Contempt for Kindness
Opening Up Romans—15
Exploring the riches of God’s grace, one passage at a time.
Imagine driving late at night down a familiar road. You see a bright sign: BRIDGE OUT AHEAD. You hit the brakes. After a while, nothing happens, and the bridge still looks fine. Eventually, you stop noticing the sign. You speed past it—until one night the bridge really is gone.
That’s how God’s kindness can work on us. What begins as a warning meant to save us becomes background noise we tune out.
In Romans 1, Paul exposed the open rebellion of the world—idolatry and immorality under God’s wrath. But in chapter 2, he turns to the respectable sinner: the moral, religious person who condemns others while excusing themselves. Paul’s logic is sharp:
Hypocrites practice what they condemn (v.1)
God’s judgment rightly falls on all who do such things (v.2)
Therefore, no one—especially the self-righteous—will escape God’s judgment (v.3)
God’s kindness, forbearance, and patience with religious hypocrites isn’t permission to presume but an invitation to repent and escape the day of wrath.
The Contempt of God’s Kindness (v. 4a)
Paul presses home the tragedy of spiritual pride: “Do you show contempt for the riches of his kindness?” Israel assumed that being God’s covenant people made them immune from judgment. They twisted his character—his kindness, forbearance, and patience—into excuses for sin.
God’s kindness is his generous goodness.
His forbearance is his restraint in delaying judgment.
His patience is his long-suffering mercy toward our stubborn hearts.
But instead of being melted by these qualities, they weaponized them. “God is too kind to judge us,” they thought. It’s easy to do the same—especially for those raised in the church. We can look down on “sinners out there” while quietly presuming on grace.
As Tim Keller once said, “Religious repentance manages guilt to hide from God; gospel repentance turns to God, melted by his kindness.” One hardens the heart; the other humbles it.
Children, even growing up in a Christian home or church doesn’t give you a “get out of jail free” card. God’s kindness is not a license—it’s a warning light flashing mercy.
The Purpose of God’s Kindness (v. 4b)
God’s kindness is meant to lead you to repentance. His patience isn’t indulgence—it’s invitation. The verb lead shows that God’s kindness draws, not drives, us toward repentance.
True repentance is more than feeling bad; it’s a complete reorientation of the heart toward God. It’s when you realize that every breath you take is evidence of his patience—and that his patience has a purpose: your salvation.
Origen once said, “God bears with everyone patiently and awaits each one’s repentance.” But that patience isn’t endless. Every unrepentant day is a day taken from mercy’s allowance.
The Warning for This Contempt (v. 5)
Paul issues one of Scripture’s most sobering warnings: “Because of your hard and impenitent heart you are storing up wrath for yourself on the day of wrath.”
Hard hearts refuse to be softened by kindness. Each act of presumption is like adding another log to the fire of judgment. Ignoring God’s patience is spiritual suicide.
Every “I’ll deal with that later” is a deposit in the wrong account. And one day, the balance will come due.
Gospel Movement: Kindness Displayed at the Cross
But here’s the hope: God’s greatest act of kindness wasn’t delay—it was delivery. “While we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Rom. 5:8). The cross interprets his patience.
Every “Bridge Out Ahead” sign in your life is an act of mercy—his way of waving you down before disaster. Don’t mistake delay for disinterest, or patience for permission.
There’s another bridge—the cross of Christ. On that bridge, his kindness bore the wrath we stored up. When you cross that bridge by faith, he not only forgives your past; he gives you a new heart. A heart that beats for him.
Conclusion: Trade Presumption for Repentance
God’s kindness doesn’t just lead you to repentance—it creates repentance. Don’t leave his kindness unspent. Turn around. Cross the bridge of his mercy today.
You’ll find not wrath, but welcome.