ROMANS UNWRAPPED 26

"Do you despise the riches of His goodness and forbearance and longsuffering;
  not knowing that the goodness of God is leading you to repentance?"  Romans 2 v 4

Yesterday we saw the righteousness of God in judgment; we noted that God is the judge,  that the judgment is certain, that it is according to truth, according to individual sins, according to deeds, and will expose the secrets of the human heart.   At one and the same time there is something fearful about this judgement, but also something satisfying and wonderful; it is to know, finally, that every wrong will be put to right.! 

Entwined within the different aspects of God's judgment is a clear statement of God's goodness.   Paul can speak of God's righteous judgment and the day of wrath, in the same breath as he speaks of God's mercy.   God's judgment on sin and God's mercy towards the sinner is a theme of the bible.
Paul's says in  Romans 11 v 22  "behold the goodness and the severity of God."   God's judgment is always tempered with God's mercy.  

God's GOODNESS, is an attribute of God   Psalm 34 v 8. The word  chrestotes means moral excellence.   You could not actually be in the presence of God without feeling an aura of goodness around Him.   Moses, in a desperate situation at Mount Sinai,  said to God  "show me Thy glory".   The answer came back  "I will make all my goodness pass before thee and I will proclaim the name of the Lord before thee. "     Exodus 33 v 19 


God's glory is His goodness, God's name is His goodness, His goodness appears to be the sum total of all His attributes and refers to everything He is, everything He does, for good in His terms.   The old Anglo-Saxon word for God was actually   "THE GOOD",  which was then shortened to GOD.........so God is synonymous with good.   Jesus said  "  why do you call me good, for there is none good but one, that is God."    Matthew 19 v 17.      God is the essence of all good, He is the origin of all good, from Him flows all good.  "Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the father of lights, with whom there is no variableness, neither shadow of turning."   James 1 v 17
God is the fountainhead of all good and goodness, and if you know what is good for you, you will seek Him out.

Exodus 34 v 6   "The Lord passed by before him and proclaimed THE LORD, THE LORD, GOD MERCIFUL AND GRACIOUS, SLOW TO WRATH, AND ABUNDANT IN GOODNESS AND TRUTH, KEEPING MERCY FOR THOUSANDS, FOR GIVING INIQUITY AND TRANSGRESSIONS AND SIN." 
 
Psalm 107   is all about the goodness of God.   If ever there was a nation that had been shown the goodness of God, it was Israel.   Now says Paul, I am talking to you Jews   "Are you despising the goodness of God?"

He mentions two aspects of that goodness; HIS FORBEARANCE - his self-restraint.  How many sins against God have you committed today, each one an offence to His person, and a challenge to His throne?   Take it city wide, country wide, world wide, how much self-restraint has the good God of heaven showed to all of us through the years.   All sins are hateful to Him, some more than others, yet He forbears.   (Romans 3 v 25).    HIS LONG SUFFERING  "God .....endured with much long suffering the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction, that He might make known the riches of His glory on the vessels of mercy."   Romans 9 v 22

The apostle Peter said "The long suffering of God waited in the days of Noah while the ark was preparing."  1st Peter 3 v 20   This period of time was over 100 years.   For 400 years God waited before bringing judgement on the Amorites   Genesis 15 v 16   Nigh on 2000 years, He has waited in the present Day of Grace   "Long-suffering to us ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance,"   2nd Peter 3 v 9 .

How long has He waited for you?   WAITING; KNOCKING; PERSUADING; CONVICTING; PLEADING.   How long will you despise His goodness; not only His goodness, but THE RICHES OF HIS GOODNESS, FORBEARANCE, LONGSUFFERING?

All the while men and women are, daily,  storing up in the treasure house of hell , God is opening to all of us His treasure house of heaven.   We must respond to this, we dare not despise the goodness of God being displayed today from the treasure house of mercy.   God is leading you, drawing you, inviting you to repentance, for your eternal good.   In the midst of a chapter of Divine judgement, shines through Divine grace.   Take it, with both hands, it will cost you nothing but pride.

He will not wait forever.

"Oh, sinner, seek His grace, whose wrath you cannot bear, flee to the shelter of His cross, and find salvation there."

Tomorrow two life styles      -     two destinies.