Zambia Hunt

Hard Hearts Create False Assumptions

Hard hearts not only lead to self-deception but also create false assumptions.

Paul, in Romans 2:2-3 says: “We know that the judgment of God rightly falls on those who practice such things. Do you suppose, O man—you who judge those who practice such things and yet do them yourself—that you will escape the judgment of God?”

The phrase “Do you suppose?” reveals the Jews’ faulty reasoning. They assumed that because they were God’s chosen people and recipients of the promises to Abraham through whom the Messiah would come, they held a privileged position exempt from God’s judgment.

They assumed that God would judge others—the Gentiles, the idol worshipers (see 1:22-23), the pagan Romans who were dishonoring their bodies with lavish sexual orgies, men with men and women with women (1:26-27). Of course God will judge them. But they assumed that they themselves would escape this great judgment when God returned.

Their problem was not necessarily the same pagan expression of sensual sin that those people had been given over to in chapter one—those of reprobate minds and passions—but they held these same sins in their hearts.

God Sees the Heart

That’s why Matthew, writing to the Jewish people, exposed them, warning that God sees the heart (Matthew 5:28): “But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart.” Those who covet have already committed theft in their heart. Those who hate their brother are guilty of murder in their heart.

The religious people of Paul’s day had convinced themselves that external behavior was all that mattered. As long as they weren’t committing the gross, public sins of the pagans, they believed they were safe. They failed to understand that God judges the thoughts and intentions of the heart, not merely the external actions that others can observe.

This represents one of the most dangerous assumptions religious people make: that God grades on a curve. They believe that as long as they’re better than the worst examples of humanity, they’re acceptable to God. They compare themselves to others rather than to God’s perfect standard of righteousness.

The Assumption of Religious Privilege

The Jews believed their special status as God’s chosen people provided them with immunity from judgment. They reasoned that God had invested too much in them—given them the law, the prophets, the temple, the promises—to subject them to the same judgment that awaited the pagan nations.

This assumption of privilege based on religious heritage continues today. People assume that because they were raised in Christian homes, baptized as infants, members of a church, or can trace their family’s religious roots back generations, they have special standing with God that others lack.

But Paul demolishes this assumption with a simple question: “Do you suppose…that you will escape the judgment of God?” The implied answer is a resounding no. Religious privilege provides no exemption from divine justice.

Hard Hearts Resist God’s Kindness

Paul addresses this resistance in verse four: “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?”

The word “presume” indicates scorn or contempt—looking down upon something with disdain. In other words, they regarded God’s forgiveness, righteousness, and kindness with dismissive attitudes. Their reasoning went: “Of course God will be kind to us. We’re his people. In fact, if he’s not kind to us, we’ll accuse him of being unjust. We’re your people. How dare you let us suffer? You’re not good, God. We deserve better.”

This attitude reflects their presumption upon God’s kindness. The word “kindness” means providing something beneficial as an act of grace. They simply took it for granted, as though God owed them his favor.

They also presumed upon God’s forbearance—his patient endurance of their daily sins: lust, greed, dishonesty, selfishness, ill temper, and lustful thoughts. Forbearance resembles an old dog lying in the sun, enduring a little puppy that bounces around, jumps all over him, and bites his ears. God endures human wickedness while simultaneously lavishing his kindness upon the very people who presume upon it.

Finally, they presumed upon God’s patience—his state of emotional calm in the face of provocation without complaint or irritation. Every sin commits an assault against God’s character, defaming and despising him, yet he remains patient rather than responding in kind.

The Misinterpretation of God’s Blessings

Despite this overwhelming goodness, patience, forbearance, and kindness, they take everything for granted: “Of course I don’t need to be thankful. This is my right as one of God’s people. I deserve this treatment. Why should I worry about these small sins? God understands. Nobody’s perfect.”

Their reasoning becomes: “After all, I’m not engaging in the homosexual practices of the Gentiles. I’m just sleeping with someone who’s not my wife. No big deal. Everyone does it. Boys will be boys. God understands.”

The True Purpose of God’s Kindness

The conclusion of verse four reveals God’s true intention: the reason God shows kindness, refrains from immediate judgment, and continues blessing families, businesses, and lives is not approval of sin, but an invitation to repentance.

“Repentance” means changing one’s way of life as the result of a complete change of thought and attitude regarding sin and righteousness.

This was the cry of Jesus. We often examine world events and conclude that certain nations or peoples have rejected God, worshiping false gods instead, and that judgment inevitably follows. This week brought tragic news of an Air India flight crash that took 241 lives. Yet we must ask ourselves: were those passengers more wicked than we are?

Jesus addressed this exact mindset when he spoke to the Jews about the Tower of Siloam that fell, killing 18 people. His words in Luke 13:5 are sobering: “No, I tell you, but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish.”

This was the cry of John the Baptist: “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand” (Matthew 3:1-2). This was the cry of the Apostle Peter in Acts 3:19, when he stood before the multitudes and cried, “Repent therefore and turn back that your sins may be blotted out.”

This is the cry of the Apostle Paul throughout the letter of Romans: Repent and believe the gospel. Turn away from your sins and your self-righteousness and escape the judgment that is certain. Turn to Jesus Christ.

In Romans 1:16, Paul has said, “I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first.” But the religious think they didn’t need that. They are quite good on their own. They are “Christians,” after all.

The Fatal Error

The most dangerous assumption religious people make is that God’s current kindness indicates approval of their lifestyle. When their businesses prosper, their families are healthy, and their lives are comfortable, they interpret these blessings as divine endorsement of their behavior.

But Paul reveals that God’s kindness has an entirely different purpose: to lead people to repentance. Every blessing, every day of health, every moment of prosperity is God’s patient invitation to turn from sin and embrace righteousness.

The religious people of Paul’s day—and many today—completely misunderstood God’s patience. They thought it meant permission. They thought it meant approval. They thought it meant exemption. But it means opportunity—opportunity to repent before the day of judgment arrives.

In our next post, we’ll discover what happens when people continue to resist God’s call to repentance and the frightening reality of storing up wrath for the day of judgment.

This is the third post in a 5-part series examining Romans 2:1-11. Next week: “Are You Presuming on God’s Kindness?” – exploring the dangerous misunderstanding of divine patience and the urgent call to repentance.