“Do you show contempt for the riches of his kindness, forbearance and patience, not realizing that God’s kindness is intended to lead you to repentance?” - Romans 2:4
Having just put before us some very hard truths in Romans 1, we might think that Paul would take his foot off the gas. Instead, he drives headlong into reminding us that we all fall short of the glory of God by way of passing judgment without making any heart changes ourselves. With that in mind, Paul states that the way all of us come to repentance is through God’s kindness.
We often assume that the threat of judgment is what leads to repentance. We think, “If only we can show people how bad they are, then they will be sorry.” Or we say, “If I can show them the consequences of their actions (like some negative life outcomes or the ultimate punishment of going to hell), then they will repent.
But Paul reminds us that the path to repentance is quite different. Instead of the posture God could have had towards us, God is kind. In fact, God waits patiently for us to notice his kindness. And rather than showing us our consequences, God sometimes holds back (though eventually they will be known according to verse 8). But this holding back of consequences is called “forbearance.” God forbears with us with the desire that we will repent and return to Him.
So here’s a question: If God’s kindness is what leads to our repentance, how are we being called to forbear with other people’s unrepentant attitudes in the hopes that they will return? We can judge them as if it is up to us to bring about their consequences, or we can step into the gap and seek to help them through our seeking to be like God. As we gather together this week, my prayer is that every heart will be changed as we seek to show the kindness, patience, and forbearance towards others that God has shown us.
Grace & Peace,
Aaron
Having just put before us some very hard truths in Romans 1, we might think that Paul would take his foot off the gas. Instead, he drives headlong into reminding us that we all fall short of the glory of God by way of passing judgment without making any heart changes ourselves. With that in mind, Paul states that the way all of us come to repentance is through God’s kindness.
We often assume that the threat of judgment is what leads to repentance. We think, “If only we can show people how bad they are, then they will be sorry.” Or we say, “If I can show them the consequences of their actions (like some negative life outcomes or the ultimate punishment of going to hell), then they will repent.
But Paul reminds us that the path to repentance is quite different. Instead of the posture God could have had towards us, God is kind. In fact, God waits patiently for us to notice his kindness. And rather than showing us our consequences, God sometimes holds back (though eventually they will be known according to verse 8). But this holding back of consequences is called “forbearance.” God forbears with us with the desire that we will repent and return to Him.
So here’s a question: If God’s kindness is what leads to our repentance, how are we being called to forbear with other people’s unrepentant attitudes in the hopes that they will return? We can judge them as if it is up to us to bring about their consequences, or we can step into the gap and seek to help them through our seeking to be like God. As we gather together this week, my prayer is that every heart will be changed as we seek to show the kindness, patience, and forbearance towards others that God has shown us.
Grace & Peace,
Aaron
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