“Or do you think lightly of the riches of His kindness and tolerance and patience, not knowing that the kindness of God leads you to repentance?”
—Romans 2:4

Today people rarely hear a message on repentance. They’re hearing that God wants to bless them and extend His favor toward them, but they’re never being called to repent. They’re not being called out of sin or encouraged to rise to a higher standard.

In today’s verse, Paul explains that the love, kindness, and patience we’ve experienced in our lives are designed to convince us of God’s love for us, and our response should be to turn to Him, repent, and commit our lives to Him. God doesn’t bless immorality. He doesn’t bless selfishness. He doesn’t bless everybody going their own way and doing what’s right in their own eyes. We’re called to repentance—to turn to Him and follow His way. John the Baptist and Messiah Jesus declared the same message: “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand” (Matt. 3:2; Matt. 4:17). We can’t take this lightly. God will judge sin. He is not mocked.

David was a man who committed atrocities in his life. But when he realized the depth of the evil things he had done, his response was to repent. That should be our response too. I want to encourage you, beloved, if there are things in your life that are crooked, make your way straight, for the coming of the Lord is soon. God has been patient with you this long, not because He’s blessing your sin, but because He wants you to become convinced of His love for you. He does this so you’ll turn your heart over to Him and repent.

Let’s take this to heart. Let’s examine ourselves and ask Abba God to show us what is within us and what crooked and broken places in our lives need to be made straight. Now is the time to take inventory because Messiah Jesus is coming back soon. (See Revelation 21 and 22:12, 20.) Soon it might be too late.

Father God, thank You for Your kindness and patience toward me. Search my heart and reveal anything in me that is not in alignment with You so I can repent. Father, I want to please You. And I want my life to be a sweet fragrance to You. Continue to transform me into Your likeness.

Rabbi Kirt A. Schneider, Rivers of Divine Truth (Lake Mary, FL: Charisma House, 2021), Used by permission.