Many people believe that if God is a god of love, He would not carry out judgment against the wicked.
The Bible makes it clear that God Himself is love. He loves obedience and righteousness. He hates disobedience and wickedness. God loved His people so much that He gave them laws that embody and promote godly love. All God asks of His bride is to demonstrate her love for Him by obeying His commandments. In other words, instead of living a life of lawlessness God’s people must choose to live a life of righteousness.
The Levitical sacrifices show that God refines and/or disciplines His people whose sins and trespasses have been atoned by a blood sacrifice and that the wicked will be consumed in the lake of fire. Jesus’ blood sacrifice is sufficient to atone our sins and trespasses. Jesus even took away our sins which is something the Levitical sacrifices could not do.
Over and over again the Bible talks about the Day of the Lord. This is a day of judgment that was prophesied by the Old Testament prophets, pictured in the Feasts of the Lord, and talked about by Jesus and His disciples. Jesus warned that those who practice lawlessness will be cast into the furnace of fire where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. This warning was given out of love.
Don’t we warn our children of the consequences of poor choices even though they may not agree with us? Of course! We do it because we love them. So why don’t we warn non-believers of the coming judgment? Is it because we fear being accused of being intolerant of sin or of being fanatical?
Should we only try to love people into the Kingdom of God? Is this really the only effective method of evangelism? Is this really fair? Do you want to enter into a marriage without knowing the expectations of your possible spouse even if you know that person loves you?
It’s true that all people can come to God in the sinful condition they are in but they are not to remain in that condition and continue to live a life of lawlessness. Many assume they can. The Ten Commandments are the basics of the marriage covenant. Certainly it takes time to learn more details of what God requires but once this is known, people must conform their lives to His standard of holiness. Non-believers must understand that God is inviting them to enter into a marriage relationship with Him and that there are terms of that covenant that must be agreed to. God made the terms of His covenant clear to the mixed multitude once He brought them out from under the burden of the Egyptians and brought them to Mount Sinai. Exodus 24:3 says, “So Moses came and told the people all the words of the Lord and all the judgments. And all the people answered with one voice and said, “All the words which the Lord has said we will do.” (NKJV) This is how it began. See how they were told about the commandments and the judgments? They agreed to it with their eyes wide open.
Jesus called the Jews to repent and return to the terms of the marriage covenant and warned them of the coming judgment. He originally sent His disciples only to the lost tribes of Israel. Eventually, Paul was sent to the Gentiles. The message has always been the same.
Do you think presenting both the marriage covenant and the warning of judgment in a balanced manner the answer to evangelism in these last days? Would you like it if you refused an offer without all the facts? Think about it.
If you haven’t already done so, do you need to leave a life of lawlessness and place your trust in Jesus to rescue you from the wages of sin which is death? Are you willing to do so? Why or why not?
Highway to Holiness 