Do You Presume on the Riches of God’s Kindness?

Do You Presume on the Riches of God’s Kindness?

We don’t like to be presumed upon. That is, we don’t appreciate when people place expectations upon us for a certain response or favor without first being consulted. But do we do the same thing to God? Our verse, Romans 2:4, was included in last week’s post, but I think we may have a little more room to run:

Rom. 2:4 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?

There are several reasons why we might presume upon an expectation of God’s kindness. A very likely reason would be that you have experienced many, many kindness which you attribute to God, whether directly or indirectly, and, believing in the consistency of His nature, you expect that these kindness will continue, perhaps
forever. That seems reasonable, but also naive. Do you remember the warnings about financial investments, that past results do not guarantee future performance? That may apply to God as well, not because His character changes, but because the timing of His plans and purposes changes, and that now is the time for repentance, and later will be a time for judgment. In the time of judgment, those who have not repented will no longer receive the accustomed kindnesses.

Another common but crazy reason one might presume upon God’s kindness is that you think you deserve it. You think God owes you. “What’s he there for, anyway, but to serve my needs and guarantee my happiness?” This kind of an attitude actually dethrones God from being God, and makes you the center of your universe. No,
sophisticated gentleman or madame, God is not your personal assistant to shower you with kindnesses. 

As you note in the verse above, there is reference not only to God’s kindness, but also to His forbearance and patience, two similar words (as though we should think about them). God’s patience actually can mislead us into thinking that everything is alright, and that God’s kindness will continue on and on. I suppose that if God interrupted His kindness with flashes of cruelty, we would not be so tempted to presume. And those flashes may indeed be justified. In fact, I think that they are. The fact that He withholds them is an exercise of His mercy, a great kindness. Why does He withhold?

God wants to draw you toward repentance. What is repentance? It is a humbling of oneself before God, admitting to God what has dawned upon you about the holiness and righteousness of God, and that you fall far short of any kind of divine standard that would be in keeping with God showing kindness. We turn from our sins, and we turn to God, and wonder why this God should have wasted so many kindness upon us for so long. But now, humbled before God and accepting of His Son, you receive this kindness, not with presumption, but with a response of worship and gratefulness, and a desire to reflect that kindness toward others. You will have a re-created hope in line with God’s purpose, that all, like you, would come to a repentance that leads to
salvation.

Freedom vs. Independence

 Freedom vs. Independence

I know why we call July 4 Independence Day, and it is accurate. We are no longer under the thumb of a foreign power. But in our present cultural moment, we must see “freedom” and “independence” as opposed to one another.

I am basing my thoughts on a favorite verse from 1 Peter: “Live as people who are free, not using your freedom as a cover-up for evil, but living as servants of God. Honor everyone. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the emperor.” (1 Peter 2:16–17 ESV)

There is a phrase being used to describe the current mood among those who are asserting their freedoms: expressive individualism. That is, a person should be “free” to live as they see fit, so long as they do not harm others. But this freedom is a freedom for the individual. Think about this. Every team is now more a collection of individuals that it is a team. Each individual on the team must be free to individually express themselves, so long as other individuals are not harmed. But the good of the team is subordinated to the “good” of the individual. This same principle then applies to communities and churches and the voluntary organizations and even the nation. It’s really all about “me.”

Contrast this with our verse above. The great value of our freedom is not for ourselves, but for how we can serve others. Certainly this can and does apply to team and community, but in the Christian community, it places loving God and serving others above expressing one’s own wants and urges. If you are on a team, then put the team first. If you are part of a community, put the community first. If you are part of a church, put the church first. And if you are part of God’s kingdom, put the glory of God above the glory of self.

Expressive individualism should be called what it is: selfishness. It puts my self and my fame and my image or imagination above everything else. If it conflicts with a centuries-old definition of marriage, then trash the old and bring in the new. And, by the way, if anyone else wants to hold on to the “old” definitions, let the government regulate them. Those who are “out of step" must not be “free” to “express” those “individual” beliefs.

There are two strange things in this individual turn. Both have to do with “expressive individualism” not being so “individual” after all. First, it used to be that if an individual chose to express himself contrary to norms, he would accept the consequences of that viewpoint. John Bunyan in England in the 17th century preached without a license. He was jailed for it, and accepted the consequencebecause of his freely chosen conviction. Today, such consequences are unacceptable to individuals choosing their own course.

Second, the other way in which these “individualists” are not so solitary is that they are desiring to be different just like everybody else. They are following a cultural mood, and in many cases are not so sincere as they are coopted by agendas that use them for malign purposes without concern for their good or their futures - in Peter’s words above, “a cover-up for evil.”

Finally, this turn toward the self is not good for the nation. It is not good for the community. It is not good for the church. It is not good for the self. This freedom that we hold as dear is a freedom to put others first. Not ourselves.