BURNING

QUESTION

Is God really a God of love?

My Answer: Yes, He is!

Biblical Back-up:

Reality Back-up: If we say we believe the Bible to be the Truth, then we have to trust what it says. All of us experience adversity and suffering at some point in time. Then passages like the ones reflected above will give us comfort, hope and courage to carry on in these taxing times. If we doubt God’s love, believing it doesn’t apply to us in our seemingly hopeless situation, then the Word has lost its power in our lives…the power of setting us free from our fears…the power that reminds us of the glory awaiting us ALL! We all fall short in life on many occasions, but prayer has incredible power to mend our shortfalls. If we doubt God’s love, we desperately need to diligently pray for faith…and we will be amazed by His faithfulness…His helping hand. What is God’s love in its ultimate form? Everlasting life for all mankind! Love without any prerequisites…without asking anything in return. The general term used is “unconditional love”. Does that mean love to only a few ? No, of course not…otherwise that would be conditional. So what does it then mean when God commands us to love Him first and foremost, to love ourselves, to love our neighbours, and to love our enemies? Why is the Bible saturated of passages where we are commanded to do things and to be like this or that? Have you ever asked yourself this question…and become disheartened because you fall short of so many of what God asks from you? You are not alone, but one of millions battling with this inner turmoil. Paul, who wrote 13 epistles in the New Testament, was one of them. Take a look at what he says in Romans 7:15-17 . And in his own turmoil, he beautifully puts our hearts at rest in Romans 7:22- 25 and in Romans 8:1 . What more consolation can we desire? Israel could never abide to the laws of God. They were not capable of doing it and every time upon God’s corrective hand, when they realized their iniquities and weaknesses, they ran to Him…just for Him to again and again and again forgive them and show His endless mercy. Do we make the ‘click’ here? Can we see what is happening in all the thousands of scenarios reflected in God’s Word around Israel…scenarios of man’s inabilities, their repentance, and then God’s grace? And then came the ultimate Grace…Jesus Christ…Who set us free. Did He set us all free? Of course…otherwise it wouldn’t be grace at all. Grace is what it is…grace. God deliberately set up this stage in Israel so that they could realize their weakness. In John 15:5 Jesus clearly says that without Him we can do nothing. We cannot even love Him…nor ourselves, or our neighbours, our enemies…and those who has hurt us…if He does not give it in our hearts. In His grace we are free, because there we are not under the law. But If we are not within His grace and rely upon our own ‘free will’ to have this very grace comes into effect, then we are indeed under the law…and subsequently slaves under the curse. But even with this “free will” God in His incredible grace will step in and deal with it. There are ample examples in the Old Testament of a wrathful God who has killed so many…gruesome examples of His anger, which we can easily fail to understand with our carnal minds. It is very difficult to reconcile these acts of God with a God of love. In Isaiah 55:8, however, God puts our minds at rest. But let us touch the subject of God’s wrath for a moment… Apart from the fact that God shows emotion in the highest form of anger…we see that God is also a heavenly Father, who has the well-being of His offspring to be His top priority. Does it look like it in human terms and -experience? No, of course not. Does it look like God is a God of love…taking into account the most horrific atrocities thinkable at His hands in the Old Testament? No again. So where’s the missing part that still evades us? It’s the reward for all of His children…in the end result with them…in heaven. Please read John 14:2- 3 . And to add…was Jesus only referring here to His disciples when He said He is going to prepare a place for them? No, the “you” in His statement applies to ALL mankind. The Bible is written for ALL…not only for the twelve and a few more. Doesn’t a normal loving father on earth also want the best for his kids? For sure he wants that. But…he’s only an earthly father, whose reward for his child is so limited. And God’s reward…is that limited? No…because it’s a heavenly reward. We here on earth cannot even begin to imagine the Divine proportion His reward will be. It will be beyond imagination! So the moment we get caught up into any turmoil confusion…or into discouragement, we just need to remember His words and relax into the knowing that He knows what He is doing all along. That He has a plan in Jeremiah 29:11 and that He has first and foremost our well-being at heart. There is always a GOOD reason for our suffering…always! Romans 8:28 . But just take note re this specific verse in Romans. Both the “those who love him” and the “who have been called” phrases refer to ALL. You may ask me how can I make such a statement; it’s not what it says in this verse. Yes, it is…albeit not in so much words; besides…not all love Him now, right?. But you can count on it…all WILL love Him. God will see to that. Just see John 12:32 where it clearly says Jesus will draw ALL unto Himself. Needless to say ALL will be called as well…as stated in Romans 8:28 . God has an order in which He does things. 1   Corinthians 15:23 it clearly states that Jesus was the First fruits…and the rest will follow…each in his own order. ALL will belong to Jesus eventually. So then…you may ask…if they die without knowing the Lord, let alone loving Him, where will they then learn to know or love Him? Simple to answer…in either Hades (Sheol), or “the lake of fire”. What other options are there? This subject, however, is up for ‘discussion’ at a later stage. Fact remains…ALL will bow before Christ and ALL will be reconciled with Him. Romans 14:11 . And to take it even further…the Hitlers and the Saddam Husseins will also be amongst them. They too are part of God’s lovely plan…just like everybody else…including us! This is the God we worship…the God of love. This is the GOOD NEWS. May God bless you!

Psalms 13:5 Psalms 21:7 Psalms 31:7 Psalms 36:5 & 7 Psalms 52:8 Psalms 59:16 Psalms 63:3 Psalms 86:15 Psalms 136:26 Psalms 147:11 Jeremiah 29:11 Jeremiah 31:3

Zephaniah 3:17 John 3:16 John 15:13 Romans 5:8 Romans 8:38-39 Galatians 2:20 Ephesians 2:4-5 Ephesians 3:17-19 Ephesians 5:2 1 John 4:8 1 John 4:9-10 1 John 4:16