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Romans 2:4 —
Or do you despise the riches of His goodness, forbearance, and longsuffering, not knowing that the goodness of God leads you to repentance? But in accordance with your hardness and your impenitant heart you are treasuring up for yourself wrath in the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God, who 'will render to each one according to his deeds.
Earlier, the Apostle Paul noted that God has revealed His wisdom, power, and glory to the entire world through His creation. To those who might question how, if a righteous God created this world, we see so much evil in it, Paul answered that evil is present because people "did not like to retain God in their knowledge." And Paul proceeded to list all kinds of evil which has not gone unnoticed by God and for which the judgment of the righteous Creator will surely be manifested.
Here Paul anticipates yet another question of some readers; namely, "If there is a righteous Creator who made the world and is opposed to evil, why does He put up with so much evil in the world He created?" Paul points out that God is longsuffering and patient, and because of His goodness and mercy He waits for our repentance. It is His very goodness that leads us to repentance.
Paul is here building on the revelation of Exodus 34:6,7 and Numbers 14:18 where we read that "the LORD is longsuffering and abundant in mercy, forgiving iniquity and transgression; but He by no means clears the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and fourth generation." And Paul quotes Psalm 62:12 and Proverbs 24:12 when he writes that God "will render to each one according to his deeds."
We might well ask, "How can this righteous God at the same time be merciful and forgiving, and also be refusing to clear or acquit the guilty?" Paul devotes much of his writings to answering this troubling but crucial question. The answer has to do with two little-known English words: "atonement" and "repentance." "Atonement" is provided by God as the basis for our forgiveness, and "repentance" is our response to God that lays hold upon His mercy. So God is not acquiting guilty people, but He has found a righteous way to justify people who once were guilty, but now are made completely innocent by God of all wrongdoing. How can we not love this God who has made such provision for our deepest needs and has made a way for us to be brought into loving relationship with Him?
Best wishes, GH
