The Love of God (PART 4)
John MacArthur when preaching on the Love of
God said, “Why hasn’t God expressed the maximum love for the Holy Angels, who
never fell, and who have been faithful to love and to serve him through all
time. He damned the Angels that fell, why would he redeem man? We don’t know
the answer to that, except that he pre-determined to love us, and by loving us
drawing us to himself.”
Here’s the positive to the issue of God’s
Love. God loves us; to the point that while the character of his Justice
demands the punishment of our sin, the character of his Love imputes the guilt
of our sin to the person of His Son. Who, came to earth, strictly to be
punished for the sake of the world, in the only way that could have us
redeemed; his death. That His blood be shed, not for show, but for actual
payment of our redemption. Scripture bares this truth out.
It’s because He first loved us that we in
turn, after having the veil removed from our eyes in regeneration from above,
that we can then say that we love him. This is what’s referred to as the
Irresistible Grace. That is to say; that, as John Piper says, “God’s sovereignty
can overcome all resistance when He wills it.” Jesus said in John 6:44 Jesus says, "No one can come to me unless
the Father who sent me draws him." It is the Father who draws us to
Himself in Love to bring us to a place where He can remove the veil covering
our eyes.
Looking at it from the negative; we see the dilemma
two fold. First we see the argument that; “Ok, If its God who calls me then how
am I responsible?” To answer that, Paul says, "Why then
does he still find fault? For who can resist his will?" To which Paul answers: "Who are you, O man, to answer back to
God? Will what is molded say to its molder, 'Why have you made me thus?' Has
the potter no right over the clay, to make out of the same lump one vessel for
beauty and another for menial use?" (Romans 9:20).
The issue is the same as the question MacArthur
posed at the beginning. Why then does He redeem man at all? We don’t know the
answer to that, except to say that he does choose to set is Love on us. We can
only preach the gospel to the world, not that we have any saving power of our
own. But that through the proclamation of his message God moves in the hearts
of people. So the scripture is true:
“How then will they call on him in whom they
have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never
heard? [3] And how are they to hear without someone preaching? 15 And how are
they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, “How beautiful are the
feet of those who preach the good news!”—Romans 10:14-15 (ESV)
Hebrews
3:15 says, “As it is said, “Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion.”
Though I fear the prophecy is coming true,
that in the end people will be lovers of themselves. Our moral compass as a
society will be turned upside down. This is already happening.
I saw on Facebook people arguing about
circumcision and how cruel it is. One person made the statement that they were
appalled at the permanent damage being done to children. These are some of the
same people who have ZERO problems with the trans-gender movement, who not only
support mutilating or disfiguring body parts (by either removal or insertion)
but applauded events like in Australia where the parents of a 5 year old boy
allowed him to make the decision to become a little girl. Talk about permanent
scarring for life! And the doctor that would do this?!! This is what Roman 1
talks about. Let’s set the stage of what this means
The Apostle Paul wrote the book of Romans
around 56 AD about 10 years before he had his head chopped off for preaching
the word of God. Talk about a hostile environment…. It was in the first chapter
of this book as he introduced himself to a church he deeply desired to
visit—though he never was able to make it there—then launches into instruction
to doctrinal issues to a church of believers he had never met. In doing
so he needed to set the stage for the readers of his letter to them. In
the verses 18—32 of chapter 1, he did exactly that, what follows is his
accounting of society and city that boasted nearly 1 million people at that
time.
(My comments added in parenthesis)
“18 For the wrath of God is revealed from
heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their
unrighteousness suppress the truth. 19 For what can be known about God is plain
to them, because God has shown it to them. 20 For his invisible attributes,
namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever
since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are
without excuse.” (Stop here for a second, all this is to say, that they have
heard the gospel, whether from family, friends, preachers, they have heard the
truth. They know the consequences of sin, let’s continue in verse 21). “For
although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him,
but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were
darkened. 22 Claiming to be wise, they became fools, 23 and exchanged the glory
of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and
creeping things. 24 Therefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to
impurity, to the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves, 25 because they
exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature
rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever! Amen. 26 For this reason God
gave them up to dishonorable passions. For their women exchanged natural
relations for those that are contrary to nature; 27 and the men likewise gave
up natural relations with women and were consumed with passion for one another,
men committing shameless acts with men and receiving in themselves the due
penalty for their error. 28 And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God,
God gave them up to a debased mind to do what ought not to be done.” (Let’s skip
down to verse 32), “32 Though they know God's decree that those who practice
such things deserve to die, they not only do them but give approval to those
who practice them.”—Romans 1:18-32 (ESV)
Scripture is clear, this is what John
MacArthur refers to when he talks about a reprobate mind. This is the direction
society is going. Once we let go of the precepts of God, we become slaves to
the passions of our heart, where ever that may lead. This is not to say that
everyone who is an unbeliever is a bad person. That’s not what scripture is
teaching. Certainly not as we use the term bad or evil today. Scripture
doesn’t equivocate on the issue, “if you being evil know how to give good gifts
to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give you. “
But the evil being spoken of here is the intent of the heart, that is its
desire, to disobey God and do what seems right in his own eyes. “I’m going to
be the Captain of my soul; I’m going to live life my way.” Isn’t that a Frank Sinatra song…..
“There is a way that seems right to man, but
leads to destruction.” (Proverbs 16:25) But God had some pretty heavy words for
such conclusions that we read at the end of Romans chapter 1. They deserve to
die….its worth reading that one verse again, vs 32. This was in the warning God
gave to Adam, wasn’t it? “In the day you eat of it you will surely die.”
Paul refutes the arguments he knows is coming
in the next chapter:
“2:1 Therefore you have no excuse, O man,
every one of you who judges. For in passing judgment on another you condemn
yourself, because you, the judge, practice the very same things. 2 We know that
the judgment of God rightly falls on those who practice such things. 3 Do you
suppose, O man—you who judge those who practice such things and yet do them
yourself—that you will escape the judgment of God? 4 Or do you presume on the
riches of his kindness and forbearance and patience, not knowing that God's
kindness is meant to lead you to repentance? ” –Romans 2:1-4 (ESV)
So, we’ve looked at the positive in how God
draws us in, through His love that none should perish, and we see as a society
how the free will of man corrupts
absolutely. Isn’t this exactly what false religion always offers, health,
wealth, and prosperity. Satan has nothing but the same methods as always.
It’s everything the unrepentant sinner wants anyway. Like the people “ who
believed,” in the final verses of John 2, they believed in so far as what they
could get from him, (Jesus). Which is why in verse 24 we read: “But Jesus on
his part did not entrust himself to them, because he knew all people.”
This is the same lie Satan has played on us
since the conversation in the Garden. Telling Eve, that she would be like God;
knowing of good and evil, lies are always sprinkled with a little bit of truth
aren’t they? Makes the lie easier to believe doesn’t it? She knew God.
She knew him intimately, there’s no doubt that they had probably been on
countless walks in the Garden like it says about Adam and God. She had likely
conversed with the Lord many times. She knew of his goodness, and enjoyed the
benefits of life, under his provision and care. Presented then, with the false
information that she would be like God, she viewed the fruit to be good for
eating. She swallowed the hook, line and sinker, as does everyone who follows
the teachings of false religion or a false gospel.
This is nothing new. We see this same tactic
used on Christ himself as Satan tried to tempt Jesus. I hesitate to call them
temptations because Jesus as God, could hardly be tempted with everything that
was already His, but that’s what false religion does. Makes a carbon copy of the
one true religion, offering Christ health, wealth, and prosperity, turn these
stones into bread (health), fall from the temple so all will see and be saved
by your legions of angels, (prosperity of adoration), and worship me (satan),
and I will give you the riches and positions of power in the world, (wealth).
Paul warns in his 2nd Letter to Timothy and
his final letter before being martyred, in chapter 4 verse 3 he says, “For the
time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching
ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, 4
and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths.”—2
Timothy 4:3-5 (ESV)
So while everyone searches for the church
that will present to them the way they understand the Love of God to be, let
them consider the words of Jesus;
“See that you do not despise one of these
little ones. For I tell you, that in heaven their angels, always see the face
of my Father who is in heaven. 12 What do you think? If a man has a hundred
sheep, and one of them has gone astray, does he not leave the ninety-nine on
the mountains and go in search of the one that went astray? 13 And if he finds
it, truly, I say to you, he rejoices over it more than over the ninety-nine
that never went astray. 14 So it is not the will of my Father who is in heaven
that one of these little ones should perish.”—Matthew 18:10-14 (ESV )
In as much as we have talked about sin and
how God does not like sin, because as we see in the verses above, it separates
us from him. This is where we begin to understand his compassion for us. We
begin to understand what Peter says “The Lord is not slow to fulfill his
promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any
should perish, but that all should reach repentance.”—2 Peter 3:9
Or as we see in Ezekiel 33:11 “I have no
pleasure in the death of the wicked.”
As heartbreaking as it is to God, his
Holiness demands it. As we see here in Jesus’ pronounces a curse on Jerusalem,
“37 “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those
who are sent to it! How often would I have gathered your children together as a
hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you would not! 38 See, your house is
left to you desolate.”—Matthew 23:37-38 (ESV) ‘
We know historically that in
AD. 70 (less than 40 years after Christ spoke the curse on Jerusalem) the
future Emperor Titus, sacked Jerusalem, wiping it out and completely destroyed
the Temple just as Jesus had predicted in the gospel account when talking to
the Pharisee’s. They mocked him when he said, “that not one stone would be left
unturned.” And according to history, not only was the Temple destroyed
completely, but that it was so thorough that the vessels made of gold began to
melt and get in between the bricks of the temple as it burned from the siege.
The commander actually ordered each brick be removed so they could get to the
gold in between. Fulfilling what Jesus had said. To this day a monument called
the Arch of Titus that still stands in Rome as celebration of the siege that
led to the destruction of Jerusalem and the second Temple. It was built in AD
82 by Emperor Domitian after Titus had died to commemorate his older brother’s
exploits, including the siege in Jerusalem. The Arch of Titus was inspiration
for a very similar and world famous arch in Paris, France. A
modern day reminder of what took place in AD 70. But an even more deadly
reminder of not only the curse Jesus placed on Jerusalem—which came to pass—but
of the warning we talked about in Part 3 that God gave to Cain. He gives to all
of us. “If you do what’s right will you not be accepted. But if you do not do
what is right, sin is crouching at the door, and its desire is for you.” In
other words, its desire is against you.
Jesus told Peter in Luke 22:31 “Simon, Simon, Satan has demanded
to have you, that he might sift you like wheat.” Wow, is that not a
powerful illustration of Satan’s desire for us. He wants to crush us. And how
loving is the Lord to remind us, its crouched waiting at the door for us. What’s
even more amazing is not only does His love remind us of this, yet this is
while we are enemies against him, we live completely against Him. While being
hostile to Him and His ways we want to do what we want, He still stops to say, “I
love you, come to me, and find rest and comfort in my arms, in my protection. I
will supply your needs. I will protect you. You’ve been hurt, I will comfort
you. You have lost love, you’ve lost children, you’ve lost a parent, or a
spouse that returns love—that rejected you from their promise. You’ve been
stabbed in the back by betrayal. Been lied to, Been lied about, and gossiped about.
No matter what we’ve been through He calls us to repent and come
to Him, to trust Him. Why? Because He is the life giver, He is the creator of
the universe, and in Him we can find comfort and true joy. In His Love, we find
peace. But let us not fool ourselves. Though we may have suffered greatly, it does
not mean we are owed more grace and mercy than another, or that the actions of
others are more deserving of punishment, and that somehow our sufferings plead
the case before God and therby forgiving us of our sin.
As I close Part 4 let me set up words from Jesus himself in answering
the many different sufferings we come with….Jesus had just finished in chapter 12
of Luke getting everything you deserve if you want by pushing it, in his
analogy of God as a judge, and his justice forcing Him to punish as the law
requires, and it was at this they must’ve said mentioned the wrongs that were
done to them, when we see chapter 13 open with some of the Jews sacrifices to
God that were mixed by Pilate and their sacrifices of blood offerings to their
gods. As you read Jesus’ words to their sufferings, I beg you to consider all
that we’ve talked about in Part 4 with these (His) words, in mind….
“Do you think that these Galileans were worse
sinners than all the other Galileans, because they suffered in this way? No, I
tell you; but unless you repent you all will likewise perish. Or those eighteen
on whom the tower in Siloam fell and killed them: do you think that they are
worse offenders than all the others who lived in Jerusalem? No, I tell you; but
unless you repent, you will all likewise perish.”
