God’s very nature is love.
As humans we are not disposed to love those who don’t love us, but Jesus addressed that in the Beatitudes.
And I don’t think we can anthropomorphize God like that.
The motivating factor in God’s plan for redemption is His love for His creation.
Yes, God hates sin and He is angry when people do that which destroys the work of His hands and goes against His will. And such disobedience must be punished to satisfy His justice, but He doesn’t do it because He hates us. Also the definition of *hate* in Scripture from the Greek, does NOT necessarily indicate the kind of hate we mean when we use the term.
The big danger I see in people pushing the *God hates* scenario is that it will justify that person’s hatred or callous indifference to others who have not yet been redeemed. And sadly, I see a lot of that kind of attitude from self-professed Calvinists. I have not had the experience of finding them overall, as a warm, loving, caring group of people.
When speaking Biblically, which is what this issue is about, then your first sentence cannot stand if the second sentence (which I also expressed) is true.
It remains that God describes God as hating sinners, and in more terms than only "hate," yet loving them them and in more terms than only "love," and these attitudinal or emotive terms need not be and are not mutually contradictory as used in Scripture.
The big danger I see in people pushing the *God hates* scenario is that it will justify that person’s hatred or callous indifference to others who have not yet been redeemed. And sadly, I see a lot of that kind of attitude from self-professed Calvinists. I have not had the experience of finding them overall, as a warm, loving, caring group of people.
On this we agree, but the danger is always of overreaction in the light of a lack of balance.
This keeps drawing and influencing those whose need is for affection. That is not what is in vew when one talks about Godly love .
He is first, All-righteous, totally without sin.
Love outside the context of righteousness is not love at all.
Hebrews 7:1-3 (AV)(my emphases):
"For this Melchisedec, king of Salem, priest of the most high God,
who met Abraham returning from the slaughter of the kings,
and blessed him;
To whom also Abraham gave a tenth part of all;
first being by interpretation* King of righteousnessjustice,
and
after that also King of Salem, which is, King of peacelove;
Without father, without mother, without descent, having neither beginning of days, nor end of life; but made like unto the Son of God; abideth a priest continually.
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Note:
* מלך melek = king; צדק tsedeq = righteousness (or <>justice, if you wish)
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The very picture of God in Jesus, a figure of the Christ at leat, if not actually a Christophany (which I belive). It is Jesus, the Man of Sorrow, Who interposed Himself between His fellowmen and The Mighty God's justice against the sins of man, that placated God's furious wrath, and thus illustrates the full hatred of God toward sin and sinners.
The big danger I see in people pushing the *God hates* scenario is that it will justify that person’s hatred or callous indifference to others who have not yet been redeemed.
The big danger is that those whose lifestyle is rejecting the Gospel do not make a differentiation between who they are versus what they do. Their concept is that they are what they do
If you cannot bring them to a conviction that they are incapable of reaching a goodness that will satisfy a Holy God, no matter how beneficial their works; and are in tears for the sinful things they have done, it is not they will not be saved. Covering their sins with your "love" will not convince them, or save them. It will only insulate them from experiencing the consequences of their false beliefs.
Here it is. The duty of a herald of the Gospel is to help people see that:
A ctions
arise from
B eliefs.
and they have
C onsequences.
It seems that you are afraid of the persecution you would receive if you, like the "Calvinists" you decry, preached righteousness to them (witholding falsely-motivated compassion), rather than accepting that the remnant of those who do take your preaching seriously and become saved by God's righteous treatment of sin, will thank you for ever.
I say this, not as if it feels good to confront your proposition, nor as if it were pleasing to stir things up by contention, but because I love Jesus and His Righteousness, and I love you as a sister and fellow-worker in the Gospel, as Paul did the Corinthians, to overcome their failure to apply church discipline to settle differences:
2 Corinthians 7:8-12 (AV):
"For though I made you sorry with a letter, I do not
repent, though I did repentregret: for I perceive that the same
epistle hath made you sorry, though it were but for a season. Now I rejoice, not that ye were made sorry, but that ye
sorrowed to repentance: for ye were made sorry after a
godly manner, that ye might receive damage by us in
nothing.
For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be
repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death.
For behold this selfsame thing, that ye sorrowed after a
godly sort, what carefulness it wrought in you, yea, what
clearing of yourselves, yea, what indignation, yea, what
fear, yea, what vehement desire, yea, what zeal, yea, what
revenge! In all things ye have approved yourselves to be
clear in this matter.
Wherefore, though I wrote unto you, I did it not for his
cause that had done the wrong, nor for his cause that
suffered wrong, but that our care for you in the sight of
God might appear unto you."
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Metmom, it is our job to present--and live--the Gospel so as to bring first sorrow, then happiness:
John 16:8-11 (AV):
"And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment:
Of sin, because they believe not on me;
Of righteousness, because I go to my Father, and ye see me no more;
Of judgment, because the prince of this world is judged."
Where in the Gospel, does it preach only the sweetness of God in Christ? Eh?
God's nature is holiness. Love is an attribute of this holiness.
We are not holy nor do we wish to be holy unless God changes our hearts. Now I would quote some verses in support of this but I would have to quote almost the entire Bible. It isn't important what you may "think" about self-professing Calvinists. It is whether they are scripturally right. We could give everyone a group hug but that doesn't help to have a right understanding of God.