the kindness of god

In the second chapter of his letter to Rome, vv. 2-4, Paul deals with the classic argument against man’s strong tendency to judge. The problem is that we often do the very thing that we condemn in others. God will judge us along with them. We ought to catch on that God is patient and that his “kindness is intended to lead [us] to repentance” (v. 4). The kindness of God is a theme that needs greater emphasis in our day. Even though he must judge us, he is patient and kind. He wants his kindness to lead us to repent of our sinful ways.
    Unfortunately it is a common feeling among many believers that while Jesus was kind, God the Father was rather severe. In the Old Testament we see him doing things like wiping out the enemy in battle, sparing no one, not even the children. The prophets spoke of God’s wrath. Isaiah writes that the day of the Lord is “a cruel day, with wrath and fierce anger” (13:9). Jeremiah writes of the wrath of the Lord being poured out on “the children in the street” and “those weighed down with years” (6:11). Jesus, on the other hand, invites the weary to come to him because he is “gentle and humble in heart” (Matt. 11:29). What we need to remember is that God being triune doesn’t mean that he is three different people – Jesus, the Son of God, is one with God the Father. Better not get into that theological discussion right now because it has been discussed for 2,000 years without a clear answer. 
    The world has long honored kindness. The Dalai Lama described his religion very simply as nothing but kindness. Plato encouraged kindness because everyone you meet may be fighting a harder battle. However, history has certainly not shown kindness to be the distinctive factor in our relationships. On the national scene, war trumps kindness. In so many social situations kindness is more often claimed than demonstrated.
    Scripture teaches that God himself is the source of all kindness and is available to those who joyfully surrender to his loving control. Kindness grows as God’s children decide to take their faith more seriously and let a kind God transform us into his likeness. The kindness of God has a tangible existence; it can be heard by the deaf and seen by the blind. In our text for today, Paul teaches that God’s kindness was intended to bring us to repentance. In Him we see limitless concern for the other – in human nature we see limitless concern for self. To reflect God’s kindness, that basic problem must be solved. And the answer lies in our day-by-day willingness to allow Jesus to live out his kindness through us.