Articles
Balanced Thinking Regarding God - Romans 2
Balanced Thinking Regarding God - Romans 2
“Or do you presume on the riches of his kindness and forbearance and patience, not knowing that God’s kindness is meant to lead you to repentance?” (Romans 2:4).
The nature and character of God is multi-sided indeed. Here we are reminded of His kindness, forbearance, and patience. The more you contemplate the righteousness and holiness of God, the greater you will appreciate these characteristics of God. Because of your sin you were an enemy of God and HIS righteous ways ( 5:10). Note also the other ways that God through Paul speaks of those apart from Jesus:
We were ungodly and unrighteous (1:18), (in fact, stop here and read chapter 1 over again! While you may not have committed ALL of these things, you surely are guilty of many of them!). Thus you were Worthy of judgment (1:32). In chapter five Paul continues by noting that we were helpless and ungodly (5:6), and thus, enemies of God (5:10). He mentions that we were slaves of sin (6:17), slaves of impurity and lawlessness (6:19). Thus, in regard to our relationship to the living God: we were dead in sin (6:23).
Such is not to lead us into thinking that God will just overlook all of our sins, for He will not nor can He (and remain righteous, just, and holy). Rather it is supposed to lead us to repentance from such sin.
This is because of the underlying thought about God that permeates the book of Romans: the wrath of God against ALL sin. The wrath of God is mentioned some 7 times: see 1:18; 2:5,8; 3:5; 5:9; 9:22; 12:19.
Justification by faith NEVER excludes repentance on our part! We may make light of such by wrongly over-emphasizing God’s kindness, forbearance, and patience towards our sins, but God does not. Peter wrote: “The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance” (2 Peter 3:9).
Do not take your sin lightly for God does not! But, remember that with the Lord we also can experience the kindness, forbearance, patience, mercy, and forgiveness of God in Jesus! Isn’t this a humbling but uplifting thought!
Hugh DeLong
