Romans – A Treatise
Chapter Two
LEAD TO REPENTANCE
Scripture Reading: verse 4
The ponderous importance of the truths presented in the opening of this Epistle can never be properly estimated. The Apostle Paul is dealing with eternal questions, the answer to which will determine whether man’s soul eternally dwells in the realm of the blest or the lake of fire. The issues are everlasting in their import. In this passage, there is no attempt to be overdramatic in setting forth the great truths, but like all Scripture, the facts are presented with simplicity, so there is not a shadow of doubt regarding their meaning.
Considering the dark catalog of iniquitous practices set forth in the close of chapter one, it is surprising to see in Romans 2:4 such words as God’s goodness, forbearance and longsuffering. The cesspool of sin so eloquently described at the end of the previous chapter would seem to leave no room for anything but swift judgment. Man has departed so far from God and has sunk so deeply into iniquity, that God would be justified in committing him to eternal abandonment. If we would only search our own hearts in view of the black list of sins presented in this passage, we would have to admit we are deserving of eternal judgment. “But God, who is rich in mercy, for His great love wherewith He loved us, even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ (by grace ye are saved)” (Eph. 2:4-5). That is the story of redemption’s goodness. What striking words are used to set it forth here. They are words of wondrous grace, yet words of warning too: “Despisest1 thou the riches2 of God’s goodness3 and forbearance4 and longsuffering?”5
When we think that God, who is holy, just and righteous, has witnessed the dark flowing tide of sin that has rolled on through the centuries, becoming more and more murky and dark, we wonder at the forbearance of God. Oftentimes when we ourselves see injustice and wickedness, we are most impatient to protect the weak, to rectify wrongs, and to bring vengeance upon the perpetrator without delay. Does it not give us some idea of the goodness of our God to think He has seen all the dark deeds that have been done through the generations, yet He forbears. His all-seeing eye penetrates every den of vice and iniquity, every house of shame. “All things are naked and open to the eyes of Him with whom we have to do.” Not only does He see all the acts that are committed, but He sees the very intent of the heart committing those acts. Keep in mind Psalm 139 where David realizes that he comes under the searching scrutiny of the Almighty. No place is remote enough to be beyond the penetrating gaze of the Lord. He says:
O Lord, thou hast searched me and known me, thou knowest my downsitting and my uprising, Thou understandest my thought afar off. Thou compassest my path and my lying down, and art acquainted with all my ways. For there is not a word in my tongue, but, lo, O Lord, thou knowest it altogether.
Then he says:
Whither shall I go from thy Spirit? or whither shall I flee from thy presence? If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there: if I make my bed in hell [hades], behold, thou art there. If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea; Even there shall thy hand lead me, and thy right hand shall hold me.
He says, “the darkness hideth not from thee.” It is absolutely impossible for any of us to get away from the eye of God. He knows the darkest secret of our lives; He knows our shady deeds, our black acts of shame which no other eye has witnessed; yes, and He knows every motive of our lives, every thought of our heart. That is the God with whom we have to do.
Knowing all this, these are the words that come from the apostle in relation to our God: “The riches of His goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance?”6 Let us not think God wants to drive us to repentance by constantly threatening us with judgment. Dr. William Harrison once said,
God could wipe you and me from out the land of the living without a moment's notice for He is Almighty. He is, however, a God of loving kindness, and the fact that overwhelms my spirit is that the One who not only knows the bad things about me, but the One who knows me altogether, loves me and gave His beloved Son to die for me. It is His excellent goodness that brings the soul to repentance. Repentance is not simply regret for my sin because it has brought me into the darkness of despair and confusion. It is that the Person against, whom I have sinned, who is the Living God, is so overwhelming in His goodness to me that I am brought to repentance.If in doing something mean and treacherous to someone on the street and your action brings trouble to you, it may make you sorry for the sin because you got into trouble which made you feel bad, but that is not repentance. On the other hand, if you have done a treacherous deed to a kind friend and in return you have received loving-kindness that leads you to repentance. Notice these excellent words, "leads to repentance." Threats of judgment will drive to repentance, but only goodness can lead to repentance. God has expressed His loving kindness in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. He might have banished us to a lost eternity in keeping with His righteous throne, but God loves us so much He has made a way of escape, whereby we may be delivered from our sins and brought home as sinners saved by divine grace, to forever bask in the sunshine of His love. Such is "the riches of His goodness and forbearance and longsuffering."
Footnotes:
1 Regarding the word “despisest” see the following: Romans 6:1,15; Psalm 10:11; Ecclesiastics 8:11; Jeremiah 7:10; Ezekiel 12:22,23; Matthew 24:48,49; 2 Peter 3:3
2 Regarding the word “riches” see the following: Romans 9:23; 10:12; 11:33; Psalms 86:5; 104:24; Ephesians 1:7, 18; 2:4,7; 3:8,16; Philippians 4:19; Colossians 1:27; 2:2; 1 Timothy 6:17; Titus 3:4-6
3 Regarding the word “goodness” see the following: Job 33:27-30; Psalm 130:3, 4; Isaiah 30:18; Jeremiah 3:12, 13, 22, 23; Ezekiel 16:63; Hosea 3:5; Luke 15:17-19; 19:5-8; 2 Peter 3:9, 15; Revelation 3:20
4Regarding the word "forbearance" see the following: Romans 3:25; 9:22; Exodus 34:6; Numbers 14:18; Psalms 78:38; 86:15; Isaiah 30:18; 63:7-10; John 4:2; 1 Timothy 1:16; 1 Peter 3:20
5In the New Testament the word rendered "longsuffering," is literally, long of mind or soul (regarded as the seat of the emotions), opposed to shortness of mind or soul, irascibility, impatience, intolerance. Here in Romans 2:4 it is attributed to God (as well as in 9:22 and 2 Pet. 3:9), of His bearing long with sinners and slowness to execute judgment on them. Therefore, it is one of "the fruits of the Spirit" in man (Gal. 5:22) which Christians are frequently exhorted to cherish and show one toward the other (Eph. 4:2; Col. 1:11; 3:12, etc.). Paul says it belongs to the love without which all else is nothing: "Love suffereth long and is kind" (1 Cor. 13:4); The verb is sometimes translated by patience (Matt. 18:26, 29, "Have patience with me"). Luke 18:7 has been variously rendered; the KJV has "And shall not God avenge his own elect - though he bear long with them;" the Revised Version (British and American) "and yet he is longsuffering over them," the American Revised Version margin "and is he slow to punish on their behalf?" the sense of the passage is probably "although he seems slow in taking action on their behalf." In James 5:7, 8 the verb occurs thrice, the KJV "be patient", "hath long patience"; the Revised Version (British and American) also translates by "patient;" however, this, as in Matthew 18:26, 29, seems to lose the full force of the Greek word. Where God is called "the God of patience," it is as He gives it to His servants and saints. But in James 5:7 it is used with reference to things, and in Colossians 1:11 it is associated with patience (compare Heb. 6:12, 15), suggesting patient endurance of trials and sufferings. In Colossians 1:11 it is also associated with joy, indicating that it is not a mere submissiveness, but a joyful acceptance of the will of God, whatever it may be. In The Wisdom of Solomon 15:1 and Ecclesiasticus 5:4, we have "longsuffering" ascribed to God; also in Ecclesiasticus 2:11, the Revised Version (British and American) "mercy."
6Psalm 80:3 "Turn us again, O God, and cause thy face to shine; and we shall be saved." Psalm 85:4 "Turn us, O God of our salvation, and cause thine anger toward us to cease." Jeremiah 31:18, 19 "I have surely heard Ephraim bemoaning himself thus; "Thou hast chastised me, and I was chastised, as a bullock unaccustomed to the yoke: turn thou me, and I shall be turned; for thou art the LORD my God. Surely after that I was turned, I repented; and after that I was instructed, I smote upon my thigh: I was ashamed, yea, even confounded, because I did bear the reproach of my youth." Lamentations 5:21 "Turn thou us unto thee, O LORD, and we shall be turned; renew our days as of old." Zechariah 12:10 "And I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplications: and they shall look upon me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him, as one mourneth for his only son, and shall be in bitterness for him, as one that is in bitterness for his firstborn." Acts 5:30, 31 "The God of our fathers raised up Jesus, whom ye slew and hanged on a tree. Him hath God exalted with his right hand to be a Prince and a Saviour, for to give repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins." Acts 11:18 "When they heard these things, they held their peace, and glorified God, saying, Then hath God also to the Gentiles granted repentance unto life." Romans 2:4 "Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance?" 2 Timothy 2:24-26 "And the servant of the Lord must not strive; but be gentle unto all men, apt to teach, patient, In meekness instructing those that oppose themselves; if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth; And that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil, who are taken captive by him at his will."
