Just want to say God loves everyone of you no matter what your situation or what you are going though you are loved by him. Please remember this…
Yes, God loves all. But Jesus assured to remain in his love and remain his friend they must obey him( John 15:10-14).just as he must obey his Father to remain in his love.
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At first thought, understanding the doctrine of the love of God seems simple compared to trying to fathom other doctrines like that of the Trinity or predestination. Especially since the overwhelming majority of those who believe in God view Him as a loving being.
That is precisely what makes this doctrine so difficult. The only aspect of God’s character the world still believes in is His love. His holiness, His sovereignty, His wrath are often rejected as being incompatible with a “loving” God.
Because pop culture has so distorted and secularized God’s love, many Christians have lost a biblical understanding of it and, in turn, lost a vital means to knowing who God is.
The Difficult Doctrine of the Love of God seeks to restore what we have lost. In this treatment of many of the Bible’s passages regarding divine love, noted evangelical scholar D. A. Carson not only critiques sentimental ideas such as “God hates the sin but loves the sinner,” but provides a compelling perspective on the nature of God and why He loves as He does. Carson blends his discourse with discussion of how God’s sovereignty and holiness complete the biblical picture of who He is and how He loves.
In doing away with trivialities and cliches, this work gets to the heart of this all-important doctrine from an unflinching evangelical perspective. Yet it does so without losing its personal emphasis: for in understanding more of the comprehensive nature of God’s love as declared in His Word, you will come to understand God and His unending love for you more completely.
J.
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I’ve become increasingly aware recently of how prevalent love is used to derail correction or dodge harsh biblical truth. The Bible instructs us to love one another. No doubt about that. However, the Bible also spells out what love looks like. Paul told us that love “rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth” (~1 Corinthians 13:6). Love cannot rejoice in what God has declared sin, nor can love remain silent when truth is on the line.
Jesus explicitly tied love to obedience: “If ye love me, keep my commandments” (~John 14:15). Biblical love comforts, but it also confronts. Biblical love restores, but it also calls us to repentance. I think in many settings today love is being pitted against truth. When that happens, the gospel itself becomes watered down.
I recently wrote a longer reflection looking at how Scripture keeps love and truth together at the cross, and how removing truth actually empties love of its meaning. I’d be interested to hear how others here understand the balance between compassion and biblical correction.
(Full article for those who want to read more:)
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