Tabor Baptist Church

Introduction

• Opening up of a subject this evening
• Has been discussed in the Men's Meetings
• Is this a topic you have struggled with?
• To do with a view of God's character
• Your understanding of God affects your worship
• Do you have a hard view of others? - example
• Do you have a wrong view of the love of God? - explanation

God is Love

• The Bible says God is love
• It never says God is wrath or anger
• It does say that God can be angry
• Love is part of His very nature - v8,16
• Some theologians would not even class wrath as one of His attributes ...
• ... though it is part of His holiness
• Exodus 34:6-8
• Love - merciful, gracious, longsuffering, abounding in goodness and truth
• Wrath - not clearing the guilty
• A balanced view
• Some say you must preach the whole tennet of Scripture
  
• Example of 'Before they leave the stage' and Ian Hamilton
• Examples of how people are conversion
• The most usual way people are converted is when they hear the good news of Christ

The Wrath of God

• John 3:36
• At the present time - all unbelievers have the settled anger of God on them
• God's anger towards sin and the sinner
• Eph 2:3
• Rom 1:18
• Ps 7:11, 11:5
• Prov 15:8-9,26

How can to the two be understood?

• God detests sin - can the sinner be separated from their sin?
• As humans we understand these ideas differently to how God thinks about it
• We might think of wrath as being in a rage or vindictive - God never acts like this
• Love is not a feeling - God defines love in a different way
• What about the rich young ruler? - explanation
• Think of Jesus weeping over the city of Jerusalem - explanation
• Luke 6:27-28
• We are called to love our enemies
• We are to have the same disposition of love, compassion and pity as God does
• God provides the sun and the rain for both good and bad
• 2 Pet 3:9
• Ez 18:32,23, Ezk 33
• God in love sent forth His Son, Jesus in love died on the cross for sinners
• Righteousness and mercy kissed together at the cross
• A special love for the believer
• Eph 1:4
• Rom 9

Practical Outworkings

God loves the sinner but hates the sin

• Is this helpful?
• In some respects
• Does not represent the whole truth
• The need to explain love

God's love is unconditional

• Does this need to be explained?
• The unconditional aspect is the fact we don't need to earn God's love
• There is still the need for repentance
• This love is in Christ

Two Statements

• Spurgeon
• The Synod of Dort - (the 5 points of Calvinism)
• All can be saved
• The work of the cross is of infinite value
• Disagreements over doctrines should not affect our fellowship with other Christians - provided we are united over primary issues
• Does it affect our evangelism?
• Rev 7:9-10
• Many called but few are chosen

Closing Remarks