GOD is LOVE NOT SENTIMENTALITY

Sentimentality is a state or thought or action arising from feeling and not from truth or reason.  Sentimentality is, by nature, divorced from reality/truth. Since God is TRUTH, sentimentality is contrary to God--"That he who blesseth himself in the earth shall bless himself in the God of truth; and he that sweareth in the earth shall swear by the God of truth..." (Isaiah 65:16)  Jesus said, "But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him. God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth." (John 4:23-24)   An all too common example:  a teen son or daughter wants to go to a party where there will be booze, drugs, and fornication (sex out of marriage).  The mother and/or father knows that their child will come in contact with, and participate in drunkenness, drug addiction, and fornication with all its degradation, STD's and possible pregnancy.  Dad and mom do not want their child to go but the child cries and complains that they are not trusted, they are treated like a child, they are in control of their lives, the parents do not love them, etc.  They appeal emotionally to their parents and the parents, in the face of the facts, against the truth, and against all reason, are moved emotionally to allow their child to go into certain life threatening danger.  THAT IS NOT LOVE, BUT SENTIMENTALITY!

Love is something quite the opposite.  Firstly, love is an unchanging absolute. This fact stems from one supreme reason: because, "He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love." (1John 4:8)  That means that the nature and character of God defines love.  God Himself defines love.  In so many places we find the definition of love in the Scriptures (the Bible).  There are a couple that are concise, namely John 3:16 and 1John 3:16-17.

"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)
"Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.    But whoso hath this world’s good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him?" (1John 3:16-17)

When God looks at you (and all men) he does not see beauty, God's sees rebellious sinners deserving of eternal Hell fire.  ["They are corrupt, they have done abominable works, there is none that doeth good." (Psalm 14:1);  "But the scripture hath concluded all under sin" (Galatians 3:22);  "For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly." (Romans 5:6)]

God's love for you (and all men) is not based upon an emotional response--sentimentality.  God's love for you is based upon God's own nature and the fact that you are in absolute need of only that which God can supply.  The most basic definition of love is given in 1John 3:17 (above):  When one sees another in need and has what is needed love demands the fulfilling of that need regardless of deserving-ness.

Love can never be inconsistent with truth, including justice.  It is written in the Bible, "The Syrians before, and the Philistines behind; and they shall devour Israel with open mouth. For all this his anger is not turned away, but his hand is stretched out still." (Isaiah 9:12)  The context of this statement is ancient Israel under God's judgement because of their rebellion, yet His hand of loving mercy was stretched out still, even when judgement was falling.  God was ready to pardon them, something that was an absolute need and that they could not begin to do themselves.

Love requires a response.  God "now commandeth all men every where to repent" (Acts 17:30).  And we preach the remission (complete pardon) of sins through the sacrificially shed blood of the eternal Son of God, Jesus Christ, who was raised from the dead bodily.

God's LOVE is consistent with HELL!  If you remain in your sin you will be punished--God has loved you and you have refused!  There is nothing left but a fearful looking for eternal damnation.

My friend...
God has revealed Himself through His awesome creation.
God has revealed Himself through sending His Son, Christ Jesus.
God has revealed Himself through His written Word, the Bible.

You are without excuse.

Yes, God's condemnation is upon you but the hand of God's love is currently outstretched to you...
Outstretched because GOD gave HIS SON to die for YOU!
Outstretched because you are alive and reading this and there is time to seek God, through His Son.
Outstretched because God is providentially working in your life to lead you to the only salvation in His Son, Christ Jesus.
Outstretched because the Holy Spirit of God is convicting you of your sin and absolute need of Christ Jesus and His salvation.

God has written, "Behold, I set before you the way of life, and the way of death."  (Jeremiah 21:8)

God will not deal with you by sentimentality.  God is truth, God is just, God is righteous, God is love, and He will never pervert Himself.  It is you that must repent and be changed by God!  To stay as you are is death.

"He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life.  These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God."  (1John 5:12-13)

Why are you running from God?

In Proverbs 28:5 God has said, through King Solomon, "Evil men understand not judgment: but they that seek the LORD understand all things."

Men run from God because the holy sinless all-powerful God threatens what they love most and men do not want to come under God's righteous judgment. 

You know, my friend, that judgment awaits you. Psalm 53:1-3 says, "The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God.

Corrupt are they, and have done abominable iniquity: there is none that doeth good. God looked down from heaven upon the children of men, to see if there were any that did understand, that did seek God. Every one of them is gone back: they are altogether become filthy; there is none that doeth good, no, not one."  Please note that God has passed judgment already. The Lord Jesus said, "...he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God." (John 3:18)

Why do you not seek God?

John 3:19 tells us, "And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil."  You do not seek after the real righteous true God of judgment and truth and love because He threatens your SIN and you LOVE YOUR SIN more than anything. 

The Judge is Jesus Christ. 

"For the Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the Son:" (John 5:22).  And the assurance of this righteous judgment is found in the bodily resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead--"now commandeth all men every where to repent: Because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead." (Acts 17:30-31). 

My friend please do repent and seek the Lord Jesus. It is only in Jesus and what He did for you that salvation from you sin and the coming just wrath of God that 100% assured eternal safety can be found. 

Please contact me; pastor@historicbaptist.com

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Read more posts on this blog. 

Remember, there are many voices out there but not one living God and His Son, Jesus Christ, only one Word of God, the Holy Bible, and only one Saviour, Jesus Christ. 

Who Is Jesus Christ? What will you do with Jesus?

The world has not yet gotten over Jesus Christ. Many hate Jesus, many use him for their own ends, and a few have come to know and love him for who he really is and what he has done. But, one thing is consistent across this whole demographic of people, man will never get over Jesus Christ.

Is it not amazing to you that people spend so much time and effort denying that God exists?  Why are their not groups, movements, societies, educational guidelines, and government policies to deny the existence of Zeus, Apollo, or Allah?  The number one reason is because Zeus, Apollo, Allah, etc. are fables invented by men and everyone knows it deep in their conscience.  There is no reason to deny what every one knows does not exist.

The Bible teaches us why men spend so much energy denying the God of the Bible.

Romans 1:18-23, says...
"For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness; (19) Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them. (20) For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse: (21) Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. (22) Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, (23) And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things."

1.    Men know the truth about God's existence, power, and sovereignty in their consciences from birth--intuitively.  ["men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness"  "know of God is manifest in them" "clearly seen" "when they knew God"]  In Romans 2:14-15 says, "For when the Gentiles [non-Jews], which have not the law [written Bible], do by nature the things contained in the law, these, having not the law, are a law unto themselves: which shew the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness."

2.    Worship of false gods comes from man perverting the truth about the one and only real God of the Bible, not because the truth is not knowable.  "became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened"  "became fools"  "changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image like to corruptible man, and to birds, and creeping things."

3.    Man is without excuse, culpable, condemned in his sin.  In Psalm 14:1-3 it is written, "The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God. They are corrupt, they have done abominable works, there is none that doeth good.  The LORD looked down from heaven upon the children of men, to see if there were any that did understand, and seek God.  They are all gone aside, they are all together become filthy: there is none that doeth good, no, not one."

Someone might ask, well if there is a God I wish He would tell me.  One might ask, will the read God please stand up?  The real God has stood up.  

It is written in the book of Proverbs, in the Bible...

"Who hath ascended up into heaven, or descended? who hath gathered the wind in his fists? who hath bound the waters in a garment? who hath established all the ends of the earth? what is his name, and what is his son’s name, if thou canst tell?  Every word of God is pure: he is a shield unto them that put their trust in him.  Add thou not unto his words, lest he reprove thee, and thou be found a liar." (Proverbs 30:4-6)

Yes God has revealed his power and sovereignty to man in God's creation, of which you are apart. But, to know God's name--WHO HE IS AND WHAT HE HAS DONE--we need the WORD OF GOD, the Holy Bible.

Jesus claimed to be the Son of God, which meant HE was God.

The Bible records, "But Jesus answered them, My Father worketh hitherto, and I work.  Therefore the Jews sought the more to kill him, because he not only had broken the sabbath, but said also that God was his Father, making himself equal with God." (John 5:18)

And again, "I and my Father are one.  Then the Jews took up stones again to stone him.  Jesus answered them, Many good works have I shewed you from my Father; for which of those works do ye stone me?  The Jews answered him, saying, For a good work we stone thee not; but for blasphemy; and because that thou, being a man, makest thyself God." (John 10:30-33)

The Apostle Paul taught Jesus is God.

"And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory." (1Timothy 3:16)

"God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets,  Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds;  Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high." (Hebrews 1:1-3)

The Apostle John taught Jesus is God.

"Who is a liar but he that denieth that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist, that denieth the Father and the Son." (1John 2:22--remember, the above quotes from John 5 and 10, the son is equal with the father.)

"For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one." (1John 5:7--the Word is another name for Jesus Christ, see John 1:1-14.)  This verse also teaches the triune nature of God--one God (being) in three distinct persons.

Jesus Christ is JEHOVAH of the Old Testament

A.     Jehovah

Isa. 40:3, “The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the LORD, make straight in the desert a highway for our God.”;

With Matt. 3:3, “For this is he that was spoken of by the prophet Esaias, saying, The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.”    John the Baptist prepared the way for Jehovah made flesh, Jesus Christ.

B.     Jehovah of glory

Psa. 24:7-8, “Lift up your heads, O ye gates; and be ye lift up, ye everlasting doors; and the King of glory shall come in.  Who is this King of glory? The LORD strong and mighty, the LORD mighty in battle.”;

With 1Cor. 2:8, “Which none of the princes of this world knew: for had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.”; and Jam. 2:1, “My brethren, have not the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, with respect of persons.”

C.      Jehovah our righteousness

Jer. 23:5-6, “Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will raise unto David a righteous Branch, and a King shall reign and prosper, and shall execute judgment and justice in the earth.  In his days Judah shall be saved, and Israel shall dwell safely: and this is his name whereby he shall be called, THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS.”;

With 1Cor. 1:30, “But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption:”

D.     Jehovah the Shepherd

Isa. 40:10-11, “Behold, the Lord GOD will come with strong hand, and his arm shall rule for him: behold, his reward is with him, and his work before him.  He shall feed his flock like a shepherd: he shall gather the lambs with his arm, and carry them in his bosom, and shall gently lead those that are with young.”;

With Heb. 13:20, “Now the God of peace, that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant,”; and, Jesus said in John 10:11, “I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.”

E.      Jehovah, all things created for

Prov. 16:4, “The LORD hath made all things for himself: yea, even the wicked for the day of evil.”;

With Col. 1:16, speaking of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, “For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him:”

F.      Invoked as Jehovah

Joel 2:32, “And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the LORD shall be delivered: for in mount Zion and in Jerusalem shall be deliverance, as the LORD hath said, and in the remnant whom the LORD shall call.”;

With Acts 2:21, “And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved.”; and, 1Cor. 1:2, “Unto the church of God which is at Corinth, to them that are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints, with all that in every place call upon the name of Jesus Christ our Lord,”; and, Acts 4:12, “Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.”

What will you do with Jesus?