“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 Bible reveals a God who is not one-dimensional. Some see Him as only a God of love, who loves us so much that He approves of everything that we do. Some see Him as mainly a God of wrath, who can’t wait to “sock it to us.” According to what I read in the Bible, God is a God of love and a God of wrath. We can’t pick and choose what we want the nature of God to be. He is who He is – period! From my own perspective, I consider that the Bible never says that “God is wrath,” but it does say that “God is love.” 1 John 4:16 reveals to us: “And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us, God is love; and He that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God and God in him.” The Bible tells me that God loves me, and that is enough for me, I don’t need anyone else’s reassurance. I love to read verses like Romans 5:8: “But God commendeth His love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” He loved us enough to send His Son to die on the cross in order for us to be forgiven for our sins. The New Testament makes it clear, as do Old Testament prophecies that Christ had to die as a sacrifice in order for us to be saved. What you need to know today is that GOD LOVES YOU. It is not enough for you to know in your mind that God is love; you must also know in your heart that He loves you. Christ died for you! The Bible reveals to us that God loves us so much that He will not let us get by with doing what we want to do. The Bible tells us that God will discipline us when we sin. Discipline is a result of love, not of hatred. The author of Hebrews wrote plainly and simply about this. Quoting from Proverbs 3:11-13, he wrote: “My son do not take the Lord’s discipline lightly or faint when you are reproved by Him, for the Lord disciplines the one He loves.” Then he wrote: “Endure suffering as discipline: God is dealing with you as sons (His children, male and female). For what son is there that a father does not discipline?” (Hebrews 12:6-7 HCSB) I knew that my parents loved me, but that didn’t mean that they let me get by with what I wanted to do. I grew up in the days when it was open season on children. Parents would not get sent to jail for giving you a swat or two. I probably did not get swatted as often as I should have, but you couldn’t have told me that back then. Discipline is not pleasant, nor is it meant to be. God uses His discipline to remind us to obey Him. For an example of the greatness of God’s love for us, I want to draw four words out of John 3:16 and take a look at the dynamic meaning of them: “for God so loved the world.” Lift up “God” and “world” and see the contrast. God is all holy, while the world is the opposite. (Just read some world history and you will see what I mean.) But the words that come between these contrasting words are “so loved.” This holy God so loved this unholy world that He gave His Son as a sacrifice for our sins. I can’t explain to you why this had to be, but I can accept it as a token of God’s love for me. I pray that you will accept it as a token of God’s love for you. Don’t diminish God in your thinking by making a one-dimensional “teddy bear,” or a “cosmic meanie.”Accept Him as the Bible presents Him and see what He can do in your life. Jesus loves you – accept His love. Bro. Joe
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AuthorDr. Joe Beauchamp is the author of this blog and website. Categories
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September 2021
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