I wrote the following for my church’s weekly electronic newsletter. This insight comes from John Piper, Don’t Waste Your Life (Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2009), 51-54.
Paul writes the following, in Romans 2:4-5:
[D]o 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? But because of your hard and impenitent heart you are storing up wrath for yourself on the day of wrath when God’s righteous judgment will be revealed.
One of the things that we’ll be celebrating on Thanksgiving next week is what Paul calls the “riches of [God’s] kindness.” But consider Paul’s words above: We are living right now in a season of mercy, the purpose of which is to lead us to repentance.
Paul’s point is something like this: God gives us one amazing gift after another–our lives, our families, our friends, our health, our possessions. And God does so in spite of the fact that we’re sinners who, according to God’s Word, deserve only death, judgment, and hell. When we consider how kind and merciful God is to us, our hearts should melt. As a result, we should repent and be saved.
But notice what happens if we don’t repent: We are “presuming on” God’s riches and “storing up wrath” for ourselves on Judgment Day.
The only thing that saves us from this wrath is the blood of God’s Son Jesus.
Therefore, those of us who are Christians ought to remind ourselves that every gift that God gives us is paid for by the precious blood of Jesus Christ on the cross.
The gift of my wife or husband is paid for by the blood of Jesus. The gift of my children is paid for by the blood of Jesus. The gift of this warm, safe home is paid for by the blood of Jesus. The gift of this delicious meal is paid for by the blood of Jesus. The gifts of love, laughter, and friendship are paid for by the blood of Jesus.
Remind yourself of this truth next Thursday. Let it melt your heart. And be thankful!
Happy Thanksgiving!
God’s “WRATH”
Not a subject in many Methodist pulpits for sure. In the context above, Paul seems to infer that it is something that is held back until judgement day. Is that the way you read it?
Definitely.
So, the defiantly unrighteous may prosper in this life. God may even appear to be blessing them, or at least letting them “get away with” their behavior. This answers the question of “why does God allow so-and-so to have so much, when they don’t even go to church?”
Once again, I think that there are many indications that this life is just a small step, or even a training ground, before eternity.
As they are “getting away with it,” they are storing up judgment against themselves. It sounds like their future punishment will be even more severe as a result.
I agree that life is a training ground for us Christians.