Sadly in today’s world and even in the modern church, there is a distorted view of God’s love. There are many people who pose the claim of if God is love, how can He send sinners to hell? Part of this issue is there is a rise of false teachers who preach a false gospel that leads people to believe there is no hell, hades, the lake of fire, or eternal judgment. These false teachers easily gain popularity because this world’s mainstream entertainment system is run by Satan himself. Don’t believe me? Just listen to the lyrics of today’s top ten hits on secular radio.
Spiritual warfare isn’t just about a battle of people yelling “get out in Jesus name”, spiritual warfare is also a battle for truth in accordance with God’s Word. Trust me, I believe part of spiritual warfare is about casting out the kingdom of darkness, however, there are many believers who are misinformed and think that is the only aspect of spiritual warfare. John 8:31-32 (ESV) tells us, “So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed him, “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”.
So how do we Biblically explain God’s love? Let’s look at Exodus 34:6-7 (ESV), “The Lord passed before him and proclaimed, “The Lord, the Lord, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness, keeping steadfast love for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, but who will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children and the children’s children, to the third and the fourth generation.””. Most people like this verse until it says “but who will by no means clear the guilty”.
The Cross of Jesus Christ consists of both the wrath and the love of God. You can’t have one without the other. Make no mistake all sin must be paid for, either by the lake of fire or by the Blood of Jesus Christ. While we live in a world that is full of injustice and a corrupt system, God’s justice is perfect and consistent every single time. Psalm 7:11 (ESV) says, “ God is a righteous judge and a God who feels indignation every day”.
On the Day of Judgement, everyone will have to give an account before God. Hebrews 10:31 (ESV) says, “It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.”. Too often today, many people both in and out of the modern church lack a proper reverence towards God. We need to take the Gospel of Jesus Christ seriously. It is time believers stand up for the truth in God’s Word in a world where most people only want to hear about how they can live a happy, healthy, and successful life. If you think Christianity is about “living your best life now” then I am deeply concerned about your Salvation.
Jesus told us in Mark 9:43 (ESV), “And if your hand causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life crippled than with two hands to go to hell, to the unquenchable fire.”. Even before the Day of Judgment, after the Second Coming of Jesus, there is a Heaven to gain and a hell to be shunned. Revelation 21:8 (ESV) warns us all, “But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the detestable, as for murderers, the sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death.”. People like to make the claim “I don’t need God I am a good person”. Well just ask them, have you ever told a lie, even a white lie? Everyone has told a lie at least once if not more, and if you lied that just doesn’t make you a sinner, it also makes you a liar, which the Bible makes very clear the final destination for liars.
However, the God of the Bible is a loving God, who sent His only Son to pay the price for all sin. This is God’s free gift, all you need to do is repent and believe (Mark 1:15). Jesus said in John 3:16 (ESV), “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.”. God’s love is Holy, it is not like the love we are used to on this world, and in fact, I don’t think we can ever come to the full realization of His love until we leave this earth.
Accepting the Gospel is not about being religious, Jesus was against the religious people during His earthly ministry. The Gospel is about being set free from the bondage of sin, being set free from the weight that was placed on each person as a result of the fall. When you are born again, the moment your genuinely repent and believe fully in Jesus Christ, you have a new nature inside of you. You will receive the Holy Spirit, who will empower you to walk in the righteousness of Jesus Christ. The Holy Spirit will teach and guide you on your Christian walk. You might think to yourself it is impossible for me to overcome this area of sin in my life, but let me tell you it is the finished work of Christ that overcomes it. You may not see instant changes right away, but the Holy Spirit will do the work in you. If God started a good work in you, He will complete it (Philippians 1:6).