As a dad, my instinctive response when my kids are doing something wrong, rebellious, or just dumb is to warn them of the consequences. “If you don’t quit, you’ll pay for it.”
The Bible has plenty of warnings for us too (because we are often wrong, rebellious, or just dumb), and it’s easy to think that God’s first instinct is to dole out some consequences and judgment. But Romans 2:4 describes a different reality about Him. It says “God’s kindness is meant to lead you to repentance.”
This means that God’s default isn’t to threaten, but to show kindness. He is calling us from our sin and rebellion into something better, into mercy and love. He’s not primarily coming at us with a big “OR ELSE.”
As the perfect Father he does discipline his children as needed, but his heart is that of love, of kindness. And this should make repentance so much easier for us, because it is turning from wrong we are doing toward the warm, smiling, welcoming presence of God.
I originally wrote this post for my church, Immanuel Nashville, in our Daily Pulse email. If you want encouragement from God’s word delivered Monday thru Friday to your inbox, I encourage you to subscribe.
