Romans 2:4-5

Passage

Or do you have contempt for the riches of His kindness, endurance, patience while being ignorant that the kindness of God leads you into repentance?  But according to your stubborn and unrepentant heart you store up wrath for yourselves in the day of wrath and the revelation of the judgment of God.

Thoughts for Today

First Thought:

In the context of the letter, Paul is speaking about the Jews taking advantage of – literally, having contempt for – the kindness, endurance, and patience of God.  In other words, because they saw their relationship with God as a genealogical blessing rather than a blessing of grace and mercy they were taking advantage of God.  Their belief that salvation comes through their heritage was leading them to misunderstand the gift entirely!  God chose the Hebrew people to be the ones to reveal His grace to the world, not to consider themselves unique and “untouchable.”  When we as Christians lose sight of the goal, our great calling to make disciples, we are no better.  We are not in relationship with God because we are better than everyone else.  We are in relationship with God to follow Him and to accomplish His will.

Can you explain how we show contempt for God’s grace when we believe we are better than other people?  Why is this point fundamental to a proper understanding that we are saved by grace, not works?  Why is this point fundamental to making disciples?

Second Thought:

Our status of being saved should never lead us to a position of being “holier than thou.”  Rather, our status of being saved should always lead us into humbleness.  We should see in our relationship with God all of the many things that we do to not deserve His grace.  This should lead us to repentance and a humble heart.  The very fact that we can be saved when we do not deserve it should lead us into genuine contrition.

Are you humble before God?  When you hear His call, do you humble yourself and move in the direction He desires?  How difficult is it to be humbled by God with respect to our wrongs?

Third Thought:

Paul then tells those who believe that they are better than others that they are storing up wrath for when the Lord returns in judgment.  After all, if we believe salvation is through our genealogy – or in a modern sense, through our works – then are we not refuting that salvation comes only by God’s grace through the cross?  If we think that our salvation comes through any other means we will be sorely disappointed!  We should still confront sin, but not in a holier-than-thou manner.  We should confront sin from a position of humbleness where it is about coming into a relationship with God rather than being better than others and looking down upon them.

Do you think that God will be angry with how you have responded to people in this world?  Why can it be easy to take His grace and turn it into something that is not pleasing to God?

Passage for Tomorrow: Romans 2:6-11