Something else happened at creation which we did not give as much attention in preaching. God’s wrath became justified.
Is God just for pouring out his wrath on sinners who reject Him and rebel against Him? Yes, because he has made himself known since the creation of the world.
Romans 1:18-20 puts it like this:
18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth. 19 For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. 20 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.
Since the Creation of the World
Paul puts a time stamp on the moment our accountability began. “Since the creation of the world”. There is no time on this side of creation when man can say to God, “but you have not made yourself known”. There has never been a time in which man was unaccountable to God. It does not matter if you have the Bible or not, if you have heard of Moses or Jesus or not, or what else you have not seen or heard. Man has been accountable to God since the moment creation began because God has revealed himself in creation.
In the Things That Have Been Made
All God made in those six days, including man, reveal his eternal power and divine nature. God’s invisible attributes are detected in the visible aspects of the world. God is known without the law, the Bible, or the prophets. In fact, the text says carefully, “God has shown it to them”. Creation is God showing all mankind what He is like. Why is the world the way it is? God is the way He is. Everything in existence has a theological conclusion — God’s nature and power. Everything that has been made identifies and points out the creator.
So They Are Without Excuse
We are all without excuse. Through creation, “what can be known about God is plant to them, because God has shown it to them”. There is not saying, “But I didn’t know God” or “I couldn’t know God.” This is the point Paul is making. Even if the Gentiles say, “We have not heard the law, we have not heard of Christ, etc”, Scripture says they have been outside. They have seen the sun and the mountains and humming birds. All creation reveals God’s nature and His invisible attributes. So we are all without excuse.
Look Out the Window Evangelism
Our best tract for evenaglism may be right outside the window. Get people to look out the window and make sense of the world. Appeal to our deep sense that the world gives us something beyond what we can reason (though not unreasonable). Murder is wrong. How do we know? We just ... know. Something about our reality tells us that we are unique and important. We have meaning. Therefore, there is a significant difference between stepping on a cricket and murdering a human being. Stephen Wellum writes:
“We insist that humans are merely animals, but we desperately desire significance, justice, and love. Thus no matter whom we talk to, given that all people in God’s created order, including our own human constitution, we have a point of contact to speak the truth of the gospel to them. For evangelism and missions, this is important to remember: the glorious triune God we proclaim is known by all people, and their suppression of the truth is never consistent.”
In other words, keep talking about love, justice, and significance. At some point we all have to admit that our understanding of our significance is rather innate. Rather, it is revealed in creation itself. And if we talk about the world long enough we get to a place where we realize this world is too impossible, too grand, and too organized to be accident. Our values eventually betray us if we suggest otherwise. So keep talking about creation and what it means. Eventually you’ll come to a place where God has created man, man has sinned against God, and man is in need of a savior. You’ll be able to share truth we can’t interpret from the clouds and the trees: the gospel.