How serious is our cavalier attitude toward sin? How pervasive are our assaults on God? We scarcely even know. Consider this verse.

“Or do you presume on the riches of his kindness and forbearance and patience, not knowing that God’s kindness is meant to lead you to repentance?”

Romans 2:4 (ESV)

Romans 2:4 appears in a larger passage in which Paul is highlighting the universal need for God’s salvation. His question points to the mistaken idea that a person can continue willfully in sin and escape God’s judgment. More specifically, he addresses the person who claims to have received God’s mercy for salvation and then continues living disobediently under the presumption that this limitless mercy will expand along with his sin.

For a believer to continue in willful defiance of God’s standard reflects an unbelievable assumption about His kindness at best and a blatant contempt for it at worst. In other words, an assumption that God’s patience is rich enough to cover my continued, willful sin reveals a staggering misinterpretation of the text.

God’s longsuffering generosity toward sinful mankind is an instrument of repentance not continued rebellion. The person who genuinely experiences God’s mercy in the forgiveness of sin is compelled FROM sin not led TOWARD it.

And yet, even more is at stake. To continue in open rebellion to God reflects an arrogant disregard for His patience. In effect, a person shows a disdain for the reality of God’s kindness as he swaps it for a license to sin.

So, let’s take a moment to consider our attitude toward God’s kindness. Do I really like God’s kindness for what it really is? Or maybe we should ask the question differently. Have I looked to God’s mercy to ease my conscience regarding sin or do I look to God’s kindness as a means of carving sin from my life?

Adoniram Judson was born in Massachusetts in 1788. He and his wife Ann arrived in Rangoon, Burma in July 1812. As the first English-speaking missionaries in Burma, their ministry was marked by death, disease, and suffering.

After 5 years Judson had learned the language, translated the gospel of Matthew, and written a few gospel tracts. He had also buried two infant children and faced excruciating and unexplainable headaches.

After 7 years Judson saw his first Burmese convert and by his tenth year he had led 18 people to Christ. Two years later, in 1824, the situation went from bad to worse. War broke out in the region and he was arrested under suspicion that he was a spy. He spent 21 months in prison nearly dying several times because the conditions were so awful.

Meanwhile his wife Ann suffered just as much. She gave birth to a daughter shortly after he was arrested. The two girls suffered disease and malnutrition before both died shortly after Adoniram was released from prison.

Despite their suffering, God used this couple to bring good news to Burma. Their work resulted in the first Burmese Bible and led to hundreds of thousands of new believers.

The death, disease, and suffering that marked their lives were no surprise to God. In fact, He used all of it to bring salvation to hopelessly-lost people in a remote part of the world.

The truth remains today: God often uses our suffering to bring salvation to others. So remember to look for opportunities to share Christ in the midst of your pain, disease, death, or suffering. For your bad news might be a catalyst for God’s good news in another person’s life.

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To read much more about Adoniram’s life order a copy of his biography, To the Golden Shore: The Life of Adoniram Judson by Courtney Anderson.

From one of the great God-exalting books written in our lifetime, the following quote summarizes an often forgotten truth in our narcissistic culture.

“But God’s saving designs are penultimate, not ultimate. Redemption, salvation, and restoration are not God’s ultimate goal. These He performs for the sake of something greater: namely, the enjoyment He has in glorifying Himself.”

From John Piper’s Desiring God, 2003, page 31

The temptation to exalt humans to the highest place in God’s plan permeates contemporary Christian culture. God’s priority has, always will be, and must be Himself. For to care about anything more than His glory would shake the foundation of His deity.

If this truth troubles or strikes you, meditate on it. We’ll return to it many times in the future.

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John Piper is one of the most popular and powerful preachers alive today. His ministry has produced more than 2,500 resources and most of them are available at no cost on-line at www.desiringgod.org.

“Paul… set apart for the gospel of God.” Romans 1:1 (NASB)

According to the New Testament, the gospel (or good news) is…

• All people sin by disobeying or refusing to conform to God’s perfect standard.
• Sin separates a person from God.
• Sin places a person under God’s righteous anger (or wrath).
• Sin results in physical death.
• Every person who dies faces God’s judgment for sin.
• Therefore, all people are under God’s wrath, will die, and will face judgment.
• God offers hope in the form of salvation in Jesus.
• Jesus died in our place.
• Jesus bore God’s wrath for us.
• Jesus paid the penalty for our sin.
• Jesus reconciles us to God.
• Jesus’ work must be received by faith.
• A person must trust in Jesus as the way of salvation.
• By trusting, God reconciles His fellowship with the person.
• God declares him righteous and provides escape from wrath.
• God gives him new life by placing the Holy Spirit in him.
• This salvation is available to all people who will receive it by faith.

These sentences are not new or especially well-written. They contain no secret meaning or fresh perspective. The truths they present are older than time. These truths form a story. The story is the gospel. The story is the good news.

The story is true. The story is universal. The story is foundational. The story is messy. The story is ugly. The story is beautiful. The story is sad. The story is happy. The story is confusing. The story makes perfect sense. The story is terrifying. The story is surprising. The story is powerful. The story is amazing. The story is life changing. The story is the gospel. The story must be told. For the story is the good news.

Good news for me. Good news for you. Good news for all people.

If your life has been changed by this good news, then follow Paul’s lead and live for this good news.