Does God love everyone is disputed, abused, misunderstood, and perverted. There are many being confused and lead astray when it comes to God’s love. In doing this I will not even scratch the surface of the bottomless well of the love of God.
— The teaching goes like this, God loves you and accepts you. That is He loves you and accepts your sin. God loves the sinner but hates the sin. — by Sherri Bledsoe
Better make sure that is true because our eternal destiny is on the line. A good place to start is one of the most popular verses in scripture;
John 3:16 KJV 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.
God loved the world sounds so good most people stop right there and build a doctrine off that single verse while ignoring what surrounds it. This kind of teaching is out of balance and gives but one piece to a very large puzzle. What are the other pieces?
- The Fullness of God.
- God gave His Son.
- Who is the sinner?
This verse gives everyone two eternal destinations.
1. The Fullness of God
Ephesians 3:18 KJV 3 May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; 19 And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God.
God’s love can not be manufactured from earth to heaven. God’s love can not be intellectually known or understood though we are given the knowledge of God’s love.
Do we really think we are capable of understanding a love of such greatness and intensity? That we grasp a love that freely came from perfect holiness, joy, peace, etc. to a place full of death, sickness, and sin?
Yes, God is love but His love and grace is multi-faceted and to ignore His other characteristics will lead you astray.
Psalm 5:4 KJV 4 For thou art not a God that hath pleasure in wickedness: neither shall evil dwell with thee. 5 The foolish shall not stand in thy sight: thou hatest all workers of iniquity. 6 Thou shalt destroy them that speak leasing: the Lord will abhor the bloody and deceitful man.
Psalm 11:5 KJV The Lord trieth the righteous: but the wicked and him that loveth violence his soul hateth.
These are but two among many that let us know God does not compromise His holy nature for the sake of love. God hates sin and the one committing the sin. The sin and the sinner are not separate in God’s eyes.
Matthew 23:37 KJV 37 O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not! 38 Behold, your house is left unto you desolate. 39 For I say unto you, Ye shall not see me henceforth, till ye shall say, Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord.
Jesus, God, knew the judgment coming upon Jerusalem. Had He stopped loving them, no, but God will stay true to Himself (Psalm 102:27, Hebrews 1:12).
2. God’s Gave His Son
God’s love gave His Son. The Son came from heaven to earth. Why? To make the way to salvation (John 3:17).
God gave, that is He sent His Son for one purpose, to lay His life down. The Good News of Christ is not good news if He died in vain or for no reason. What was the purpose of His death? We are all sinners, no one is good, and the cost of our sin and hatred toward God is death.
We have no ability to change our wicked heart that is black and filled with rebellion toward God. So, God sent His Son. His Son came willing out of love for His Father. In perfect sinless obedience Jesus died for our sins thereby He is the only way to heaven. This is the greatness of God’s love and the willingness of perfect obedience by His Son, our Savior Jesus the Christ.
3. Who is the sinner?
The sinner is perishing, that is, on their way to eternal ruin. The sinner loves darkness (John 3:19). They do not want their sins exposed by the Light (John 3:20). All the works of the sinner is evil (John 3:19). Sinners are guilty before God, dead in their sin, children of disobedience, under God’s wrath, and do the works of Satan (Eph. 2:1-3). No one is able to make themselves right with God. Every person on earth is either alive in Christ or dead in their sin.
What do you believe?
What you believe puts you on one of two paths, one to eternal destruction or one to eternal life.
John 3:18 KJV He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.
Faith in the name of the only Son of God leads to eternal life and those who do not believe are already guilty and will receive eternal punishment.
Are you believing the false doctrine God’s love means He will not judge you? If so, where is the need for Christ? There has and will be false teachers teaching false doctrines by adding, taking away from, ignoring, or perverting God’s word. Are you listening to a false teacher?
John 1:10 KJV He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not. 11 He came unto his own, and his own received him not. 12 But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: 13 Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.
Have you received Christ Jesus? Do you believe in the name of the only Son of God? These are the most important questions in our life, our eternal future is dependent upon the answer.
