning…For myself, as no doubt for most of my friends, the philosophy of meaninglessness was essentially an instrument of liberation from a certain system of morality. We objected to the morality because it interfered with our sexual freedom.” 

The argument Paul will make later is that our fallen sense of freedom and control are what actually harms us. God has come in Christ to truly set us free and give us a more abundant life. He came to liberate us from the captivity we falsely call freedom.

Claim #3. There Is No Excuse: You can’t suppress something unless you possess it. What truths are we guilty of suppressing?   

Paul mentions the general revelation every human being has access to. He is talking about creation and the conscience—including the beauty, immensity, and complexity of the universe. Every human being knows there is a Creator on whom we are utterly dependent and to whom we are completely accountable. We see His evidence everywhere. It’s inescapable. We cannot deny it, so we try and suppress it.

When we consider the order of the universe, its size, beauty, and complexity—our response should be awe, wonder, and worship. And when we consider our design, the powers of reason, a sense of purpose, and a longing for meaning, we reach the inescapable conclusion that we are fearfully and wonderfully made by a masterful designer. Following that trail leads to a Creator who both desires and demands our worship. We owe glory to God. But instead, we turn our backs and clinch our fists.    

 One person called this crime “cosmic plagiarism,” stealing the intellectual or artistic property of another without giving credit. It’s a not-so-subtle claim to self-sufficiency. We owe thanks, honor, and glory to God. But instead, we plagiarize. We take His gifts, but reject the Giver. It’s cosmic ingratitude. It’s cosmic treason. It provokes God’s wrath.

These truths are not hidden in buried clues. They’re everywhere, in plain sight. The heavens declare it. It’s a clear, unmistakeable witness—so plain that everybody knows. Therefore every person is accountable. God will accept no excuses. We’re all culpable.

Even a blind, deaf, mute human knows. A disease left Helen Keller as a very young girl without sight, hearing, and speech. Through Anne Sullivan’s tireless and self-less efforts, Helen finally learned to communicate through touch and even learned to talk. When Miss Sullivan first tried to tell Helen about God, the girl’s response was that she already knew about Him—she just didn’t know His name. In her darkness and isolation, she knew she was not alone. Someone was with her. She felt God’s presence.    

That’s what John mean when he said Jesus Christ was “the true light which, coming into the world, enlightens every man” —John 1:9 

Paul reminds us that if we look up and around—at nature—we can see certain attributes of God. If we look within, we can see other attributes of God. But there is only one place we can find the most powerful attributes of God: His grace, love and mercy. We find that in the Gospel. The wrath of God is revealed from heaven. But the righteousness of God is revealed in the Gospel. That’s why the gospel is such good news! Do you believe it?