Is Romans About Believers Being Delivered From Wrath?

Summary

Podcast Summary: "Is Romans About Believers Being Delivered From Wrath?"

Grace in Focus · February 26, 2026
Host: Bob Wilkin (B)
Guest: Ken Yates (C)
Duration: ~13 minutes

---

Main Theme and Purpose

This episode explores a foundational question in Christian theology: Is the Book of Romans primarily about believers being delivered from the wrath of God? Bob Wilkin and Ken Yates unpack the common interpretations and introduce an alternative Free Grace perspective, influenced by Zane Hodges, which suggests that Romans is more about sanctification and present-tense deliverance from wrath—not hellfire or the lake of fire.

"Is the wrath of God in Romans about the lake of fire? Or is it a wrath that is being experienced here and now?"
— Host Introduction [00:00]

---

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Common Interpretations vs. Free Grace Perspective [01:07–03:18]

• Traditional View:
  • Most commentaries and sermons teach that Romans is written to believers as a reminder that they have been saved from the wrath of hell (the lake of fire) through faith, and the book encourages gratitude and evangelism based on this justification.
  • "The common view...is that Romans is reminding...believers that we were justified by faith apart from works."
    — Ken Yates [01:47]
• Question Raised:
  • If Romans is written to believers, why does it emphasize justification and the gospel message?
• Application Debate:
  • Is the application simply gratitude, or is Paul urging believers to evangelize or to live transformed lives?

2. Wrath: Future vs. Present [03:18–06:09]

• Traditional (Future) Wrath:
  • Wrath is often interpreted as God's future judgment in the lake of fire.
  • "The common view is that wrath is looking toward the future wrath in the lake of fire."
    — Bob Wilkin [03:18]
• Hodges' (Present) Wrath:
  • Zane Hodges contends that God's wrath is experienced in time, here and now, not eternally. The "lake of fire" is about justice, not ongoing wrath.
  • God's wrath ends after the millennium; hell is the execution of justice, not an expression of never-ending divine anger.
  • "God's wrath ends with the end of the millennium and putting down the rebellion...what they're experiencing is justice."
    — Ken Yates [03:29]
• Implications for Believers and Unbelievers:
  • All (including believers) experience the principle of "reaping and sowing"; wrath is not exclusively for unbelievers.

3. Challenging the Evangelistic Paradigm [05:08–06:09]

• Many assume Romans is only about salvation from hell. The Free Grace view challenges this, suggesting Romans is primarily about deliverance "in this life" for believers through righteous living.
• Hodges prefers “delivered” to “saved” to avoid confusion—‘saved’ is commonly equated with salvation from hell.
• "I'd like to challenge each of you if you've not heard the idea that Romans is really about deliverance from wrath here and now."
  — Ken Yates [05:08]

4. Personal Story Illustrating the Minority View [05:30–06:09]

• Bob shares teaching Romans in the Philippines using Hodges’ view resulted in pushback due to its minority status.
• "They said...your view is a minority view and we don't want you back. So this goes against the grain of the common view."
  — Bob Wilkin [05:38]

5. Romans 1:16-17: Thematic Analysis [06:09–09:39]

• Traditional Reading:

  • Luther and most interpret 1:16–17 as the gospel (saving message) and the book’s theme.
  • "Martin Luther...said that his understanding of Romans 1:16 and 17 led him to believe that justification is by faith alone, apart from works."
    — Ken Yates [01:18]

• Hodges’ Reading:

  • The “gospel” is good news to believers about righteous living and sanctification power in the present.
  • The phrase “the just shall live by faith” should be understood as “he who is righteous by faith shall live”—implying that present-tense faith leads to life (sanctification), not just future salvation.
  • "Zane in his commentary points out...that should say, he who is righteous by faith shall live."
    — Ken Yates [07:47]

• Why Preach the Gospel to Believers?

  • If “gospel” is only the evangelistic message, why preach it to already-born-again people? Hodges suggests it’s about sanctification, not just justification.

6. Sanctification and God’s Power for Daily Living [09:39–10:58]

• The gospel is described as the power for the believer to be delivered from wrath now by faith and righteous living (sanctification).
• The sanctification section (Romans 5–8) ties into this: as believers walk by the Spirit, they experience resurrection power and ongoing deliverance.
• "As we walk by the Spirit, the same power that raised Jesus from the dead lives within us."
  — Bob Wilkin [09:55]

7. Romans 1:18: Wrath as Present Reality [10:11–10:58]

• The verb tense (“is revealed”) indicates wrath is currently being experienced against unrighteousness.
• This present-tense wrath can affect believers who do not live righteously, not just non-believers.

8. Romans: A Book Primarily About Sanctification [10:58–12:38]

• Romans is written to believers, emphasizing holy living and deliverance from temporal wrath—not primarily a treatise on how to become justified.
• Even the justification passages (Romans 3–4) relate to a present, ongoing righteous life (see nuance in Romans 4:25 regarding different Greek terms).
  • "He was raised by so that we might live righteously."
    — Ken Yates [11:49]
• This fits Paul’s pattern elsewhere (e.g., Philippians 3: living out the resurrection life of Christ).
• Assurance: Even believers who fail to live righteously are secure in salvation and will enter the kingdom, but may experience God’s temporal wrath.

"If you don't live for Christ, if you don't live righteously, then you're going to experience God's wrath in this life—even though you're eternally secure."
— Ken Yates [12:24]

---

Notable Quotes and Memorable Moments

• On alternative terminology:

  • "Hodges wants to call it delivered rather than saved, because he thinks of the confusion when people hear saved."
    — Ken Yates [05:08]

• On minority view consequences:

  • "They said...your view is a minority view and we don't want you back."
    — Bob Wilkin [05:38]

• On the core takeaway:

  • "Romans might well not be all about justification, but...about sanctification and...being delivered from the wrath of God in this life."
    — Ken Yates [12:08]

• On security in Christ:

  • "Even though you'll be in the kingdom."
    — Bob Wilkin [12:37]

---

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 00:58 — Introduction of topic and session preview.
• 01:47 — The common (evangelistic) view of Romans outlined.
• 03:18 — Discussion on definitions and timing of God’s wrath.
• 05:08 — Challenge to the traditional hell-centric interpretation.
• 05:38 — Story about backlash for teaching the minority view.
• 07:14 — Romans 1:16-17 interpreted from Free Grace/Sanctification viewpoint.
• 09:39 — The gospel’s power for ongoing deliverance (sanctification).
• 10:11 — Romans 1:18 and the present reality of wrath.
• 10:58 — Romans described as a book about sanctification, not just justification.
• 11:23 — Nuanced discussion of Greek terms for justification/righteousness.
• 12:24 — Assurance of security vs. experiencing God’s present wrath.

---

Conclusion

Bob Wilkin and Ken Yates urge listeners to reconsider the standard interpretation of Romans. Instead of reading the book as a treatise on justification from the wrath of hell, they argue for a perspective that emphasizes sanctification—empowered, righteous living by faith, and present-tense deliverance from God’s wrath. This approach, influenced by Zane Hodges and the Free Grace tradition, underscores that while believers are eternally secure, their quality of life and present experience of blessing or wrath depends on their ongoing faith and obedience.

Suggested action for listeners:
Study Romans carefully with a mind open to the possibility that it speaks powerfully to believers’ present experience, not just their eternal destiny.

---

[This summary omits advertisements, conference promos, and outro material.]

Transcript

[A]

The following is a listener supported ministry from the Grace Evangelical Society. The Book of Romans. What is it all about and to whom is it written? Is the wrath of God in Romans about the lake of fire? Or is it a wrath that is being experienced here and now? Glad you have joined us today, friend, here on Grace in Focus. This is a ministry of the Grace Evangelical Society. Our web site is faithalone.org where you can get details about our online seminary, a place where you can earn an MDiv degree. Get all the details, go through the application process, get ready to study with us next semester. And we also invite you to our national annual conference May 18th through the 21st. Find out what you need to know to get [e-mail] and now with today's question and answer discussion, here's Bob Wilkin along with Ken Yates.

[B]

We're doing a series on different sessions that we're hoping to do for our national conference May 18th, 21st.

[C]

Right.

[B]

One of the sessions we're going to be dealing with is the Book of Romans. And the question is, is the Book of Romans talking about believers being delivered

[C]

from God's wrath, which is the common view? And Luther famously said that his understanding of Romans 1:16 and 17 led him to believe that justification is by faith alone, apart from works.

[B]

Now when you say it is the common view, you're meaning that it is evangelistic then, right? Because that's the common view, right, that believers are delivered from the wrath of hell.

[C]

Yes, I think the common view that is what you would find in most commentaries and what you would find in most pulpits when they preach through Romans. And is that Romans is reminding it's written to believers. Most people will say that, but they'll say its purpose is to remind believers that we were justified by faith apart from works.

[B]

So it's talking to believers and basically says, you know, you ought to be grateful for what God has done for you already.

[C]

Well, there is the question of what is it? That's the application of the book. In other words, how do I apply that? Is it gratitude? Is it, you know, that I'm going to be sharing this message with others? Is Romans wanting me to. The application is tell others about justification by faith alone. Even though I'm already born again, if someone's not born again, then am I supposed to share this gospel, which Romans 1:16, 17 talks about with unbelievers so that they might have justification? Which there is a section in the Book of Romans, chapters 3:21 to 4:24 or 4:25, depending on Isaiah. That does deal with justification. But the question is, is that what the book's about? Maybe we could take a look at Romans 1, 16 and 17 and talk about that, because Zane Hodges has a radically different view. Right.

[B]

What Raf means here. Right again. The common view is that Raf is looking toward the future wrath in the lake of fire.

[C]

Right, Right.

[B]

That would be the most common view.

[C]

And so then what we need to be delivered for is the eternal wrath of God in the lake of fire. Hodges, however, argues, by the way, that God's wrath is always in time and that the lake of fire is justice. It's not wrath. God is not eternally angry. God's wrath ends with the end of the millennium and putting down the rebellion at the end of the millennium. And that people are not experiencing God's wrath forever. What they're experiencing is justice.

[B]

Right.

[C]

And so God looks at the deeds. Remember, in Galatians, Paul says, do not be deceived. God is not mocked. For whatever a man sows that will he also reap. Well, that's true of believers, but it's also true of unbelievers. Jesus said he's coming in the glory of his Father with his angels, and then he will recompense each according to his works, which is, in that context, dealing with believers. But it's a general statement that also applies to unbelievers.

[B]

I just want to say before we go further into this, just this past weekend, I was in a Sunday school class and they were talking about Romans 9:10. And in this class, they took the view in Romans 9:10, Paul's talking about Israel. Right. But what they said was Romans 9:10. When it's talking about Israel, it's really talking about the church and that it's all salvation from hell, every bit of it. Later, will all Israel be saved? It's just talking about all the elect. Anyone who repents of their sins, they need to be saved from the wrath of the lake of fire. That's what the whole class was. So that's what Bob and I are discussing. Is that what the book is talking about?

[C]

And I would say no. And I would like to challenge each of you if you've not heard the idea that Romans is really about deliverance from wrath here and now. And it's believers being delivered from wrath. By the way, Hodges wants to call it delivered rather than saved, because he thinks of the confusion when people hear saved. They think the wrong idea.

[B]

The first time I went on a trip to teach for ges, I went to The Philippines. And I was asked to teach the book of Romans.

[C]

Wow.

[B]

And Zane's book had just come out and I used it as the textbook. I took Zain's view that it's deliverance from temporary wrath here. Now, when I was done, they called me in and they said, you know, your view is a minority view and we don't want you back. So this goes against the grain of the common view. People see the lake of fire here. And I'm glad that Zane uses the word deliverance versus saved because of that confusion.

[C]

That's the subtitle of his commentary, Deliverance from wrath.

[B]

Right. Deliverance instead of salvation. Right. Okay. So in Romans 1, 16, 17, Martin Luther and most people would agree that this is the theme of the book, that this is what the book is about and we would expect to find it. It's not surprising that we would find it at the beginning of the book in letters.

[C]

You tend to find the purpose at the beginning. In gospels like the Gospel of John, you find it at the end.

[B]

Right.

[A]

It's coming. It'll be here before you know it. What am I talking about? The Grace Evangelical Society's National Conference 2026, May 18th through the 21st at Camp Kopas, an absolutely beautiful campground in North Texas, right on the lake with lots of recreation, great food, a great place to stay, wonderful fellowship and wonderful free grace Bible teaching. Information and online registration [e-mail] events. First timers waive registration fees. Faithalone.org events I would agree this is

[C]

the theme, but let's understand it correctly. So what does he say here?

[B]

Paul says, for I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes. For the Jew first and also for the Greek, for in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith. As it is written in the new King James. It says, the just shall live by faith. And Zane in his commentary points out that really that should say, he who is righteous by faith shall live.

[C]

And the shall live, he understands, is essentially having imperitival force that they should live. And he sees this as a reference to Romans 5, 8, the live part. Yeah, the sanctification section. Now, notice here what it starts out with. This is an example of laetotes or understatement. When Paul says, I am not ashamed of the gospel, what he means is, I'm proud of it.

[B]

I want to proclaim it.

[C]

I want to proclaim it. But now when a lot of people see the gospel, they think Saving message. But what he's talking about is this good news message. By the way, notice he said it in verse 15 also. What does 15 say?

[B]

He goes, I am ready to preach the gospel to you who are in Rome also.

[C]

Okay, now wait a minute. If he's writing to believers in Rome, and we have lots of examples in the book, that shows he's writing to born again people, right?

[B]

Sure.

[C]

Well, then why does he want to preach the gospel to them if the gospel is the saving message?

[B]

And what people will say is, well, he wants to go to Rome because there's other unbelievers.

[C]

Right. And actually, Hodges in his commentary, hadn't quite thought this through yet, and he died before he finished it. He was in the middle of chapter 14. And I actually wrote the commentary on the end of 14, 15 and 16, and John Nemel and I wrote notes. But Hodges said that he's thinking here of others in Rome, like you just said, that would be unbelievers. But no, that's wrong. He's wanting to preach the message in 16 and 17, which Hodges takes as a sanctification message. How would it be a sanctification message? I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes. Isn't he saying that the Gospel is the power of God for the believer

[B]

to be saved from wrath?

[C]

Right. He's not saying, the way a lot of people take it, that if you believe, then you are saved.

[B]

He's saying, from the lake of fire.

[C]

Right, Right. He's saying, if you believe, then you can be saved.

[B]

Right. There's this power that is available to you, to the one who believes. There is this power that is available to you. As you said a minute ago, Romans, chapter five, six, seven, and eight, as we walk by the Spirit, the same power that raised Jesus from the dead lives within us.

[C]

And notice how verse 18, which immediately follows this says, for the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth.

[B]

And unrighteousness, notice is revealed, not will be revealed.

[C]

Yeah. And this goes all the way from 18 to the end of the chapter. Point is, the believer can be saved from this wrath or delivered from this wrath by living. He goes on to say, the just by faith shall live. We're justified by faith. And now we need to live the life in order to be delivered from the wrath. And so it's a radically different way of seeing Romans. Ultimately, what you're saying is Romans is a book about sanctification.

[B]

It's a book that is written to believers.

[C]

It is true there's a short section dealing with justification by faith alone.

[B]

But I would say even there, Bob, and I know you agree with me that even as discussion on justification is related to this, now that we have been declared righteous as believers, we have access to God.

[C]

In fact, the very end of that section, we Romans 4:25 is actually a sanctification verse.

[B]

In Romans 4:25 it says that Jesus was delivered up because of our offenses and was raised because of our justification.

[C]

But the word is not justification. That would be dikaiosune for righteousness. This is dikaiosin, which is a different word. Right, right. And it basically means righteous living. And so he's basically saying he was raised by so that we might live righteously.

[B]

Exactly.

[C]

By the way, fits all of Paul's epistles. For example, in Philippians 3, that we're to live out the resurrection life of Christ. The power, the resurrection power of Christ is available to cause us to live righteously. We would encourage you to do some careful study of the Book of Romans and consider that the book of Romans might well not be all about justification, but. But it's really about sanctification and it's about living righteously and being delivered from the wrath of God in this life. And that if you're a believer in Christ, that doesn't mean that you can live any old way. If you don't live for Christ, if you don't live righteously, then you're going to experience God's wrath in this life. Even though you're eternally secure.

[B]

Even though you'll be in the kingdom.

[C]

Even though you'll be in the kingdom.

[B]

Well, we hope that that whets your appetite for studying Romans more. And in the meantime, keep grace in focus.

[A]

Be our guest and subscribe to our 48 page magazine, six issues per year, also called GraceInFocus. It's free by emailing your name and snail mail address to gesaithalone.org that's faithalone.org maybe you've got a question or comment or feedback. If so, please send us a message. Here's our email address. It's radioaithalone.org that's radioaithalone.org and when you do, please make sure your question is as succinct and clear as possible. That would be a great big help on our next episode. Is the Romans Road Evangelistic Approach valid? Please join us for that. And until then, let's keep Grace in focus. The proceeding has been a listener supported ministry from the Grace Evangelical Society.