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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. John 3:16
What a wonderful verse, and one that is so familiar to many
people, even the lost; it is one of the first verses that
church children learn in
Sunday School, and so it should be. The work of salvation
wrought by God's love is the "greatest story ever told" and
we should be faithful in
telling it everywhere we go. However, we need to make sure
that we are telling them the whole story. There are
"churches" and "Christians" all
across America focusing on the love of God with their
ever-ready, "Smile, God loves you!" But have you ever
stopped to think, "Does he really love
that person, how do I know?" You say, but Sis. Tanya,
doesn't God love everybody? Well, in fact, "NO" He doesn't
love everybody. Now before you
cut me off, let's look at what the Bible says, I think you
will find it very interesting. First, lets look at the
verse above: John 3:16, it says that God loved (past tense)
the world. It does not say that God loves the world. He
loved the world and brought forth a plan that would save the
world; he
gave His only begotton Son, so that He could save the world,
but to tell a sinner that God loves them is not true. His
love is in the past, He
acted on His love when the Lord Jesus Christ died, >"But God
commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet
sinners, Christ died for
us."- Romans 5:8 >I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I
live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which
I now live in the
flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me,
and gave himself for me." - Galatians 2:20 > "And walk in
love, as Christ also
hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and
a sacrifice to God for a sweet smelling savour." -Ephesians
5:2. >"Herein is love, not
that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to
be the propitiation for our sins." - 1 John 4:10. As you can
see, God's love
that is past is the sacrifice of the Lord Jesus Christ for
our sins. Now, it is still true that the Lord wants
all men to be saved. I Peter
3:9 says, "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."
Titus 2:11 says, "For the grace of God that bringeth
salvation hath appeared to all men,"
And John 1:9, speaking of the Lord Jesus, says, "That was
the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into
the world." And according to
Matt. 25:41, Hell is made for the Devil and his angels, not
for mankind; it is clear that the Lord wants everyone to be
saved from the flames of
Hell and that he draws all men to salvation, this has
nothing to do with God choosing some people to go to Heaven
and some people to go to Hell
(Calvinism). The Lord is presently angry and even hates the
sinner. What? Yes, he hates the sinner, not just their sin.
Let's look at the
Scriptures. Psalm 7:11, "God judgeth the righteous, and God
is angry with the wicked every day." Psalm 5:5 says, "The
foolish shall not stand in
thy sight: thou hatest all workers of iniquity." Psalm 11:5,
"The LORD trieth the righteous: but the wicked and him that
loveth violence his
soul hateth." Proverbs 6:16-18 says, "These six things doth
the LORD hate: yea, seven are an abomination unto him: A
proud look, a lying
tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, An heart that
deviseth wicked imaginations, feet that be swift in running
to mischief, A false witness
that speaketh lies, and he that soweth discord among
brethren." The sinner has the wrath of God abiding on him,
"He that believeth on the Son
hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son
shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him." -
John 3:36. Ephesians 5:5-6
says, "For this ye know, that no whoremonger, nor unclean
person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, hath any
inheritance in the kingdom of
Christ and of God. Let no man deceive you with vain words:
for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the
children of disobedience."
And Romans 1:18 says, "For the wrath of God is revealed from
heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men,
who hold the truth in
unrighteousness;" Still not convinced, study it out
for yourself and you will find that any time in the New
Testament that the Bible talks about God loving a sinner,it
is in the past tense and everytime you find love in the
present tense, it is talking about God's love for the Saints
or the Church. I hope this will be a help to you.
Until next time, "The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and
the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Ghost, be
with you all. Amen." - 2 Corinthians 13:14 .
Sis. Tanya |
in the
