ken castor

Psalm 139: How precious are we?

Have you ever felt unnoticed?

Not to bum you out, but think for a moment about a time when you thought nobody was aware of you.  Maybe you felt like nobody could possibly understand what was on your heart.  Maybe you felt like nobody took time to think about you, talk to you, or stop what they were doing long enough to smile at you.

This verse encourages me again today: Psalm 139:1 = Oh Lord, you have searched me, and you know me.

God notices you.  Even if you feel like nobody understands what’s going on inside of you… God does.  He knows.   Actually, God knows you very very well.  He knows what you are going through.  He knows every desire, every need, every hurt, every crazy emotion, every thought, every mess, everything about you.  God cares for you so much that he is willing to get into the middle of your life, crud and all, to search you out... all so he can comprehend you. 

Have you ever felt alone?

I have felt the way.  I've felt absolutely certain of it at times.  But it's just not true.  I am not alone. 

Psalm 139:2-12 encourages me again today: 

2 You know when I sit and when I rise; 
       you perceive my thoughts from afar.
3 You discern my going out and my lying down; 
       you are familiar with all my ways.
4 Before a word is on my tongue 
       you know it completely, O LORD.
5 You hem me in—behind and before; 
       you have laid your hand upon me.
6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, 
       too lofty for me to attain.
7 Where can I go from your Spirit? 
       Where can I flee from your presence?
8 If I go up to the heavens, you are there; 
       if I make my bed in the depths,  you are there.
9 If I rise on the wings of the dawn, 
       if I settle on the far side of the sea,
10 even there your hand will guide me, 
       your right hand will hold me fast.
11 If I say, "Surely the darkness will hide me 
       and the light become night around me,"
12 even the darkness will not be dark to you; 
       the night will shine like the day, 
       for darkness is as light to you.

God is there with us.  He is aware of our every move.  There is nowhere you can go that God doesn’t see each of us.  If we’re standing or sitting, he sees it.  And not only does he see, but he sets it up.  He maps things out for us.  He plots a course for us to follow.  He tells us when to stop and rest.  He knows where we are at every point along the way.  He even knows what we are going to say before we say it.  

The wild thing is that God doesn’t just set everything up and then let it go either.  He goes ahead of us and behind us.  He also is beside us.  He places his hand of blessing on us… gently on our head.  So wonderful is God’s presence that we cannot even fathom it.

We can never be fully alone on this earth.  We can’t escape from God’s Spirit.  We can’t get away from where he is.  If we’re in a plane at 35,000 feet, God is there with us.  If we dig the deepest hole, God is there.  If we go to Mexico or Ireland, Afghanistan or Malaysia, even there God’s hand will guide you and his strength will support us.  It's like St. Patrick's Prayer: "Christ with me, Christ before me, Christ behind me, Christ in me, Christ beneath me, Christ above me, Christ on my right, Christ on my left, Christ when I lie down, Christ when I sit down, Christ when I arise..."

Even in the midst of darkness, we cannot escape God’s presence.  In the darkest moments of our life, God can see us.  He is there beside us.  To him, darkness is as clear as light.  It doesn’t matter what the condition of our soul might be, God is there.  Each of us is never alone. 

Have you ever felt worthless?

Psalm 139:13-18 encourages me again today:

13 For you created my inmost being; 
       you knit me together in my mother's womb.
14 I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
      your works are wonderful,  
      I know that full well.
15 My frame was not hidden from you 
       when I was made in the secret place. 
      When I was woven together in the depths of the earth,
16 your eyes saw my unformed body. 
       All the days ordained for me 
       were written in your book 
       before one of them came to be.
17 How precious to  me are your thoughts, O God! 
       How vast is the sum of them!
18 Were I to count them, 
      they would outnumber the grains of sand. 
      When I awake, 
      I am still with you.

God values you.  He thinks the world of you.  He is so convinced that you are an amazing person.  Do you think God is wrong?  He made you!  Every delicate little fiber of your body was put together by him.  You are a miraculous quilt of blood and skin and muscle and tendons and tissues and hair.  He knit you together in your mother’s womb.  Even there you couldn’t escape his presence.  He could see you so clearly in that secret, quiet place.  God has made you wonderfully complex!  That’s why nobody else can figure you out! 

Only God knows your intimate soul.  Only God can completely understand your deepest passions.  Only God.  He has known you since the day you were conceived.  He mapped out and then recorded every day of your life.  His heart gushes for you.  He loves you so much.  His thoughts about you are so precious!  They are so wonderful.  And he never stops thinking about you.  He never forgets you.  He is always constantly thinking about you.  Innumerable thoughts!  You couldn’t count all the thoughts God has about you.  More than the grains of the sand of this earth is how many times God thinks about you.  And every single day is like that.  From day to day, every time you wake up, God loves you and is already thinking about you. 

May you be so encouraged today.  May you understand that you are understood.  May you never feel alone again.  May you always feel so important, so special, so loved.  God sees your heart.  God has mapped out a plan for you.  God is with you.  God created you- you!  God is thinking about you right now.  May you live encouraged and refreshed and re-powered in the knowledge that God knows and loves you.

** I first published a version of this post back in 2009... But thought the reminder would be refreshing this weekend. Be blessed!!

Pride and Donkey Ears

 

 

 

*I rediscovered this colorful gem tonight while skimming through notes from Systematic Theology I with J.I.Packer back in the Fall of 1996 at Regent College.  This is an excerpt ("Luther Concerning the Study of Theology") taken from Martin Luther's "Preface to the Wittenberg Edition of Luther's German Writings". Luther certainly wasn't shy with words! I'm glad for that. For his words remind me that God desires a contrite heart from me... one with ears tuned to his Word instead of the praise of others. Here, after years of wrestling and learning, writing and reforming, Luther considers the impact of pride on theological pursuits:

If, however, you feel and are inclined to think you have made it, flattering yourself with your own little books, teaching, or writing, because you have done it beautifully and preached excellently; if you are highly pleased when someone praises you in the presence of others; if you perhaps look for praise, and would sulk or quit what you are doing if you did not get it-- if you are of that stripe, dear friend, then take yourself by the ears, and if you do this the right way you will find a beautiful pair of big, long, shaggy donkey ears. Then do not spare any expense! Decorate them with golden bells, so that people will be able to hear you wherever you go, point their fingers at you, and say, "See, See! There goes that clever beast, who can write such exquisite books and preach so remarkably well." That very moment you will be blessed and blessed beyond measure in the kingdom of heaven. Yes, in that heaven where hellfire is ready for the devil and his angels. To sum up: Let us be proud and seek honor in the places where we can. But in this book the honor is God's alone, as it is said, "God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble" [1 Pet. 5:5]; to whom be glory, world without end, Amen.

Books for Social Justice course

You might be interested in the text books I'm requiring for the Social Justice course at Crown in the Spring of 2012.  *Note: The term "Social Justice" is, unfortunately, froth with controversy because right behavior has not always been held in congruence with right doctrine... and vice versa.  The following books, however, help us realize that true justice cannot be devoid of faith and true faith cannot be devoid of justice.  So our course spends 1/3 of its time on biblical foundations for systemic and personal approaches to justice issues, 1/3 on comprehension of the raw, current global and local justice issues, and 1/3 considering proper personal and missional engagement. 

Primary Resources:

The Hole in Our Gospel: What Does God Expect of Us? The answer that changed my life and just might change the world. ~ by Richard Stearns - The President of World Vision discusses how he came to personally discover that caring for the poorest of the poor in the world is not only a kind action, but a necessity of the Gospel.

With Justice for All: A Strategy for Community Development ~ by John Perkins - John Perkins invites the Church to live out the Gospel through reconciliation between racial and ethnic groups and to examine current systemic structures in light of the Gospel.  Perkins' voice evidences the strong integrity that can only come through the humble experience found in the midst of injustice.

On the Move ~ by Bono - Stemming from his address at a National Prayer Breakfast before the President, world dignitaries, and religious leaders, On the Move creatively packages Bono's speech that transitioned him from his rock star status to that of a world advocate for those living in abject poverty.

Rich Christians in an Age of Hunger: Moving from Affluence to Generosity ~ by Ronald J. Sider.  Although I don't require students to buy this textbook, I will be referencing it extensively because it is a convicting, biblically engaging response to some alarming statistics about the wealth of North American Christians in the face of the extreme poverty of most of the people in the world.

Secondary Resources:

 

 

E is for Everyone ~ DVD documentary by Unveil Studios - I use this in class a visual introduction to the disparity that exists in our world... and as a means to deconstruct our temptation to pursue Maslow's heirarchical scale.

The Irresistible Revolution: Living as an Ordinary Radical ~ by Shane Claiborne.  Many students have read this book or have at least already been indirectly influenced by Shane Claiborne by the time they take this course.  It is a convicting account of Shane's struggle to integrate into his life Jesus' call to care for others.

Humanitarian Jesus: Social Justice and the Cross ~ by Christian Buckley and Ryan Dobson.  A recent book interviewing significant evangelical leaders (e.g. Francis Chan, Franklin Graham, etc) on concepts related to Jesus' approach to social justice.  This is an interesting and provoking discussion starter.

Sunday Asylum: Being the Church in Occupied Territory ~ DVD and booklet by Stanley Hauerwas and The House Studio ~ I utilize this challenging visual study guide in class to discuss the theological identity of the Church's role in culture and urges us to reassess our motives and actions.

Walking with the Poor: Principles and Practices of Transformational Development ~ by Bryant Meyers.  Another perspective from World Vision, this staple book discusses the figures, theology, principles and implementation of strategies to overcome social evil in our world.

 

Understanding God?

"A God whom we could understand exhaustively, and whose revelation of Himself confronted us with no mysteries whatsoever, would be a God in man's image, and therefore an imaginary God, not the God of the Bible at all."

- J.I. Packer, Evangelism & the Sovereignty of God, 1961,1991, p.24

Romans 5:1 ~ on a rainy day

Okay... so here's a great verse:

 ^{ROMANS 5:1 (NIV)} Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ...

Notice that this is not the complete sentence... oh no... there is much more to this statement.  But for a moment, let's obey the verse designations and ponder the first verse of Romans chapter 5.

Therefore ~ See the post from yesterday for a whole obsessed discussion about this word.

since ~ Paul is reminding his readers about his multi-chapter line of reasoning.  He's already helped us come to a conclusion... and now he's launching off of it.

we have been justified ~ "We have been justified" is actually the first word of this sentence in Greek (Δικαιωθέντες).  In English we feel compelled to put "therefore" first... but Greek sentence structure often calls for the topic of the phrase to be upfront.  So it is that the emphasis and focus of this first phrase is 'justified'.   Paul just completed a huge thought at the end of Chapter 4 about being credited as "right" even though we were wrong.  Because of the fact that "we" (Paul and those he addresses in Rome) have been "made right" (NLT)... Since the reality is that "we" are "set right" (Message)... Since it is true that we have been justified... something cool is about to happen...

through faith, ~   The Greek word for "faith" here is πίστεως.  Faith in this way means not a set of statements, but a deep, active, soul-full conviction of God in relation to one's life.  This kind of faith in God actively trusts God for righteousness, for justification, for being credited... all in the realization that on human merit alone there is nothing someone can do to earn God's favor.  "Justification" (being declared "all right" by God) comes about when someone becomes convicted and then engages in trusting God with one's life.

we have peace ~ My favorite Greek word of all time is the word for "peace" (εἰρήνη,n  \pronounced i-ray'-nay).  Dr. Bill Heth at Taylor University taught our class way back in 1991 that "because of Jesus we could have 'peace' on 'aye rainay' day."  Get it?  It's worked for me.  Virtually every time it rains, I repeat to my heart, "I have peace today because of Jesus."  It's a little English trick to remember a wee Greek word... but it is still remarkably profound.  Since we have been made right with God, we have peace.  Isn't peace what everyone needs?  In the midst of chaos and uncertainty and war and broken relationships and non-stop-busyness... Isn't peace what we are all searching for?  When Jesus was born, what did the angels proclaim?  PEACE ON EARTH! (See Luke 2:14)

with God ~ The whole problem with humanity since the beginning has been a frictious relationship with God.  Not God's fault.  God didn't stop short... Romans 3:23... we did.  Ever since we have had turmoil and heartache.  But because we have been made right with God, we have peace with God.  So simple a truth... and yet so amazing.

through our Lord Jesus Christ, ~ Jesus Christ is called "The Prince of Peace" for a reason.  His governance is one of peace.  His authority ushers peace through the gates.  His lordship is a rule of goodness.  THROUGH faith in Jesus we have been justified... THROUGH Jesus we have peace.  I'm wondering who makes out best in this deal?  Seems like Jesus is doing some amazing work of grace for us.

Note: Today is a great day to invite Jesus into our lives... whether we have not yet done so or even if we have.  Jesus makes us right with God and Jesus gives us peace with God.  If this isn't enough to convict us to place our trust today in Jesus then we might as well convert to all the man-made philosophies and religions of this world in which humans hopelessly strive to earn their way to the Divine.  And then, when we reach the extent of our exhaustion, perhaps it'll be time to just place our faith in Jesus... inviting him to help us, or to be with us, or to make his ways true in our life.  I've known a few people who gave their lives over to Jesus precisely because of this verse.  All the human baggage of Romans 1-4 is set free in the half-sentence of Romans 5:1.  What a great verse.

Romans 4:23-25 ~ Good Credit in a Bad Economy

In a bankrupt economy this chapter has been good news.  Credit. 

Where the chapter began, so now it ends... soon to give way to the more famous and more catchy verses to come.  But Paul's profound closing comments to this chapter are not to be over-looked.  He has woven an airtight argument, threading a thought-process that ends where it was headed. 

• Yes, the chapter may have started with Abraham... but he never was the point.  Abraham was merely an example.  
• Yes, the chapter may apply directly to the readers in Rome (and to readers now also!)... but neither are any of them the point.  They are merely beneficiaries. 
• Yes, the chapter was about obtaining good credit in a bad economy (so to speak)... but that was merely the topic.  
• This chapter was ultimately pointing to Jesus.

The chapter ends with Jesus... the reason Paul talked about Abraham.  And Jesus is the reason Paul wrote this whole letter for the Roman Christians in the first place.

Paul can't neglect the fact that Jesus did something amazing.  Jesus changed everything with what He did.  As Abraham's life demonstrates, Paul reminds us that Jesus made it possible for people to "be credited".

Even though every one has broken the law, any one can still be "credited" with righteousness.  That's how Abraham experienced faith in God... and that's how people today (at the time of the writing of Romans) and people tomorrow (like us) experience faith in God.  God's grace through Jesus on the cross taking for us the consequence of our law-breaking.

And then Jesus rose out of prison with life.  Just to celebrate with us.

Romans 4:23-25 (NIV) The words “it was credited to him” were written not for him alone, but also for us, to whom God will credit righteousness—for us who believe in him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead.  He was delivered over to death for our sins and was raised to life for our justification.

 

Romans 4:13-15 ~ Law Blah

Law law law.  Blah blah blah.  Is this getting tedious?  Perhaps this is why we hardly ever spend time in chapter 4 of Romans.  I mean, come on, right!  Let's get on to the "more than conquerers" and that "death has lost its sting" stuff... You know, the inspirational slogans.  This "law" mumbo jumbo really doesn't interest most of us... and Christianity is supposed to be all about what interests us, right?  

But perhaps we shouldn't skip over what Paul spent so much time on.  Maybe he wants something important to sink into the minds of his readers (in Rome).

So bear with this just a bit longer... because Paul has some more to say about our guy Abraham here.  And it's actually quite amazing:

NIV Romans 4:13-15  It was not through law that Abraham and his offspring received the promise that he would be heir of the world, but through the righteousness that comes by faith.  For if those who live by law are heirs, faith has no value and the promise is worthless, because law brings wrath.  And where there is no law there is no transgression.

There is nothing written in a legal document anywhere that declares Abraham and his descendants to be the lawful inheritors of "the world" (creation, the earth - Abraham's descendants would be the kings of nations according to God's promise--- something we talked about briefly in the last couple of posts--- and this ruling seems to have something to do with righteousness.  It's almost as if true kingship isn't about controlling subjects but about righteous governance that emulates the love of God--- more on this later).  So there was no decree stating that Abraham's firstborn great-grandson's grandchild must be the heir.  No, receiving God's promise has an alternative route.  God gives righteousness to people because of faith.

Now this is really good news.  Why do we neglect understanding these "tedious" portions of Romans?  Paul is letting his readers know that anyone who believes in God can be called an "heir" of the promise that God gave to Abraham.  There is no law... there is promise.

Why is this good news?  Well, if the law were the law, then faith would have no place.  And bluntly, if there was no faith, life would be crap.  Think about it... if we were only able to live by law, there would be no room for faith... we would be slaves detesting rule... and yet forced to follow the rule of law.  And when we inevitably broke the law (whether intentionally or unintentionally) we would be judged as law-breakers and would suffer the wrath/consequence that comes fairly as a result of crime.  When it comes to law and order, there is always a victim.  Life lived by law leads eventually to a violent battle between slavery and anarchy.

Instead, the good news is that God allows people to live by faith... trusting God for the possibilities, potentials and power to live to the fullest... as we were created to live.  Law brings sucky wrath.  Faith brings unending promise.

Note: And yes, this is why there are so many inspirational phrases in the letter-book of Romans... So to truly enjoy and understand them it is good to do the patient work to get there.  Thanks for hanging in there with me!

Romans 4:4-8 ~ Save Ferris

I feel like Ferris Bueller.  It took a long, long time... but I've crossed this one off my bucket list.

The ball, a foul into the lower level beyond first base, came into my hands with 2 outs and 2 strikes in the 9th inning off the bat of Todd Frazier, 3rd baseman for the Cincinnati Reds, August 5, 2011.  The Cubs won, by the way.  Thank you Dave for securing the tickets!!

The foul lobbed overhead and careemed into the empty row right behind me.  I dove, quite gracefully, bruised one of my ribs on my green metal chair, and scooped up the bouncing, rolling ball.  Another guy who had run down the row chasing after the ball, muttered at me ("you got it") in a deflated offering of congratulations.  I turned around, held up the ball, high-fived my amazing brother, and soaked in the sweet ivy.

It just found it's way to my hand... 

I feel like Ferris Bueller.

Remember that incredible 1986 movie?  One of the best ever... Ferris skips school, lies to his parents and the high school administration, cheats, disguises, steals, gets his friend in trouble, worms his way through an amazing day, leads a parade through downtown Chicago and manages to catch a foul ball at Wrigley Field.  And somehow, through it all, Ferris finds himself blessed and beloved.

I caught a foul ball at Wrigley Field... even though I didn't deserve it.  It's as if people who care for me have spray painted "Save Ferris" all over my life... even though faintly in my psyche I can hear Ferris' jealous sister demanding that I get what's coming to me... or even though I can imagine the principle chasing at my heals in his attempt to expose me for what I have really done... It's as if there is always an accuser reminding me that I don't deserve goodness from God...

And yet, somehow, is it possible that I really could be credited as righteous?

What did I do to deserve God's blessing (e.g. A foul ball at Wrigley that serves as a parable of God's showering of undeserved grace?)?

That's the point.  I did nothing.  Exactly.

In six verses (3-8) Paul uses forms of the word λογίζομαι five times.  This word means "to credit" or "to reckon" or "to calculate/take into account".  It is the first time in Romans that Paul has used this word... and he piles it on here.  Paul's emphasis is important... This is a monetary term used to describe how someone comes to possess money.  Typically, a person comes into money either because he/she earned that money as a wage or because he/she was given that money as a gift. 

So Paul said in verse 3 (TNIV): "Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness." - Abraham could count righteousness as his because it was the reckoning for his belief in God.  Belief in God = righteousness.

verse 4 (TNIV): "Now to anyone who works, their wages are not credited to them as a gift, but as an obligation."  - Payment due to services rendered can never be credited to someone as a gift.  The IRS knows this.  Revenue Canada knows this.  If a person works, the one who receives the work is obliged to give payment.  A wage is not a gift.  Wage = not a gift.

verse 5 (TNIV):  "However, to anyone who does not work but trusts God who justifies the ungodly, their faith is credited as righteousness."   -  OK... God justifies the ungodly.  In other words, people who are not like God, God (δικαιοῦντα) renders/declares/pronounces them right enough to be with God.  Those who try to be godly by earning righteousness through their "work" will not receive such a credit in their eternal account.  No work, but trust in God = righteousness.

verse 6 (TNIV): "David says the same thing when he speaks of the blessedness of those to whom God credits righteousness apart from works:" - Paul is about to quote from the Psalms to show that what he says about the Gospel has always been true.  And, don't forget, Paul has just brought Abraham into the conversation (verses 1-3... and again starting in verse 9).  So Paul is setting up a defense from Scripture (Old Testament) to support his argument.  In other words, Paul says, God has always credited people with righteousness unrelated to how "good" their "work" was.  God's way in the Old Testament = same as now.

verse 7-8 (TNIV): "Blessed are those whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered.  Blessed are those whose sin the Lord will never count against them." - Paul quotes Psalm 32:1-2 here.  The Psalmist is remembering that a person who has sinned has earned a wage (and not a good one!)... and so a person is blessed when God does not pay them according to their "work"... but credits them with a gift = forgiveness/covering of sins.  In fact, God is willing to NOT credit punishment to someone as their wage... and God is willing credit righteousness to someone as a gift.

Final Note: Thank you, Lord, so very much, for that foul ball.  Although I wish it had been from the bat of a Cub and not a Red... but I won't complain.

 

In gratitude for John Stott

His commentary has been a heavy influence on my recent reflections on the book of Romans.  Several of his other books gather absolutely no dust on my shelves.  His passion for the world to embrace Jesus has been inspiration for me... and countless others around the globe. 

This website is dedicated to the sort of ministry that John Stott epitomized.  Catalytic faith.  Strange that God can use an unmarried English preacher in such a profound way.  May the Lord bring to completion the gospel work He began through John Stott. 

***Here's a great Telegraph obituary providing a decent overview of John Stott's life and influence (Thanks to Ward Gasque for calling my attention to this article). 

Romans 2:4 ~ nice

“Nice” in the minds of some people = “We can take advantage of this person and we won't really get in trouble because he/she is so nice.”

Well, that’s not what “nice” means.  That’s what “lame” means.  That's when one person thinks he can mistreat another person and get away with it... because the other person is too soft-hearted (lame = impotent/weak-willed/tender-footed/etc) to do anything about it. 

But be careful...

God is nice.  God is not lame.

This misunderstanding is a major underlying factor of physical, emotional, sexual and spiritual abuse... and a major player in all kinds of sin.  So when people treat God as if God is lame... they can be surprised and even angry when God eventually hands them over to the consequence of their actions.  People can be shocked that God would not just instruct a standard (e.g. Ten Commandments) but actually follow through with that standard.  God is nice.  God is not lame.

Paul’s assumption in the letter-book of Romans is that many of the people in this world, and specifically those who call themselves followers of God, consider God to be “nice” but interpret that to mean that God is “weak-willed”.  And if God is “weak-willed”, then why not take advantage of God’s kindness?  After all, God is loving and kind, slow to anger.  After all, how can such a 'nice' God allow bad things to happen?  After all, if God is gentle and kind, then there should be enough time for us to horse around before we get in too much trouble.

Each of us is like the child who doesn't believe his parents will really follow through with a punishment if he hits his brother again... or the student that doesn’t believe there will really be a retribution for cheating… or the baseball player that doesn’t really think anybody will care if he took steroids… or the politician who doesn’t really believe there will be a consequence for inappropriate sexual behavior… or the pastor who doesn’t really think he’ll get caught for (fill in the blank).  Oh how good we humans have become at pretending that God’s niceness is equal to impotent willpower.

To choose to love...

... and to choose to forbear...

... and to choose to continue to be patient...

... when everyone else chooses idiocy...

... and when everyone else chooses to mock you for being "nice"...

... and when everyone else takes advantage of you...

... is to exhibit both remarkable kindness...

... and magnificent strength.

The ironic truth is that God’s kindness is not meant to give us room to sin… but it is meant to encourage us to respond in love to God.  The freedom of time and space that God gives us to make our own decisions is not meant to entice us to explore the sin list (at the end of Chapter 1)… rather it is meant to help us realize just how amazing God is.  And the realization of God’s kindness is intended to produce within each person a deep desire to turn towards a loving relationship with God.  God’s patience is God’s way to give us opportunity to learn and to change our ways and to run to Him.   God’s kindness is a gentle reminder of how we would be better off with Him.  God’s tolerance is proof that his judgment is withheld in order to allow us to know how much God loves us.

Doesn’t that mean anything to us?

For a devotional today, meditate on these various translations of Romans 2:4 ~~

• [NLT]  ~  Don’t you see how wonderfully kind, tolerant, and patient God is with you? Does this mean nothing to you? Can’t you see that his kindness is intended to turn you from your sin?

• [NIV]  ~  Or do you show contempt for the riches of his kindness, forbearance and patience, not realizing that God’s kindness is intended to lead you to repentance?
  

• [NASB]  ~  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?

• [The Message – Notice the raw sense that is embedded in verses 3-4 in this translation.  Really gets the point across:]  ~  You didn't think, did you, that just by pointing your finger at others you would distract God from seeing all your misdoings and from coming down on you hard? Or did you think that because he's such a nice God, he'd let you off the hook? Better think this one through from the beginning. God is kind, but he's not soft. In kindness he takes us firmly by the hand and leads us into a radical life-change.