“Or do you think lightly of the riches of His kindness and restraint and patience, not knowing that the kindness of God leads you to repentance? But because of your stubbornness and unrepentant heart you are storing up wrath for yourself on the day of wrath …”
Do we think lightly of God’s patience, ignoring that it’s intended to lead us to repentance?
Repentance may be the least popular subject in the bible. This passage says, if I have a stubborn unrepentant heart, I am storing up wrath… another unpopular subject.
God’s wrath is not simply anger. It is the most dreaded force known to mankind, and Paul says we are ignoring its existence. God doesn’t tolerate sin… so, our unrepentant heart puts us in jeopardy.
We discount sin because it seems that God doesn’t punish evildoers. However, what we observe is not a lack of judgement, but delayed judgement. Make no mistake… the wages of sin have not changed. The question is not whether they will be paid, but who will pay them? God’s kindness is giving you time to repent and apply the payment He made for you.
Contrary to popular opinion, the gospel demands judgement. I’m not to judge people, but I am to look at scripture and judge actions …starting with mine. My sins may be impacted by family, trauma, or environment …but at the end of the day, they are choices. 1 Corinthians 10:13 says that we are never tempted by sin we cannot resist. We must own that fact in order to repent… and repentance is the only way to change.
The unpopular truth is that not only am I to point out my own sin, but of those around me as well. I can’t love others and ignore the sin that is destroying them. Tolerating sin in the name of inclusion, or preference is the epitome of taking God’s kindness lightly.
Sin is lethal, and we must confess it, and repent… Jesus said, “If you love me, keep my commandments”… So, if you love Him… adjust your conduct so it is in line with scripture, while His patience provides time for you to do it.
“If a man says that the wrath of God is too heavy a punishment for his little sin, I ask him, if the sin be little, why does he not give it up?
- Charles Spurgeon
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