“Know therefore that the LORD your God is God, the faithful God who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love him and keep his commandments, to a thousand generations, and repays to their face those who hate him, by destroying them. He will not be slack with one who hates him. He will repay him to his face.” (Deuteronomy 7:9–10, ESV)
In early December, I heard another example of false theology that comes about as people retell the Christmas story. This false theology comes from the careful wording of scripture taken out of context. Last month, when quoting the Christmas story from Luke, the person promoting this false theology shared the angel’s words to the shepherds from Luke 2:10, “Be not afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of a great joy which will come to all the people; for to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.” This is a beautiful part of the Christmas story. However, the person who quoted this scripture commented that this scripture proves that “God loves you, no matter who you are or what you’ve done. God loves everyone. God is love.”
Scripturally, it is true that God is love (1 John 4:7-8). It is also true that God loves you, which is reaffirmed in the famous scripture of John 3:16… “For God so loved the world, that he sent His only Son….”. However, the person who made this false theology messed up by saying, “God loves you no matter who you are or what you’ve done”. This person twisted the Christmas message to say that it doesn’t matter how you live your life, God will love you anyway. That is a false Biblical narrative. This sinful way of thinking assumes that everyone will go to heaven no matter how they’ve lived, who they have hurt, no matter what evil they accomplished, no matter how many times they rejected God. They say, “God loves everyone”. Yes, God loves everyone, but God does not love the sin enjoyed by the sinner!
Just four verses after the words of the angel in Luke 2:10 spoken of above, the scripture thoroughly refutes this false theology. A multitude of angels in Luke 2:14 proclaimed at the time of Jesus’ birth, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among men with whom he is pleased!” You may want to read that again. God’s angels proclaim, “peace on earth” BUT ONLY “among men with whom God is pleased”! God does not bring peace on earth to the sinful, irreverent, hateful, God-hating souls. The angels’ proclamation of peace is ONLY upon those “with whom God is pleased.”
The meditational scripture for today reaffirms this. Deuteronomy 7:9-10 separates out who God is faithful to and who receives God’s steadfast love. Deuteronomy 7:9 teaches that those who “love God and keep His commandments” are the recipients of God’s covenant and steadfast love. Deuteronomy 7:10 teaches that the opposite is also true. Those who “hate God” will be “repaid” by their “destruction”. God thus declares open war against those who despise God, live for evil, promote sin, and reject God’s commandments.
In many liberal denominations throughout Europe and North America, this false theology is alive and well. It is trotted out at Christmas time that God is only love, God is nice to everybody, God loves everybody and everything. It doesn’t matter what you do, how you live, what evil you commit, God will love you anyway. The German theologian Dietrich Bonhoeffer called this false ideology “Cheap Grace”. Bonhoeffer reiterated that God is not an omnipotent granter of blessings and more blessings with no care for how you respond. God’s love for you is unconditional, yes. But God’s hatred for sin, evil, and lies is also unconditional. How you live matters greatly to God. As Deuteronomy and Luke both declare openly, a person who follows God’s commandments and lives faithfully pleases God. A person who openly defies God, sins without conviction, and brings evil on another will see God’s destruction brought home.
All these verses reiterate that God is both the source of love and the judge of sin. Jesus brought redemption to the sinner who repents but will “be the judge of the living and the dead” (1 Peter 4:5).
After a sermon about Jesus’ death on the cross, a person approached me alone. Everyone had left following worship, but this one man remained. He said to me, “It surprises me that the God of love would allow Jesus to die in such a horrible death”. After a moment to take in his words, I responded, “It also surprises me that the God-fearing people of Jerusalem would be so evil to the Son of God!” This exchange provoked the two of us to share a wonderful conversation about how evil endeavors to destroy the good and how God’s love and judgement are a direct attack upon the evil in this world.
In the end, all these scriptures are forcing you to make a few choices. Will you listen to God or not? Will you obey God’s commandments or make up your own commandments? Are you committed to God or apt to follow other voices? Will you stand with God or not? Will your life reflect a love for God or a love for sin? Every decision you make in your life will answer every single one of these questions!
A PRAYER FOR TODAY
Glorious Jesus, I want to follow You wherever You lead. Help me to chase after You wholeheartedly, with glad anticipation quickening my pace. Though I don’t know what lies ahead, You know—and that is enough! I believe that some of Your richest blessings are just around the bend: out of sight, but nonetheless very real. To receive these precious gifts, I need to walk by faith, not by sight. I know this doesn’t mean closing my eyes to what is all around me. It means subordinating the visible world to You, the invisible Shepherd of my soul.
Sometimes You lead me up a high mountain with only Your hand to support me. The higher I climb, the more spectacular the view becomes—and the more keenly I sense my separation from the world with all its problems. This frees me to experience more fully the joyous reality of Your brilliant Presence. How I delight in spending these Glory-moments with You!
Eventually, You lead me down the mountain, back into community with other people. May the Light of Your Presence continue to shine on me and make me a blessing to others.
In Your majestic Name… Amen.
(adapted from Sarah Young, Jesus Listens, p. 26)
Scripturally, it is true that God is love (1 John 4:7-8). It is also true that God loves you, which is reaffirmed in the famous scripture of John 3:16… “For God so loved the world, that he sent His only Son….”. However, the person who made this false theology messed up by saying, “God loves you no matter who you are or what you’ve done”. This person twisted the Christmas message to say that it doesn’t matter how you live your life, God will love you anyway. That is a false Biblical narrative. This sinful way of thinking assumes that everyone will go to heaven no matter how they’ve lived, who they have hurt, no matter what evil they accomplished, no matter how many times they rejected God. They say, “God loves everyone”. Yes, God loves everyone, but God does not love the sin enjoyed by the sinner!
Just four verses after the words of the angel in Luke 2:10 spoken of above, the scripture thoroughly refutes this false theology. A multitude of angels in Luke 2:14 proclaimed at the time of Jesus’ birth, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among men with whom he is pleased!” You may want to read that again. God’s angels proclaim, “peace on earth” BUT ONLY “among men with whom God is pleased”! God does not bring peace on earth to the sinful, irreverent, hateful, God-hating souls. The angels’ proclamation of peace is ONLY upon those “with whom God is pleased.”
The meditational scripture for today reaffirms this. Deuteronomy 7:9-10 separates out who God is faithful to and who receives God’s steadfast love. Deuteronomy 7:9 teaches that those who “love God and keep His commandments” are the recipients of God’s covenant and steadfast love. Deuteronomy 7:10 teaches that the opposite is also true. Those who “hate God” will be “repaid” by their “destruction”. God thus declares open war against those who despise God, live for evil, promote sin, and reject God’s commandments.
In many liberal denominations throughout Europe and North America, this false theology is alive and well. It is trotted out at Christmas time that God is only love, God is nice to everybody, God loves everybody and everything. It doesn’t matter what you do, how you live, what evil you commit, God will love you anyway. The German theologian Dietrich Bonhoeffer called this false ideology “Cheap Grace”. Bonhoeffer reiterated that God is not an omnipotent granter of blessings and more blessings with no care for how you respond. God’s love for you is unconditional, yes. But God’s hatred for sin, evil, and lies is also unconditional. How you live matters greatly to God. As Deuteronomy and Luke both declare openly, a person who follows God’s commandments and lives faithfully pleases God. A person who openly defies God, sins without conviction, and brings evil on another will see God’s destruction brought home.
All these verses reiterate that God is both the source of love and the judge of sin. Jesus brought redemption to the sinner who repents but will “be the judge of the living and the dead” (1 Peter 4:5).
After a sermon about Jesus’ death on the cross, a person approached me alone. Everyone had left following worship, but this one man remained. He said to me, “It surprises me that the God of love would allow Jesus to die in such a horrible death”. After a moment to take in his words, I responded, “It also surprises me that the God-fearing people of Jerusalem would be so evil to the Son of God!” This exchange provoked the two of us to share a wonderful conversation about how evil endeavors to destroy the good and how God’s love and judgement are a direct attack upon the evil in this world.
In the end, all these scriptures are forcing you to make a few choices. Will you listen to God or not? Will you obey God’s commandments or make up your own commandments? Are you committed to God or apt to follow other voices? Will you stand with God or not? Will your life reflect a love for God or a love for sin? Every decision you make in your life will answer every single one of these questions!
A PRAYER FOR TODAY
Glorious Jesus, I want to follow You wherever You lead. Help me to chase after You wholeheartedly, with glad anticipation quickening my pace. Though I don’t know what lies ahead, You know—and that is enough! I believe that some of Your richest blessings are just around the bend: out of sight, but nonetheless very real. To receive these precious gifts, I need to walk by faith, not by sight. I know this doesn’t mean closing my eyes to what is all around me. It means subordinating the visible world to You, the invisible Shepherd of my soul.
Sometimes You lead me up a high mountain with only Your hand to support me. The higher I climb, the more spectacular the view becomes—and the more keenly I sense my separation from the world with all its problems. This frees me to experience more fully the joyous reality of Your brilliant Presence. How I delight in spending these Glory-moments with You!
Eventually, You lead me down the mountain, back into community with other people. May the Light of Your Presence continue to shine on me and make me a blessing to others.
In Your majestic Name… Amen.
(adapted from Sarah Young, Jesus Listens, p. 26)