4 reasons you need the gospel for your wrong worship

1. God’s wrath is already here (v18)

2. God has revealed himself as judge (v19–20)

3. You do not always thank God (v21a)

4. You replace God with another (21b–23)

We're confronted with the powerful truth that grace isn't simply God saying 'it's okay' when we mess up—it's His unilateral intervention in our most hopeless situations, actively changing us from the inside out. Drawing from Romans 1:5-7, we discover that our life's ultimate goal is the obedience of faith for the sake of Jesus' name. This isn't about legalistic rule-following or earning God's favor; it's about trust so deep that it produces action. The sermon wrestles with the tension between faith and works, showing us through passages like James 2 and Romans 4 that genuine faith breathes life into obedience the way breath signals a living body. We're reminded that our calling as beloved children of God—those who share in the Father's love for the Son—is more important than our nationality, our achievements, or our failures. The most liberating truth? Our peace comes from God through Jesus Christ, not from our success in obeying. This means when we stumble, we don't lose our standing; we return to obedience knowing Jesus has already secured our peace. The gospel frees us from both cheap grace that demands nothing and crushing legalism that demands everything, offering instead a delightful abundance found in trusting and following Christ.