One of the most popular beliefs of the day is that God loves everybody, and the very fact that it is so popular with all classes ought to be enough to arouse the suspicious of those who are subject to the Word of Truth. God’s love toward all His creatures is the fundamental and favorite tenet of Universalists, Unitarians, Theosophists, Christian Scientists, Spiritualists, Russellites, etc.
No matter how a man may live—in open defiance of Heaven, with no concern whatever for his soul’s eternal interests, still less for God’s glory, dying, perhaps with an oath on his lips—notwithstanding, God loves him, we are told. So widely has this dogma been proclaimed, and so comforting is it to the heart which is at enmity with God, we have little hope of convincing many of their error.
That God loves everybody, is, we may say, quite a modern belief. The writings of the church fathers, the Reformers or the Puritans will (we believe) be searched in vain for any such concept. Perhaps the late D.L. Moody—captivated by Drummond’s “The Greatest Thing in the World”—did more than anyone else in the last century to popularize this concept.
It has been customary to say God loves the sinner though He hates his sin. But that is a meaningless distinction. What is there in a sinner but sin? Is it not true that his “whole head is sick” and his “whole heart faint,” and that “from the sole of the foot even unto the head there is no soundness” in him? (Isa. 1:5, 6)
Is it true that God loves the one who is despising and rejecting His blessed Son? God is Light as well as Love, and therefore His love must be a holy love. To tell the Christ-rejector that God loves him is to cauterize his conscience as well as to afford him a sense of security in his sins.
The fact is, the love of God is a truth for the saints only, and to present it to the enemies of God is to take the children’s bread and cast it to the dogs. With the exception of John 3:16, not once in the four Gospels do we read of the Lord Jesus, the perfect Teacher, telling sinners that God loves them!
In the book of Acts, which records the evangelistic labors and messages of the apostles, God’s love is never referred to at all! But when we come to the Epistles, which are addressed to the saints, we have a full presentation of this precious truth—God’s love for His own.
Let us seek to rightly divide the Word of God and then we shall not be found taking truths which are addressed to believers and mis-applying them to unbelievers.
That which sinners need to have brought before them is the ineffable holiness, the exacting wrath of God.
Risking the danger of being misunderstood let us say—and we wish we could say it to every evangelist and preacher in the country—there is far too much presenting of Christ to sinners today (by those sound in the faith), and far too little showing sinners their need of Christ, i.e., their absolutely ruined and lost condition, their imminent and awful danger of suffering the wrath to come, the fearful guilt resting upon them in the sight of God: to present Christ to those who have never been shown their need of Him, seems to us to be guilty of casting pearls before swine.
—A.W. Pink, Objections to God’s Sovereignty Answered
 Give Me Christ, Or Else I Die“He gave his only begotten Son.”—John 3. 16 Gracious Lord, incline thy ear; My requests vouchsafe to hear; Hear my never-ceasing cry; Give me Christ, or else I die. Wealth and honour I disdain, Earthly comforts, Lord, are vain; These can never satisfy; Give me Christ, or else I die. Lord, deny me what thou wilt, Only ease me of my guilt. Suppliant at thy feet I lie; Give me Christ, or else I die. All unholy and unclean, I am nothing else but sin; On thy mercy I rely; Give ... February 28, 2011
One Comment
 What Can 21,000 Gospel Tracts Do?I haven't posted anything on the blog for the past two weeks. Here is the reason why. In the span of 10 days, Christ’s Glory Church, in partnership with Hope Christian Church, 21,000 Gospel tracts has been spread abroad in Metro Manila, Philippines. What can 21,000 Gospel tracts do? In the hands of men and in the power of men, nothing. Absolutely nothing. A useless endeavor. Pointless. Pathetic. Irrational. Illogical. A waste of money, energy and time. But in the ... February 15, 2011
No comments
 May My Cry Be Always, Only Jesus! Only Jesus!O God, I bless thee for the happy moment when I first saw thy law fulfilled in Christ, wrath appeased, death destroyed, sin forgiven, my soul saved. Ever since, thou hast been faithful to me: daily have I proved the power of Jesus’ blood, daily have I known the strength of the Spirit, my teacher, director, sanctifier. I want no other rock to build upon than that I have, desire no other hope than that of gospel truth, need no other look than that which gazes ... January 26, 2011
One Comment
|
 21 CommentsLeave a Reply |
Powerful quote
So shall I then assume that you've completely missed the point of the new testament. Christ's entire mission was that of love and compassion. In fulfilling prophecy and dying for our sins stated many times that the only way to get to God was through Christ.
Only way to get to God is Christ. At the same time no one can come to Christ unless the Father who sent Christ draws them.
Thank you for leaving a comment, Witness for Him.Love and compassion for who? Dying for whose sins?Is it your position that God loves the person whose righteousness is in Christ just as much as the sinner who is at enmity with God?
That's not the right question to ask.The question you should ask is, "if God commands us to hate that which is evil and love that which is good, how can we expect a just and holy God to love that which is evil Himself? How can a just and holy God not send every sinner to Hell this moment because of their sins that they have committed continually against Him all their life?"Yes, the reformed position is that God does have a general love for all His creation, but a special love for His bride. But the difference of His general love is that He tarries over His judgment of their souls and not toss them immediately to hell, God's wrath still abides with them. In contrast, God's attitude towards those He has given to His Son is of saving love.
Then posting that God hates sinners is in error, because He loves them enough to die. If God hates sinners, why does he treat then lovingly, an commands is to do likewise?
That’s a good question, Will.
Because as God is just and as He is holy, still He is long-suffering and kind. He withholds His wrath over the wicked. He allows them to hear the Gospel, the free grace of Christ.
Yet the wicked are still hardened in their sin. The wicked still hold their fists in the face of God despite His common grace to them. So then in God’s holiness, to stay true to His character of justice and righteousness, He hates them for the abomination that they are.
Romans 1 tells us of such people, though they knew God they did not honor God nor give thanks. His wrath burns against them. In fact the original language does not tell us simply that He was displeased with them, but it tells us that God is furiously wrathful against them.
So yes, God hates the sinner. But the Bible tells us that in His love, He effectually does save. Yes He still hates sinners, but He expressed the fullness of that hatred on the Cross for those whom He has taken for Himself. The hard heart, by His sovereign will and grace, He turns into a heart of flesh. The man dead in sin, He resurrects to spiritual life.
Would God command us to love our enemys if he wouldn't do so by himself?
The reformed Point of View is a little bit different it talks about general grace to everybody (God lets his sun shine on the good and the evil) So God is loving everybody abuntantly but his bride infinetly more.
But he is absolutely right that we should start preaching condemnation and later on start preaching Salvation.
Jacob I have loved, Esau I have hated. (Genesis) before Esau was even born, God hated him because he was not one of God's elect or chosen people.
We must qualify that statement and not loosely use words. God hated Esau, as with every sinner because of their rebellion against Him and their hatred of God's Kingship and Deity in all facets of their lives, in their sins of omission and their sins of commission as the effects of the fall and their being included in Adam's headship. People fail to realize that God is holy and just, not singularly loving. He is transcendent and good and must do that which is right.God's judgment, wrath and hatred towards sinners is not unfair or unjust. The unthinkable fact of the matter is not "Esau I have hated", 'coz if we know our own hearts we deserve it. The unthinkable fact of the matter is "Jacob I have loved." That's grace—Only through the person and work of the Lord Christ Jesus.
amen brother.. well explained.. it's like this, and i hope it will catch us.. when we are saved it's all because of God and His grace, God gets all the Glory, But when we go to hell, it's because we willfully rejected Him, we get all the blame.. u say, it doesn't seem to fit together. well that how it is.. it fits perfectly and is reconciled perfectly in the mind of God.. election never harms sinners, they get what is due, well, we all should have, but election is unto salvation..
Amen, brother!
But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. – Romans 5:8God hates the non-elect sinner with holy hatred. God loves the elect sinner with an everlasting love which he demonstrated toward us on the Cross.
Just to clarify, you do believe that God loves the sinner in one sense right? Don't get me wrong brother, I agree with the quote by Pink but I would say that God manifests a "general" love in that He grants them common grace when He would be just in destroying us all the moment we rebel against Him when we were young. I believe that He definitely reserves His special love and grace for His people. Always enjoy your posts my friend!-Roger
Exactly, God does love the sinner in one sense, as you've said too, only in a "general" way by tarrying in His judgment.I believe that too, just as Scripture testifies, that God has chosen a people for Himself, and yet He was not obligated to. What grace, what grace is this.Thank you for dropping by, brother.:)
thanks, I'm really inspired. Continue your great endeavor
The debate ended last year. But it is good to continue to discuss this, because there is great deception and false doctrine in our world today. If the Bible teaches that God hates sinners, as it does, why does man argue against this? It is because God hates sin and the sinner that He gave his only begotten Son to die for the sins of man; in order to make man sinless and thereafter, lovable to God. God's anger is against both sinner and his sin, because sin comes through man and it is a manifestation of a sinful nature. This nature is enmity against God and a sinner is an enemy of God, just as Satan is an enemy of God. There is no difference. Therefore God is neither in love with Satan nor in love with any other sinner. This is the truth and it is given to us in the Bible.
We love to be guided by God and His word and not make philosophical arguments that suggest God is in love with sinners, when He is not.
Thank you.
Juliet Chadzingwa
The Bible does not teach that God hates sinners. Where do you get your doctrine from? Dad hated you when you disobeyed him? I think not. Wake up call, are you sinless now in Christ? Did you stop sinning after believing in God's only Son? Does God still hate you? I think not. It is because of grace that we are saved. Not because God hated us so much as to save us, but because God loved us so much as to find a way to see us justified by placing our debt of sin upon His Son. Sinners didn't kill him, he have up his own life for us, sinners. That is the glorious wonder of the cross. Love kept him up there.
God did not condemn us, we were already condemned because of our sins. For God so loved the world that he have his only begotten son. If God hated us we'd all be without hope.
The Word needs to be read in the context of the whole Bible.
"The Bible does not teach that God hates sinners. Where do you get your doctrine from?"
From the Bible:
"For you are not a God who delights in wickedness; evil may not dwell with you. The boastful shall not stand before your eyes; you hate all evildoers. You destroy those who speak lies; the LORD abhors the bloodthirsty and deceitful man." (Psalm 5:4-6)
There's a fundamental problem with your reply though. You seem to have conflated the relationship of God as Judge toward sinners and the relationship of God as Father towards His people.
God of course, loves those who are His. And as Romans 5:1 testifies, "therefore having been justified by faith we have peace (we have 'Shalom') with God."
And in looking at the "context of the whole Bible", that same inspired text of Scripture that tells us of God's love towards His people tells us of His wrath against moral insurrectionists and all who hate God:
"Then the kings of the earth and the great ones and the generals and the rich and the powerful, and everyone, slave and free, hid themselves in the caves and among the rocks of the mountains, calling to the mountains and rocks, 'Fall on us and hide us from the face of him who is seated on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb, for the great day of their wrath has come, and who can stand?'" (Revelation 6:15-17)
That, is not an attitude of love. But since God is love He must hate what is evil. He must hate and pour out His justice against idolaters, rapists, murderers, the sexually immoral and liars.
We do not suggest however that God's hate burns even against His sheep. Not at all. As God speaks to Israel so does He speak to His saints: "I have loved you with an everlasting love; therefore I have continued my faithfulness to you." (Jeremiah 31:3)
This is God's love towards His chosen people. Though they are just as worse sinners and rebels than the lost world, if not more so, still, in the steadfastness of His love in Christ, the Son died for us to the praise of His glorious grace.
*But then if you are suggesting that God loves the saint in heaven just as much as the sinner screaming in hate towards Him on the parapets of Hell, then that's another issue altogether.
Well, no one can accuse you of being wishy-washy.
Ghandi is the person who coined the saying God loves the sinner, but hates their sin. It was part of his explanation of his understanding of the words of Christ – which was of course a wrong understanding, else he’d have converted to Christ himself.
Does God love everyone? Yes, I believe He does, and that this is evidenced in the scripture in many ways; chief among them being that He has bothered to take the time to tell us who we are, who He wants us to be, and allows us the opportunity to step into the light at all – let alone the amazing long-suffering of patience He shows toward us all.
That said, do I believe that the body of Christ has for too long spent most of not all their time telling people that Jesus loves them, and not telling them that they need to repent and be saved from eternal damnation? Ab-sa-toot-ly!
Telling people about Jesus and Heaven without telling them about Hell and how to avoid it is NOT proclaiming the Gospel – it is in fact, not really good news at all.
This whole philosophy that there are many roads we can choose to travel is baloney and NON-Christian; and yet we hear professing Christians (even pastors) confusing people (and the issue) all the time by telling people that there is only one way to God (which fewer and fewer pastoral people even say every day), but that we all are on our own spiritual journeys that take many different paths. Bunk!
There is one way to Christ Jesus and eternal life in Heaven, and there is one way to the lair of the worm and eternal separation from Christ and utter damnation in Hell.
ONE ROAD – TWO DIRECTIONS.
That’s it! There are no side-roads, no off-ramps, no alternate routes, no intersecting streets. And there is no stopping, standing, or idling on the road – we are always (every one of us) continually moving either toward Heaven or toward Hell.
We can argue/discuss how fast we may be traveling, but there is no argument about whether or not we are traveling. It’s just that simple. It’s also worth remembering that when we are traveling towards Jesus, the road is always uphill, and a fast route down when we are not.
If we truly love people, if we truly have a love for those who are lost, we will make the choice clear to them that Hell is hot, and Heaven’s not filled to overflowing.
Bearing all that in mind, I doubt we’ll get very far if we walk up to people on the street and yell “God hates you!” at them like that schmuck Phelps and his twisted hateful clan.
Thanks for caring about the proclamation of truth enough to be so bold in doing it. God bless and keep you and yours.
Merry Christmas
“Why were still in our sins God love us”JESUS CAME TO SAVE….he loves all but loves always tells the truth….Jesus loves sinner but His love will judge them in the end if they reject Him.The bible says God pursues all men.”For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son”….God loves all men……but is storing up wrath for all who choose to reject His Son, Jesus Christ…God’s love is too big for us to fathom