GOD FIRST LOVED US
1st John 4:19 declares, "We love him, because He first loved us." The Bible teaches that God loved us before we loved Him. When we didn't love God, the Bible says that He still loved us. The truth is that God loved mankind before He ever spoke the universe into existence. Revelation 13:8 reads, "And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship Him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world." Jesus is the “Lamb of God,” Who in God's time (eternity) was slain before the foundation of the world (our time). Remember, we live in time but God lives in eternity where there is NO TIME (Revelation 10:6). In God's mind, Jesus had already died upon the cross before man ever became a living soul.
Romans 5:8 tells us, "But God commendeth His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." Jesus Christ laid down His life for us, knowing every sin which we would ever commit. The Bible declares that this is PROOF of God's love toward mankind. God commended (or revealed) His genuine love toward us by making a way of escape from the curse of the Law—a plan of redemption—a Savior to TAKE AWAY our sins. Jesus paid a debt that He did not owe, because we owed a debt that we could not pay.
Again, 1st John 4:19, "We love him, because He first loved us." Notice the words, "...because He first loved us." When people don't love God, they live in sin. Before we loved Him, we were still wicked sinners; yet the Bible says that God loved us and paid for our sins. The problem with the world isn't that God has stopped loving man; but that man has never started loving God. God loves sinners in spite of their lack of love for Him. God's love is unconditional.
God Has No Pleasure in the Death of the Wicked
The Bible teaches that God has no pleasure in the death of the wicked. Ezekiel 33:11, "Say unto them, As I live, saith the Lord GOD, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way and live: turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways; for why will ye die, O house of Israel." If we are to be Christlike, then we must not rejoice in the death of the unsaved. It is a sad thing when someone dies and goes into Hell.
No Christian who has God's love in their heart should be glad to see anyone go to Hell. Many people rejoice that sinners are burning in Hell, but God is not pleased about it. God does NOT want any soul to perish into Hell. 2nd Peter 3:9, "The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance."
Self-Righteousness
I realize that a believer is under grace and no longer under the curse of the Law, but to say that God hates the wicked is foolish and unbiblical. The great heart of God is much bigger than that. God loves mankind with an unconditional love that supercedes our words or actions. How shallow and immature for anyone to claim that God hates sinners.
There's a group of self-righteous people in our churches today, going around lying, telling lost sinners that they cannot be saved unless they give up their sinful lifestyle and stop sinning. Nothing could be further from the truth of God's Word. Who can stop sinning? Who can cease from committing sin? All that God requires is that a man acknowledge his guilt of sin and deserved penalty in hellfire, and believe on the Lord Jesus Christ to be forgiven. The change that genuine repentance brings is God's department. Our part is simply to BELIEVE.
God Loves Sinners!
God loves sinners! Now God certainly does NOT love sin, but He loves the individual. How could God not love His own creation? How could God not love the object of His plan of redemption?
In a previous article, we saw some Christians insist God hates sinners. In Luke 9:54-56, we find James and John eager to destroy the wicked with the wrath of God, but Jesus rebuked them instead, "And when his disciples James and John saw this, they said, Lord, wilt thou that we command fire to come down from heaven, and consume them, even as Elias did? But He turned, and rebuked them, and said, Ye know not what manner of spirit ye are of. For the Son of man is not come to destroy men's lives, but to save them. And they went to another village." And likewise I say to you professed Christian who insist that God hates sinners... "Ye know not what manner of spirit ye are of." In case you don't know, it is the spirit of Satan. Jesus came into this world to save sinners; not to hate them and destroy men's lives.
There are only two Scriptures in the New Testament where Jesus said "I hate" (Revelation 2:6 and 2:15). Revelation 2:6 states, "But this thou hast, that thou hatest the deeds of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate." And again in Revelation 2:15, "So hast thou also them that hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitans, which thing I hate." Jesus said that He hated the "deeds" of the Nicolaitans, and their "doctrine." Please notice that Jesus DIDN'T say He hated the Nicolaitans (a false cult). Jesus loves all sinners, not because they are sinners, but because they are people with souls whom He loves. John 3:16 tells us, "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." The “world” includes EVERYBODY, even a dirty, rotten, vile sinner like me.
Even after being nailed to a cross, Jesus expressed forgiveness to the Roman soldiers who had stripped him naked, beat Him beyond recognition, placed a sharp crown of thorns upon His head, mocked Him, spat on Him and then nailed Him to a cross to bleed and die (Luke 23:34).
The Biblical truth is that God loves ALL people (no matter what they have done). That's not to say that God approves of their wickedness, it just means that God unconditionally loves people.
Also read: Jesus' Model on How to Deal With Difficult People
1st John 4:19 declares, "We love him, because He first loved us." The Bible teaches that God loved us before we loved Him. When we didn't love God, the Bible says that He still loved us. The truth is that God loved mankind before He ever spoke the universe into existence. Revelation 13:8 reads, "And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship Him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world." Jesus is the “Lamb of God,” Who in God's time (eternity) was slain before the foundation of the world (our time). Remember, we live in time but God lives in eternity where there is NO TIME (Revelation 10:6). In God's mind, Jesus had already died upon the cross before man ever became a living soul.
Romans 5:8 tells us, "But God commendeth His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." Jesus Christ laid down His life for us, knowing every sin which we would ever commit. The Bible declares that this is PROOF of God's love toward mankind. God commended (or revealed) His genuine love toward us by making a way of escape from the curse of the Law—a plan of redemption—a Savior to TAKE AWAY our sins. Jesus paid a debt that He did not owe, because we owed a debt that we could not pay.
Again, 1st John 4:19, "We love him, because He first loved us." Notice the words, "...because He first loved us." When people don't love God, they live in sin. Before we loved Him, we were still wicked sinners; yet the Bible says that God loved us and paid for our sins. The problem with the world isn't that God has stopped loving man; but that man has never started loving God. God loves sinners in spite of their lack of love for Him. God's love is unconditional.
God Has No Pleasure in the Death of the Wicked
The Bible teaches that God has no pleasure in the death of the wicked. Ezekiel 33:11, "Say unto them, As I live, saith the Lord GOD, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way and live: turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways; for why will ye die, O house of Israel." If we are to be Christlike, then we must not rejoice in the death of the unsaved. It is a sad thing when someone dies and goes into Hell.
No Christian who has God's love in their heart should be glad to see anyone go to Hell. Many people rejoice that sinners are burning in Hell, but God is not pleased about it. God does NOT want any soul to perish into Hell. 2nd Peter 3:9, "The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance."
Self-Righteousness
I realize that a believer is under grace and no longer under the curse of the Law, but to say that God hates the wicked is foolish and unbiblical. The great heart of God is much bigger than that. God loves mankind with an unconditional love that supercedes our words or actions. How shallow and immature for anyone to claim that God hates sinners.
There's a group of self-righteous people in our churches today, going around lying, telling lost sinners that they cannot be saved unless they give up their sinful lifestyle and stop sinning. Nothing could be further from the truth of God's Word. Who can stop sinning? Who can cease from committing sin? All that God requires is that a man acknowledge his guilt of sin and deserved penalty in hellfire, and believe on the Lord Jesus Christ to be forgiven. The change that genuine repentance brings is God's department. Our part is simply to BELIEVE.
God Loves Sinners!
God loves sinners! Now God certainly does NOT love sin, but He loves the individual. How could God not love His own creation? How could God not love the object of His plan of redemption?
In a previous article, we saw some Christians insist God hates sinners. In Luke 9:54-56, we find James and John eager to destroy the wicked with the wrath of God, but Jesus rebuked them instead, "And when his disciples James and John saw this, they said, Lord, wilt thou that we command fire to come down from heaven, and consume them, even as Elias did? But He turned, and rebuked them, and said, Ye know not what manner of spirit ye are of. For the Son of man is not come to destroy men's lives, but to save them. And they went to another village." And likewise I say to you professed Christian who insist that God hates sinners... "Ye know not what manner of spirit ye are of." In case you don't know, it is the spirit of Satan. Jesus came into this world to save sinners; not to hate them and destroy men's lives.
There are only two Scriptures in the New Testament where Jesus said "I hate" (Revelation 2:6 and 2:15). Revelation 2:6 states, "But this thou hast, that thou hatest the deeds of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate." And again in Revelation 2:15, "So hast thou also them that hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitans, which thing I hate." Jesus said that He hated the "deeds" of the Nicolaitans, and their "doctrine." Please notice that Jesus DIDN'T say He hated the Nicolaitans (a false cult). Jesus loves all sinners, not because they are sinners, but because they are people with souls whom He loves. John 3:16 tells us, "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." The “world” includes EVERYBODY, even a dirty, rotten, vile sinner like me.
Even after being nailed to a cross, Jesus expressed forgiveness to the Roman soldiers who had stripped him naked, beat Him beyond recognition, placed a sharp crown of thorns upon His head, mocked Him, spat on Him and then nailed Him to a cross to bleed and die (Luke 23:34).
The Biblical truth is that God loves ALL people (no matter what they have done). That's not to say that God approves of their wickedness, it just means that God unconditionally loves people.
Also read: Jesus' Model on How to Deal With Difficult People
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