Sunday 25 November 2007

Despising the riches of His goodness

“Or do you despise the riches of His goodness, forbearance, and longsuffering, not knowing that the goodness of God leads you to repentance?” - Romans 2v4

When we read Romans chapter one we can feel very comfortable about ourselves. It is all about a world gone mad which has rejected the God Who revealed Himself to them and the downward spiral of sin which they had exposed themselves. We get the end and we think, “Boy, those folks really deserved it didn’t they?”

As chapter two opens, and remember there were no chapter divisions in Paul’s letter we see a total change of focus. Suddenly Paul says, “There is no excuse for you to be judging others!” He they went on to tell them that there pious, self-righteous attitude was as bad as anything they condemned others for.

He then made an interesting comment. With a rhetorical question he pointed out that after all that mercy that God has shown, that He offered salvation to a wicked, vile world that has rejected Him, they still chose to sit in judgement on others. There were so caught up in condemnation that they forgot about, even despised God’s goodness, forbearance, and long-suffering. They had forgotten that it was God’s goodness, nit His wrath and anger that leads to repentance.

We often wonder how the world can be so bad. We are quick to judge and condemn them. When our oldest was five, but a very mature five, my wife told him in frustration on day, “Would you stop acting like you are five years old!”

Funny, right? Of course, but then we walk around in frustration with the world around us, saying in out hearts, “Would you stop acting like the world?”

I realise that I am no Bible scholar, much less a language scholar, but this verse clearly says that it is the goodness of God that leads to repentance. Might we consider showing people the goodness of God what leads to repentance instead of just trying to scare them out of hell?

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