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BRAVER THAN LIONS
Sam Stringer
Feb 12, 2025
And do you think this, O man, you who judge those practicing such things, and doing the same,
that you will escape the judgment of God? Or do you despise the riches of His goodness,
forbearance, and longsuffering, not knowing that the goodness of God leads you to repentance?
Romans 2:3-4
Have you ever felt like there’s some things people do, maybe some things you’ve done, that have
warranted a quick lightning bolt and “Poof! Gone!” I think for years I have been around plenty of folks,
well-meaning church folks at that, who shook their heads at the sins of the world around them and were
quick to declare the impending judgment of God upon all of it. Mind you, we are all so blind to our own
sins when we compare that we fail to see our own deep need of Jesus, don’t we? No, all too many of us
are more inclined to a call for His wrath than the wonderful bestowment of His grace.
Paul speaks at length in Romans 1:18-32 of the fact that God gave people over to their sins when they
found no place for Him. Depraved minds, depraved actions, swimming in a sea of sin and drowning in it,
not repenting but gulping down that terrible liquid while practically daring God to blow more wind into the
storm. Romans 2 is a pivoting to the self-righteous, questioning them about their arrogant judgment,
reminding them that all are sinners and all will incur the judgment of God if not for Jesus. The old saying
goes, “There, but for the grace of God, go I.” Humility is the proper response to the sin of others, not
superiority. Compassion is our call, for without compassion upon us, we’d be spiraling in sin all the same.
We forget that and we take a fancy to the morality we think we’ve landed upon; we’re not perfect, but
hey, we’re not that bad.
“Do you despise the riches of His goodness, forbearance, and longsuffering, not knowing that the
goodness of God leads you to repentance?” Other versions will use the word “kindness” in place of
goodness. What is it that turns a soul from the error of their ways, for real? Is it the clashing of the
thunder before the lightning strikes? No, according to this passage, what turns a person to Jesus is the
kindness and goodness of God. How so? Well, I think it works like this: they realize their sinfulness, not
comprehensively but enough that it nags and gnaws at them, knowing how guilty they are. In that guilt,
they look at the Gospel, and their first natural inclination is to show sorrow and remorse for all that
they’ve done. I’m bad and I’m broken. What does that person expect? Not kindness, but wrath.
In fact, the last thing they very well may expect is kindness; just please don’t destroy me, God! But what
they find is a very gracious, kind, compassionate, merciful Savior who bends down to their level, puts His
hand on their dirty shoulder, takes His other hand and lifts their face up to look Him in his soft and inviting
eyes. Yes, He’s the Lord who could rain down terror, destroying everything they love and casting them
into Hell in an instant; but that’s not how He’s approaching them. He carefully picks them up, broken as
they are, and welcomes them in as one of His own. Everything they thought He would be in their prideful
arrogance, they were wrong, and now they know it. What is the only response worthy of Christ? Faith in
Him.
How can you not see the loving kindness of God in the face of your sin and shame and not be broken in
a most powerful and mesmerizing way? My friend, let the kindness of God, the goodness incomparable,
fill your heart and lift your spirits. You have reason to be braver than lions.
Sam Stringer
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by
permission. All rights reserved.
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