Grace Produces Change.

“Do you think, O man, who judges those who do such things, and who does the same thing, that you will escape the judgment of God? 4Do you despise the riches of His goodness, tolerance, and patience, not knowing that the goodness of God leads you to repentance?” - Romans 2:3-4 (MEV)

Paul has just stated God’s coming wrath on all unrighteousness in Romans 1. It is very easy to jump on the hype train and join in judging unrighteousness. Paul even says the world has no excuse for their actions. Aha! Let them be judged for all their unrighteousness! For they must answer for their evil! Paul stops this train of thinking in Chapter 2 verse 1 by turning it on us. For we are without excuse. For even we in Christ practice the very same unrighteousness.

In verse 3, Paul offers strong words to confront the sin present in believers. He crushes a crucial heresy. That is, Christ’s grace covers all so it doesn’t matter how we live. This is identified as the doctrines of antinomianism. This is a grave and very dangerous belief. As believers, we can easily fall into this. Yet here Paul calls out the false thinking. Verse 4 is very clear to point out that the supernatural grace and lovingkindness a believer receives should and does transform the believer. God’s love leads us into Holy living. We can not spend our lives judging the world for its sins when we have our own sins that we easily try to justify under the grace blanket. God’s kindness is to draw us to repentance! Let His grace transform you. Walk in the truth of the gospel and let his grace empower you to walk in a manner worthy of his calling.