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.