by juliaf from www.sxc.hu
We hear regularly about how God is so loving and patient. In modern American Christianity, God is extolled for his great love, patience, and kindness. His forgiveness and mercy are trumpeted from the water cooler to the pulpit. But for the most part, people live like they want to live, indulging in selfishness and sin, all while depending on a loving God to forgive them in the end. They believe God knows their true heart and will take them home to heaven, after all who really believes in hell anyway. So church attendance and involvement across our nation continue to slide. Bible knowledge and serious obedience are eschewed for emotional experiences and feelings of the heart.
It seems to me that one big thing the world is currently missing about God is taught in Romans 2:4. Listen to Paul’s words being used to convict his Jewish readers of their own self-righteousness.
“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)
Paul said that we should not misunderstand God’s love! God’s love isn’t so that we can just go on sinning and living like we want! Later in Romans 6, he asks, “Should we continue in sin, so that grace may abound?” He replies emphatically “By no means!” God’s patience should cause us to repent! His love and mercy, which is extended in Christ, should provoke us to holiness and righteousness.
It must hurt the very heart of God for him to consider his abundant love and mercy offered to mankind and poured out daily in his physical blessings, and yet mankind as a whole refuses to repent! God calls us to change! Jesus does accept us as we are, but he never intended us to stay as we are! We are called to repent. Repentance refers to an inward conviction to abstain from known sin. It is a change of mind that results in a change of life.
The world wants a God of love and grace, but they don’t realize that acceptance and belief in such a God should lead them to repentance and holy living. What about you? Are you presuming on the goodness of God?
