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)