Romans 2:4 Or 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?
Some to whom Paul wrote misunderstood the kindness of God to be a sign of his favor. Since God had been kind to them in the past, they had no reason to think he wouldn’t be kind to them in the future, even on Judgment Day. The purpose of God’s kindness wasn’t to give them false assurance, however, but to lead them to repentance.
Two months after my conversion, I went away to college, and found myself living in temptation city. Pathetically, by the end of the first semester, there was little outward difference between me and most other people on campus. But at the end of the year I went to church, and God met me there.
I allowed my mind to wander during the sermon, and was surprised by thoughts of God’s amazing kindness to me. I lived in a prosperous country, came from a loving family, enjoyed good health and had a few friends. What struck me most, however, was that God had sent his Son to die on a cross for me.
Then I began to think of the way that I had treated God. I’d given up on prayer, stopped reading his word and avoided church. I spurned his commands, rejected his will, and did as I pleased. When I compared the way God had treated me, to the way I had treated God, I found myself in tears. I agreed with God that he was good and I was bad. I told him I wanted to change and, if he’d take me back, I’d never walk away again. That was over thirty years ago, and he’s kept me ever since. The kindness of God led me to repentance.
Romans 2:8-9 But for those who are self-seeking and who reject the truth and follow evil, there will be wrath and anger. There will be trouble and distress for every human being who does evil.
Trouble and distress come from getting caught doing something that we shouldn’t be doing. This is common in the lives of unbelievers, but even Christians can fall into trouble. A friend of mine was an excellent business man, with a beautiful family, and a good reputation at church. Then he went to an establishment and got involved with a young lady who blackmailed him for money. He quickly went through his savings, then his retirement, then he stole from his company. Then he went to prison and lost his family.
Many have a similar story, and we can imagine their trouble and distress as everything they valued slipped away. But that doesn’t compare to the trouble and distress of standing before God and seeing heaven slip away. There will be trouble and distress for every human being who does evil. If we’re living in evil, now is the time to repent.
Romans 2:15 [T]he requirements of the law are written on their hearts, their consciences also bearing witness, and their thoughts sometimes accusing them and at other times even defending them.
Paul argued from conscience that all people have an inward knowledge of right and wrong. It accuses them of violating God’s law, even if they’ve never read the Bible. Because we’re made in the image of God, we all know right from wrong, even without being taught.
This is a powerful argument for God’s existence, because a moral law requires a moral law giver. There can be no right or wrong apart from God, because there’s no one with sufficient authority to say what’s right or wrong. If an ultimate authority doesn’t exist, everyone gets to choose right and wrong for themselves. This sounds good, at first, but it doesn’t agree with our best judgment.
For example, most people agree that torturing children for pleasure is always wrong. It’s not enough to say torturing children for pleasure is wrong for you but not for me. We know instinctively that torturing children for pleasure is objectively wrong, for all people, all the time.
For this to be true, however, there must be an ultimate authority to say so. The best explanation for right and wrong is God, because you can’t have a moral law without a moral law giver. And God has written his law on our hearts, so it can’t be avoided.
Romans 2:24 God’s name is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you.
The ancient Israelites failed to keep God’s law, so God allowed them to be defeated by the Babylonians. Since the Babylonians were victorious, they assumed the God of Israel was not to be taken seriously. So they blasphemed the one true God.
Christians can also lead people to blaspheme God if we’re not careful. Whenever a Christian leader falls into sin, people will use the occasion to mock Christianity. To some degree, this applies to all believers. That’s why Everyone who confesses the name of the Lord must turn away from wickedness (2 Timothy 2:19), wrote Paul.
Romans 3:20 Therefore no one will be declared righteous in God’s sight by the works of the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of our sin.
The purpose of God’s commandments aren’t to show us how to be good enough for heaven, but to show us that we’re not good enough for heaven, and need to be saved through faith in Jesus Christ. He’s the only one who’s good enough for heaven, and we only get in through him.
When I present the gospel I like to begin with a few questions to help people see their need for Christ. First, I ask if they’ve ever told a lie and, if so, what that makes them—a liar. Then I ask if they’ve ever stolen anything and, if so, what that makes them—a thief. Then I ask if they’ve ever lusted at a stranger and, if so, what that makes them—a luster. Then I ask if they’ve ever misused God’s name and, if so, what that makes them—a blasphemer. By their own admission most people are lying, thieving, lusting, blasphemers (Ray Comfort, revised).
We can’t appreciate the good news until we understand the bad news. We’re not pretty good people on our way to heaven, but pretty bad people on our way to hell. Thankfully, God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life (John 3:16). That is the gospel.
Reflection and Review
Why does the goodness of God lead us to repentance?
Why does sin cause trouble and distress?
How does God’s law prepare us for his gospel?
Some to whom Paul wrote misunderstood the kindness of God to be a sign of his favor. Since God had been kind to them in the past, they had no reason to think he wouldn’t be kind to them in the future, even on Judgment Day. The purpose of God’s kindness wasn’t to give them false assurance, however, but to lead them to repentance.
Two months after my conversion, I went away to college, and found myself living in temptation city. Pathetically, by the end of the first semester, there was little outward difference between me and most other people on campus. But at the end of the year I went to church, and God met me there.
I allowed my mind to wander during the sermon, and was surprised by thoughts of God’s amazing kindness to me. I lived in a prosperous country, came from a loving family, enjoyed good health and had a few friends. What struck me most, however, was that God had sent his Son to die on a cross for me.
Then I began to think of the way that I had treated God. I’d given up on prayer, stopped reading his word and avoided church. I spurned his commands, rejected his will, and did as I pleased. When I compared the way God had treated me, to the way I had treated God, I found myself in tears. I agreed with God that he was good and I was bad. I told him I wanted to change and, if he’d take me back, I’d never walk away again. That was over thirty years ago, and he’s kept me ever since. The kindness of God led me to repentance.
Romans 2:8-9 But for those who are self-seeking and who reject the truth and follow evil, there will be wrath and anger. There will be trouble and distress for every human being who does evil.
Trouble and distress come from getting caught doing something that we shouldn’t be doing. This is common in the lives of unbelievers, but even Christians can fall into trouble. A friend of mine was an excellent business man, with a beautiful family, and a good reputation at church. Then he went to an establishment and got involved with a young lady who blackmailed him for money. He quickly went through his savings, then his retirement, then he stole from his company. Then he went to prison and lost his family.
Many have a similar story, and we can imagine their trouble and distress as everything they valued slipped away. But that doesn’t compare to the trouble and distress of standing before God and seeing heaven slip away. There will be trouble and distress for every human being who does evil. If we’re living in evil, now is the time to repent.
Romans 2:15 [T]he requirements of the law are written on their hearts, their consciences also bearing witness, and their thoughts sometimes accusing them and at other times even defending them.
Paul argued from conscience that all people have an inward knowledge of right and wrong. It accuses them of violating God’s law, even if they’ve never read the Bible. Because we’re made in the image of God, we all know right from wrong, even without being taught.
This is a powerful argument for God’s existence, because a moral law requires a moral law giver. There can be no right or wrong apart from God, because there’s no one with sufficient authority to say what’s right or wrong. If an ultimate authority doesn’t exist, everyone gets to choose right and wrong for themselves. This sounds good, at first, but it doesn’t agree with our best judgment.
For example, most people agree that torturing children for pleasure is always wrong. It’s not enough to say torturing children for pleasure is wrong for you but not for me. We know instinctively that torturing children for pleasure is objectively wrong, for all people, all the time.
For this to be true, however, there must be an ultimate authority to say so. The best explanation for right and wrong is God, because you can’t have a moral law without a moral law giver. And God has written his law on our hearts, so it can’t be avoided.
Romans 2:24 God’s name is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you.
The ancient Israelites failed to keep God’s law, so God allowed them to be defeated by the Babylonians. Since the Babylonians were victorious, they assumed the God of Israel was not to be taken seriously. So they blasphemed the one true God.
Christians can also lead people to blaspheme God if we’re not careful. Whenever a Christian leader falls into sin, people will use the occasion to mock Christianity. To some degree, this applies to all believers. That’s why Everyone who confesses the name of the Lord must turn away from wickedness (2 Timothy 2:19), wrote Paul.
Romans 3:20 Therefore no one will be declared righteous in God’s sight by the works of the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of our sin.
The purpose of God’s commandments aren’t to show us how to be good enough for heaven, but to show us that we’re not good enough for heaven, and need to be saved through faith in Jesus Christ. He’s the only one who’s good enough for heaven, and we only get in through him.
When I present the gospel I like to begin with a few questions to help people see their need for Christ. First, I ask if they’ve ever told a lie and, if so, what that makes them—a liar. Then I ask if they’ve ever stolen anything and, if so, what that makes them—a thief. Then I ask if they’ve ever lusted at a stranger and, if so, what that makes them—a luster. Then I ask if they’ve ever misused God’s name and, if so, what that makes them—a blasphemer. By their own admission most people are lying, thieving, lusting, blasphemers (Ray Comfort, revised).
We can’t appreciate the good news until we understand the bad news. We’re not pretty good people on our way to heaven, but pretty bad people on our way to hell. Thankfully, God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life (John 3:16). That is the gospel.
Reflection and Review
Why does the goodness of God lead us to repentance?
Why does sin cause trouble and distress?
How does God’s law prepare us for his gospel?