“For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness.”PTUK December 3, 1891, page 392.1

God is love; yet “He reserveth wrath for His enemies.” The gospel of Jesus Christ is a gospel of peace and love; but all who reject it will be “punished with everlasting destruction.” 2 Thessalonians 1:8. Not only so, but the gospel itself reveals not only the righteousness of God, but also the wrath of God against those who spurn that righteousness. Said Christ: “Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.” Mark 16:15, 16. The wrath of God, which is revealed against unrighteousness, is not a light thing. “He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life; and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.” John 3:36.PTUK December 3, 1891, page 392.2

God is “of purer eyes than to behold iniquity.” Sin is foreign to his nature, and cannot be tolerated. But the punishment meted out to the wicked will not be solely because of their personal sins, that is, not simply because they themselves are wicked, but because by their wickedness they have hindered others from being good. Sin is contagious. It is not only a blood disease, making corrupt every part of the individual in whom it has a place, but it affects all who come in contact with the one so diseased. Says the wise man: “One sinner destroyeth much good.” Ecclesiastes 9:18.PTUK December 3, 1891, page 392.3

An erroneous opinion generally prevails in regard to the expression, “who hold the truth in unrighteousness.” It is usually regarded as applying to wicked men who have the true doctrines of the Bible, but do not practice them; but this is not the idea. The word here rendered “hold” means, primarily, to hold back, withhold, check, restrain, hold down. It implies more than simple possession; it conveys the idea of shutting up in prison, restraining the liberty, or crushing out. The Vulgate has detineo, to hold off, keep back, detain. The idea is that the unrighteousness of men prevents the spread of the truth. Wickedness hedges up the way of truth.PTUK December 3, 1891, page 392.4

A good illustration of this is seen in the case of Jesus at Nazareth. When he first spoke to the people, their hearts responded, and they were forced to acknowledge the truth. But soon envy, jealousy, and evil passions assumed control, and drove out the good impressions that had been made. Then they began to say, “Is not this the carpenter’s son? is not His mother called Mary? and His sisters, are they not all with us?” Their thought was, “What can this man tell us? we knew Him when He was a boy.” And then the record says: “And He did not many mighty works there because of their unbelief.” Matthew 13:58. They might have received wonderful blessings, but they would not. They most effectually held, or shut up, the truth by their unrighteousness.PTUK December 3, 1891, page 392.5

It is utterly impossible that a man should long possess the truth while pursuing an unrighteous course. Indeed, we may say that it is impossible that he should have the truth at all, while living in the commission of deliberate sin. For Christ is the truth, and the whole truth; whosoever has not Christ, has not the truth; and the man who lives an ungodly life has not Christ. It may be said that an ungodly man may possess a correct theory of truth. That is so, but a theory will not save him, neither will a mere theory advance the cause of truth. The truth which makes free is the truth as it is in Jesus.PTUK December 3, 1891, page 392.6

The Word of God unhampered will grow and multiply. It will enlarge the one who has it. It must manifest itself. Said the prophet Jeremiah: “Then I said, I will not make mention of Him, nor speak any more in His name. But His word was in mine heart as a burning fire shut up in my bones, and I was weary with forbearing, and I could not stay.” Jeremiah 20:9. But if the prophet had persisted in his first intention, and had refused to speak, that word which was as a burning fire shut up in him, would soon have gone out. The word of God is like a fire; but if a fire is confined, and not given vent, it will soon go out.PTUK December 3, 1891, page 392.7

“Therefore we ought to pay the more earnest heed to the words which we have heard, lest at any time we should let them slip.” Hebrews 2:1. The margin has it, “run out as leaking vessels.” This shows that it is a wrong view of Romans 1:18 which makes it teach that a man may possess the truth of God, and still be an ungodly man. He may have the truth, and may have been set free by it; but if he fails to give earnest heed to it, he will soon lose it all. The man who doesn’t give heed to the truth which he knows, will soon lose it. He may retain a mental conception of the theory of the truth, but he can no more be said to be holding the truth than a man who has an articulated skeleton can be said to be holding a man.PTUK December 3, 1891, page 392.8

That the idea that we have presented is the one that was in the mind of the apostle, is still further evident from what follows, namely, that the heathen once knew God, but lost that knowledge because they did not act in harmony with it. And when the truth has once leaked out of the heart, that person is an agent, it may be unconsciously, in the hands of Satan, to prevent some other one from receiving it. For “no man liveth to himself.” E. J. W.PTUK December 3, 1891, page 392.9

November 19, 1891

December 17, 1891