MERCY – It’s what God’s love looks like towards the sinner.

Merriam – Webster defines mercy as compassion or forbearance shown especially to an offender or to one subject to one’s power.

The reason there is no anointing on the message of love within the postmodern gospel which has infiltrated many churches, is because it is rooted is a self-centered, humanistic, lie, which rejects the biblical account of the justice of God.

God is a holy God, and his love is bestowed on sinners as mercy. Jesus died for sinners, not because God was madly in love with them, but because God is merciful.

In John 3:14-15, Jesus says the following:

And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life.

Jesus makes reference to the serpent in the wilderness, as recorded in Numbers 21.

5 And the people spake against God, and against Moses, Wherefore have ye brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? for there is no bread, neither is there any water; and our soul loatheth this light bread.

6 And the Lord sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people; and much people of Israel died.

7 Therefore the people came to Moses, and said, We have sinned, for we have spoken against the Lord, and against thee; pray unto the Lord, that he take away the serpents from us. And Moses prayed for the people.

8 And the Lord said unto Moses, Make thee a fiery serpent, and set it upon a pole: and it shall come to pass, that every one that is bitten, when he looketh upon it, shall live.

9 And Moses made a serpent of brass, and put it upon a pole, and it came to pass, that if a serpent had bitten any man, when he beheld the serpent of brass, he lived. ~ Numbers 21:5-9

The serpent of brass which God commanded Moses to make was the atoning provision to save the people from the judgment which God had sent. Notice that the text says: And the Lord sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people; and much people of Israel died (v.6)

According to Jesus, this was a type of how God would deliver us from our sins (John 3:14-15) and this was a type of how God would “so love” the world through the giving of his Son, Jesus.

I read something once which I think is very indicative of how many people have come to view God’s love in the postmodern gospel. The comment said of God “He is madly in love with people. That is why He dealt so furiously with sin. He crushed Jesus so He could save me.”

This is incorrect. The truth is, we were under his judgment because of our sins, and he saved us because of his mercy!

Many times people ask: “Why would a loving God condemn people to hell?” Yet this question gets it backwards, because first came judgment then the atonement.

Therefore the correct question should be: “Why would a righteous God (the Judge of all) give life to a condemned sinner?”

The answer is: because he of his mercy!

In his mercy, God demonstrated his love towards sinners by sending his Son, Jesus, to die for their sins, so that whosoever would believe would not perish but have everlasting life.

⁴ But after that the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared,

⁵ Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but ACCORDING TO HIS MERCY he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;

⁶ Which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour;

⁷ That being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life. ~ Titus 3:4-7

When a sinner understands that he is condemned, and repents, he doesn’t question the justice of the love of God – “Why would a loving God condemn anyone to hell?” Rather, he praises God for his mercy, by which he demonstrated his love towards sinners.

I AM THAT I AM

Throughout the Bible, God is revealed as a holy God and every attribute of God is a revelation of his divine essence. The same God who is glorious in his love is also glorious in bringing down those who oppose and hate him.

The apostle John tells us: God is love ~ 1 John 4:8, and in the book of the Revelation, the apostle John tells us how God is praised, worshiped, and glorified for his judgments against the ungodly.

1 And I saw another sign in heaven, great and marvelous, seven angels having the seven last plagues; for in them is filled up THE WRATH OF GOD. 

² And I saw as it were a sea of glass mingled with fire: and them that had gotten the victory over the beast, and over his image, and over his mark, and over the number of his name, stand on the sea of glass, having the harps of God.

³ And they sing the song of Moses the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying, Great and marvelous are thy works, Lord God Almighty; just and true are thy ways, thou King of saints.

⁴ Who shall not fear thee, O Lord, and glorify thy name? for thou only art holy: for all nations shall come and worship before thee; for thy judgments are made manifest. ~ Revelation 15:1-4

Recently I came across a teaching which said the following:

God’s justice is something God does, and like everything He does, it flows from Who He is. The Scriptures tell us that God IS Love (1 John 4:8, 16); but there is NOT ONE Scripture that tells us that God IS Justice. God does justice, yes; but He IS Love. God IS NOT Justice who does Love. God IS Love who does justice.

Upon reading this, it wouldn’t take much for a person to come away with the conclusion that the writer is setting forth the ideology that love is the supreme attribute of God. Though the Bible does teach God is love, the Bible never teaches that love trumps all the other attributes of God.

God is love. He is merciful. He is gracious, and he is also angry with the wicked every day. ~ Psalm 7:11.

That last statement – God is angry with the wicked every day – is a difficult one for many to swallow, but it is true nevertheless, because God never changes. ~ Malachi 3:6 

Throughout the Bible, there are many attributes which the scriptures ascribe to God and each one is revealed in a very specific context.

For example, after the Israelites had crossed the Red Sea on dry ground, the Egyptians who attempted to do the same, were drowned. Afterwards, Israel sang a victory song to the Lord in which they proclaimed: “the Lord is a MAN OF WAR: the Lord is his name.” ~ Exodus 15:3

In Israel’s time of trouble, when they needed God to defend them and deliver them from the pursuit of Pharaoh and the Egyptian army, God was revealed to them as A MAN OF WAR .

When God gave to Moses the Ten Commandments, God revealed in the very first command that he is a JEALOUS GOD.

2 I am the Lord thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.

3 Thou shalt have no other gods before me.

4 Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth.

5 Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I THE LORD THY GOD AM A JEALOUS GOD, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me…~ Exodus 20:2-5

Throughout the old testament, God referred to himself as a Jealous God within the context of idols. God alone is God, and there his no other God besides him. Those who serve idols provoke his anger. Even under the new testament, God, who is love, is a jealous God who will not tolerate his people serving other gods (idols).

If we think that because God is love, he is no longer a jealous God who will not be displeased with idolatry, we have embarked upon deception. God is who he declares himself to be, and he does not change. God said to Moses: “I AM that I AM.”

Whenever a scriptural truth such as, God is love, is elevated beyond the boundaries of the whole counsel of scripture, error quickly follows.

By emphasizing, God is love, as if its is the supreme attribute of God that trumps all others, we become prey to the mercy of those who define God’s love out of their own human reasoning.Thus the universalist can claim – everyone will be saved and no one will be damned for rejecting Jesus, because God is love, and God wouldn’t send anyone to hell. Yet this view of God’s love is not compatible with the whole counsel of scripture.

Deuteronomy 32:4 says God is JUST and RIGHT, and Psalm 89:14 declares “ JUSTICE and JUDGMENT are the habitation of God’s throne.”

Psalm 9:6 says: The Lord is known by the JUDGMENT which he executeth., and in Isaiah, God declares that he is a Just God: there is no God else beside me; a JUST GOD and a Savior; there is none beside me. ~ Isaiah 45:21

In Jeremiah, God says the following:

23 Thus saith the Lord, Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, neither let the mighty man glory in his might, let not the rich man glory in his riches:

24 But let him that glorieth glory in this, that he understandeth and knoweth me, that I am the Lord which exercise lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness, in the earth: for in these things I delight, saith the Lord. ~ Jeremiah 9:23-24

God’s character and attributes are proclaimed all throughout the scriptures and only when we hold them together do we get a true portrait of who God is.

GOD AND THE UNREPENTANT

In scripture, it is the unrepentant sinner who incurs God’s wrath, and not the repentant sinner. According to the Bible, God delights in showing mercy and forgiveness, even to the ungodly.

As I live, saith the Lord God, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way and live: turn ye,turn ye from your evil ways; for why will ye die, O house of Israel? ~ Ezekiel 33:11

Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the Lord, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon. ~ Isaiah 55:7

When the wicked turns to the Lord, the Lord will be merciful and forgiving, but what does the Bible say about the wicked who are unrepentant?

According to the Bible, the unrepentant are treasuring up wrath against themselves for the Day of Judgment.

But after THY HARDNESS AND UNREPENTANT HEART TREASUREST UP UNTO THYSELF WRATH against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God… ~ Romans 2:5

Many Christians can cite the words: the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance. Few know the context of those words. Though it is true that the goodness of God leads to repentance, Paul puts it in the form of question within the context of those who are hardhearted and unrepentant, and who despise the goodness of God.

1 Therefore thou art inexcusable, O man, whosoever thou art that judgest: for wherein thou judgest another, thou condemnest thyself; for thou that judgest doest the same things.

2 But we are sure that the judgment of God is according to truth against them which commit such things.

3 And thinkest thou this, O man, that judgest them which do such things, and doest the same, that thou shalt escape the judgment of God?

4 Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance?

5 But after thy hardness and impenitent heart treasurest up unto thyself wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God;

6 Who will render to every man according to his deeds… ~ Romans 2:1-6

Paul says these words on the heels of his condemnation of the wicked in verses 18-32 of the previous chapter, where Paul tells us God abandoned the wicked to their own devices.

• GOD GAVE THEM UP to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonor their own bodies between themselves… ~ v 24

• GOD GAVE THEM UP unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature… ~ v. 26

• GOD GAVE THEM OVER to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient… ~ v. 28

God’s disposition, and his dealings with the wicked who are unrepentant is well documented throughout the entirety of the scriptures. Consider the following:

The foolish shall not stand in thy sight: THOU HATEST ALL THE WORKERS OF INIQUITY. ~ Psalm 5:5

God judgeth the righteous, and GOD IS ANGRY WITH THE WICKED EVERY DAY. ~ Psalm 7:11

The Lord trieth the righteous: but the wicked and him that loveth violence HIS SOUL HATETH. ~ Psalm 11:5

The CURSE OF THE LORD is in the house of the wicked: but he blesseth the habitation of the just. ~ Proverbs 3:33

I could go on and on, because God’s displeasure with those who practice wickedness (child molestation, rape, murder, demon worship, sodomy, human trafficking, etc.) and refuse to repent, is well documented throughout the scriptures.

At this point, allow me to remind you, God extends mercy to the wicked who repents, but to the UNREPENTANT who despises God – God has no pleasure in them.

For thou art not a God that hath pleasure in wickedness: neither shall evil dwell with thee. ~ Psalm 5:4

God is indeed a loving and forgiving God, and he desires to forgive people of their sins, but they must turn away from their sins and turn to him to be forgiven by him. God is a good God, who commands all people, everywhere to repent ~ Acts 17:30, but when his goodness is despised by the ungodly who hate him, they become subject to his wrath.

9 Know therefore that the Lord thy God, he is God, the faithful God, which keepeth covenant and mercy WITH THEM THAT LOVE HIM and keep his commandments to a thousand generations;

10 And REPAYETH THEM THAT HATE HIM TO THEIR FACE, TO DESTROY THEM: he will not be slack to him that HATETH HIM, HE WILL REPAY HIM TO HIS FACE. ~ Deuteronomy 9:9-10

Throughout the entirety of the Bible, in both the old and new testament, God’s love, grace, and mercy is extended to all people; and he is forgiving towards all who humble themselves in repentance. Yet for those who refuse to repent because they despise and hate him, he reserves them unto the day of judgment to be punishment ~ see 2 Peter 2:9; 3:7

Unfortunately, many Christians have the notion that the truth of the severity of God towards the wicked is a message which portrays God as harsh and unloving. Yet, the scriptures make a distinction between those upon whom God lavishes his love, and those who are an abomination to him.

The way of the wicked is an abomination unto the Lord: but he loveth him that followeth after righteousness. ~ Proverbs 15:9

The commonly held belief that God loves every person (good and evil, godly and ungodly) exactly the same, is not a scriptural teaching.  Consider for example John 14:21: He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me SHALL BE LOVED OF MY FATHER , AND I WILL LOVE HIM , and will manifest myself to him.

There are many people who recognize the words of  John 3:16: For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son. Many can quote these words verbatim. Unfortunately, many of those same people do not know the context in which the words are spoken.

Let us consider, briefly, the context of God’s love in John 3:16 to better understand God’s love as it is revealed in scripture. Let’s begin with verses 14-15:

And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up:  That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life.

Now consider the old testament account from which Jesus references in verses 14-15 above.

5 And the people spake against God, and against Moses, Wherefore have ye brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? for there is no bread, neither is there any water; and our soul loatheth this light bread. 

6 And the Lord sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people; and much people of Israel died. 

7 Therefore the people came to Moses, and said, We have sinned, for we have spoken against the Lord, and against thee; pray unto theLord, that he take away the serpents from us. And Moses prayed for the people. 

8 And the Lord said unto Moses, Make thee a fiery serpent, and set it upon a pole: and it shall come to pass, that every one that is bitten, when he looketh upon it, shall live. 

9 And Moses made a serpent of brass, and put it upon a pole, and it came to pass, that if a serpent had bitten any man, when he beheld the serpent of brass, he lived. ~ Numbers 21:5-9

The serpent of brass which God commanded Moses to make was the atoning provision to save the people from the judgment which God had sent. Notice that the text says: And the Lord sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people; and much people of Israel died (v.6)

According to Jesus, this was a type of how God would deliver us from our sins, and it was an old testament foreshadowing of how God would display his love for us in Jesus Christ.

Sinful man is under the judgment of God, but God sent his son to be the atoning sacrifice for the sins of all who will repent and turn to him and this is how God so loved the world. He gave his only begotten Son so that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have eternal life. ~ John 3:16

Now consider John 3:17 – 21:

¹⁷ For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.

¹⁸ He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.

¹⁹ And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.

²⁰ For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved.

²¹ But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God. ~ John 3:16 – 21

Now notice verse 36:

He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.

God gave his Son to bestow his love on all who would humbly turn from their sins. God’s love for all people is revealed in his giving of his Son, with the condition, that the recipients of his love turn from their sins.

Those who refuse to turn from their sins by rejecting the precious gift of God, which he gave through the offering of his Son, have consequently rejected the love of God. Therefore they are condemned, and are under God’s wrath.

Whether we like it or not, there are people throughout the world who hate God because they love their sins. God’s love is extended to them, calling them to repentance. If they persist in their rebellion against God, refusing to humble themselves, they will be judged and damned in their sins: In this way, they are under the wrath of God.

The new testament teaches that God has appointed a day in which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man he has appointed: Jesus Christ.

God has given his Son as the witness of himself, and in the Son, God offers forgiveness, grace, and mercy, to all people. Those who believe God’s witness, in his Son, receive life everlasting through God’s forgiveness, grace, and mercy; which is freely given in Jesus Christ.

Those who reject the Son of God; reject the love, mercy, and grace, God has offered them. God is holy and just to be displeased and angry with those who refuse to humble themselves before him so that they may receive mercy and grace.

On the day of judgement, those who reject God’s love will have no intercessor, no advocate to defend them, and will stand before a holy and righteous God with all their sins exposed before him. They will be judged for their sins because of their defiance of his goodness, and their rejection of the love God offered them in Jesus.

For them, there will no forgiveness when they stand before God to be judged. They will be judged, not by God’s compassion, but by God’s wrath.

THE DAY OF JUDGMENT 

From Genesis to Revelation, the coming day of the judgment of God is a biblical truth.

In scripture, it is the unrepentant sinner who incurs God’s wrath, and not the repentant sinner. According to the Bible, God delights in showing mercy and forgiveness, even to the ungodly.

As I live, saith the Lord God, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way and live: turn ye,turn ye from your evil ways; for why will ye die, O house of Israel? ~ Ezekiel 33:11

Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the Lord, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon. ~ Isaiah 55:7

When the wicked turns to the Lord, the Lord will be merciful and forgiving, but what does the Bible say about the wicked who are unrepentant?

According to the Bible, the unrepentant are treasuring up wrath against themselves for the Day of Judgment.

But after THY HARDNESS AND UNREPENTANT HEART TREASUREST UP UNTO THYSELF WRATH against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God… ~ Romans 2:5

Many Christians can cite the words: the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance. Few know the context of those words. Though it is true that the goodness of God leads to repentance, Paul puts it in the form of question within the context of those who are hardhearted and unrepentant, and who despise the goodness of God.

1 Therefore thou art inexcusable, O man, whosoever thou art that judgest: for wherein thou judgest another, thou condemnest thyself; for thou that judgest doest the same things.

2 But we are sure that the judgment of God is according to truth against them which commit such things.

3 And thinkest thou this, O man, that judgest them which do such things, and doest the same, that thou shalt escape the judgment of God?

4 Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance?

5 But after thy hardness and impenitent heart treasurest up unto thyself wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God;

6 Who will render to every man according to his deeds… ~ Romans 2:1-6

Paul says these words on the heels of his condemnation of the wicked in verses 18-32 of the previous chapter, where Paul tells us God abandoned the wicked to their own devices.

• GOD GAVE THEM UP to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonor their own bodies between themselves… ~ v 24

• GOD GAVE THEM UP unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature… ~ v. 26

• GOD GAVE THEM OVER to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient… ~ v. 28

God’s disposition, and his dealings with the wicked who are unrepentant is well documented throughout the entirety of the scriptures. Consider the following:

The foolish shall not stand in thy sight: THOU HATEST ALL THE WORKERS OF INIQUITY. ~ Psalm 5:5

God judgeth the righteous, and GOD IS ANGRY WITH THE WICKED EVERY DAY. ~ Psalm 7:11

The Lord trieth the righteous: but the wicked and him that loveth violence HIS SOUL HATETH. ~ Psalm 11:5

The CURSE OF THE LORD is in the house of the wicked: but he blesseth the habitation of the just. ~ Proverbs 3:33

I could go on and on, because God’s displeasure with those who practice wickedness (child molestation, rape, murder, demon worship, sodomy, human trafficking, etc.) and refuse to repent, is well documented throughout the scriptures.

At this point, allow me to remind you, God extends mercy to the wicked who repents, but to the UNREPENTANT who despises God – God has no pleasure in them.

For thou art not a God that hath pleasure in wickedness: neither shall evil dwell with thee. ~ Psalm 5:4

God is indeed a loving and forgiving God, and he desires to forgive people of their sins, but they must turn away from their sins and turn to him to be forgiven by him. God is a good God, who commands all people, everywhere to repent ~ Acts 17:30, but when his goodness is despised by the ungodly who hate him, they become subject to his wrath.

9 Know therefore that the Lord thy God, he is God, the faithful God, which keepeth covenant and mercy WITH THEM THAT LOVE HIM and keep his commandments to a thousand generations;

10 And REPAYETH THEM THAT HATE HIM TO THEIR FACE, TO DESTROY THEM: he will not be slack to him that HATETH HIM, HE WILL REPAY HIM TO HIS FACE. ~ Deuteronomy 9:9-10

Throughout the entirety of the Bible, in both the old and new testament, God’s love, grace, and mercy is extended to all people; and he is forgiving towards all who humble themselves in repentance. Yet for those who refuse to repent because they despise and hate him, he reserves them unto the day of judgment to be punishment ~ see 2 Peter 2:9; 3:7

Unfortunately, many Christians have the notion that the truth of the severity of God towards the wicked is a message which portrays God as harsh and unloving. Yet, the scriptures make a distinction between those upon whom God lavishes his love, and those who are an abomination to him.

The way of the wicked is an abomination unto the Lord: but he loveth him that followeth after righteousness. ~ Proverbs 15:9

The commonly held belief that God loves every person (good and evil, godly and ungodly) exactly the same, is not a scriptural teaching.  Consider for example John 14:21: He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me SHALL BE LOVED OF MY FATHER , AND I WILL LOVE HIM , and will manifest myself to him.

Throughout the Bible, God is revealed as a holy God and every attribute of God is a revelation of his divine essence. The same God who is glorious in his love is also glorious in bringing down those who oppose and hate him.

The apostle John tells us: God is love ~ 1 John 4:8, and in the book of the Revelation, the apostle John tells us how God is praised, worshiped, and glorified for his judgments against the ungodly.

1 And I saw another sign in heaven, great and marvelous, seven angels having the seven last plagues; for in them is filled up THE WRATH OF GOD. 

² And I saw as it were a sea of glass mingled with fire: and them that had gotten the victory over the beast, and over his image, and over his mark, and over the number of his name, stand on the sea of glass, having the harps of God.

³ And they sing the song of Moses the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying, Great and marvelous are thy works, Lord God Almighty; just and true are thy ways, thou King of saints.

⁴ Who shall not fear thee, O Lord, and glorify thy name? for thou only art holy: for all nations shall come and worship before thee; for thy judgments are made manifest. ~ Revelation 15:1-4

Recently I came across a teaching which said the following:

God’s justice is something God does, and like everything He does, it flows from Who He is. The Scriptures tell us that God IS Love (1 John 4:8, 16); but there is NOT ONE Scripture that tells us that God IS Justice. God does justice, yes; but He IS Love. God IS NOT Justice who does Love. God IS Love who does justice.

Upon reading this, it wouldn’t take much for a person to come away with the conclusion that the writer is setting forth the ideology that love is the supreme attribute of God. Though the Bible does teach God is love, the Bible never teaches that love trumps all the other attributes of God.

God is love. He is merciful. He is gracious, and he is also angry with the wicked every day. ~ Psalm 7:11.

That last statement – God is angry with the wicked every day. – is a difficult one for many to swallow, but it is true nevertheless, because God never changes. ~ Malachi 3:6 

Throughout the Bible, there are many attributes which the scriptures ascribe to God and each one is revealed in a very specific context.

For example, after the Israelites had crossed the Red Sea on dry ground, the Egyptians who attempted to do the same, were drowned. Afterwards, Israel sang a victory song to the Lord in which they proclaimed: “the Lord is a MAN OF WAR: the Lord is his name.” ~ Exodus 15:3

In Israel’s time of trouble, when they needed God to defend them and deliver them from the pursuit of Pharaoh and the Egyptian army, God was revealed to them as A MAN OF WAR .

When God gave to Moses the Ten Commandments, God revealed, in the very first command, that, he is a JEALOUS GOD.

2 I am the Lord thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.

3 Thou shalt have no other gods before me.

4 Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth.

5 Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I THE LORD THY GOD AM A JEALOUS GOD, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me…~ Exodus 20:2-5

Throughout the old testament, God referred to himself as a Jealous God within the context of idols. God alone is God, and there his no other God besides him. Those who serve idols provoke his anger. Even under the new testament, God, who is love, is a jealous God who will not tolerate his people serving other gods (idols).

If we think that because God is love, he is no longer a jealous God who will not be displeased with idolatry, we have embarked upon deception. God is who he declares himself to be, and he does not change. God said to Moses: “I AM that I AM.”

Whenever a scriptural truth such as, God is love, is elevated beyond the boundaries of the whole counsel of scripture, error quickly follows.

By emphasizing, God is love, as if its is the supreme attribute of God that trumps all others, we become prey to the mercy of those who define God’s love out of their own human reasoning.Thus the universalist can claim – everyone will be saved and no one will be damned for rejecting Jesus, because God is love, and God wouldn’t send anyone to hell. Yet this view of God’s love is not compatible with the whole counsel of scripture.

Deuteronomy 32:4 says God is JUST and RIGHT, and Psalm 89:14 declares “ JUSTICE and JUDGMENT are the habitation of God’s throne.”

Psalm 9:6 says: The Lord is known by the JUDGMENT which he executeth., and in Isaiah, God declares that he is a Just God: there is no God else beside me; a JUST GOD and a Savior; there is none beside me. ~ Isaiah 45:21

In Jeremiah, God says the following:

23 Thus saith the Lord, Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, neither let the mighty man glory in his might, let not the rich man glory in his riches:

24 But let him that glorieth glory in this, that he understandeth and knoweth me, that I am the Lord which exercise lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness, in the earth: for in these things I delight, saith the Lord. ~ Jeremiah 9:23-24

God’s character and attributes are proclaimed all throughout the scriptures and only when we hold them together do we get a true portrait of who God is.

I recently came across the teaching of someone claiming that it is heresy to teach people that they must repent to be forgiven by God. There is a growing sentiment towards this persuasion, and it is straight out of the doctrine of those who teach universalism (the belief that everyone is saved) as well as those who teach an unscriptural view of grace.

The ideology behind it states that God has already forgiven everyone, because forgiveness proceeds repentance.

Yet in Acts 2, when Peter preached the gospel to the Jews gathered in Jerusalem for Pentecost, Peter preached that the people should repent to be forgiven of their sins.

Now when they heard this (Peter preaching the gospel), they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do? ~ Acts 2:37 

Tolerating false teachers is not only dangerous, it is also disobedience to God.

The New Testament writers did not set the example of tolerance, and in some cases, complacency, which some ministers are choosing to follow regarding false teachers.

The Bible has much to say regarding false teachers, false ministers, and false doctrines. Never does the Bible treat these with kid gloves. On the contrary, false teachers and false ministers (false apostles/false prophets, etc.) are ministers of Satan who are deceitful workers. ~ 2 Corinthians 11:13- 15

In the book of Acts, Paul warned and commissioned the elders of Ephesus to be on the watch regarding false teachers. ~ See Act 20:17 – 32

Paul also wrote the book of Galatians to counter to teachings of the Judaizers, referring to them as “false brethren”, saying, “we refused to give in to them for a single moment.” ~ Galatians 2:5

Paul gave to Timothy the following instructions:

1 I charge thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom;

2 Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all long suffering and doctrine.

3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears… ~ 2 Timothy 4:1-3

Paul instructed Titus as well: A bishop (a Pastor) must hold fast to the faithful word as he hath been taught, that he may be able by sound doctrine both to exhort and to convince the gainsayers.” Titus 1:9

Paul then says:

10 For there are many unruly and vain talkers and deceivers, specially they of the circumcision:

11 Whose mouths must be stopped, who subvert whole houses, teaching things which they ought not, for filthy lucre’s sake.

Paul also instructed Titus to reject a man who is a heretic after the second admonition, because those who are heretics are subverted, and sinful, and condemned.” ~  See Titus 3:10-11

According to the apostle Peter, false teachers cause the way of the truth to be evil spoken of. ~ 2 Peter 2:2

Jude tells us to earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints and warns of ungodly men who creep in unawares and turn the grace of God into lasciviousness.

Peter describes false teachers by saying they are wells without water, clouds that are carried with a tempest; to whom the mist of darkness is reserved for ever. For when they speak great swelling words of vanity, they allure through the lusts of the flesh, through much wantonness, those that were clean escaped from them who live in error. While they promise them liberty, they themselves are the servants of corruption… ~ 2 Peter 2:17-19

Jude is just as harsh:

These are spots in your feasts of charity, when they feast with you, feeding themselves without fear: clouds they are without water, carried about of winds; trees whose fruit withereth, without fruit, twice dead, plucked up by the roots; Raging waves of the sea, foaming out their own shame; wandering stars, to whom is reserved the blackness of darkness for ever. ~ Jude 1:12-13

The apostle John, who wrote much about love and truth in his first epistle calls false ministers, liars and anti-Christs ~ 1 John 2:18-26, and says, they are of the world. ~ 1 John 4:1-5

In his second epistle, John refers to them as deceivers, and says not to have fellowship with them nor become partakers of their evil deeds by bidding them Godspeed. ~ 2 John 1:7-11

In the book of the Revelation, the apostle John was given a message of rebuke from Jesus for the church at Pergamos, because among them were those who held to the doctrine of Balaam, and some who held to the doctrine of the Nicolaitanes.

Jesus then adds regarding the doctrine of the Nicolaitanes: which thing I HATE. ~ Revelation 2:14-15

Jesus also rebuked the church at Thyatira because they were allowing a woman whom he referred to as Jezebel who called herself a prophetess, to teach and to seduce God’s servants to commit fornication, and to eat things sacrificed unto idols. ~ Revelation 2:20

There is more that can be said along these lines, and maybe I will address them at a later time. However, I have provided the references above as testimony from God’s word that false teacher, false ministers, and false doctrines are not to be tolerated; not even in the name of love.

¹⁹ For this is thankworthy, if a man for conscience toward God ENDURE GRIEF, SUFFERING WRONGFULLY.

²⁰ For what glory is it, if, when ye be buffeted for your faults, ye shall take it patiently? but if, when ye do well, and suffer for it, ye take it patiently, this is acceptable with God.

²¹ For even HEREUNTO WERE YE CALLED: because CHRIST SUFFERED FOR US, LEAVING US AN EXAMPLE, that ye should follow his steps:

²² Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth:

²³ Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to him that JUDGETH RIGHTEOUSLY: 

²⁴ Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed.

²⁵ For ye were as sheep going astray; but are now returned unto the Shepherd and Bishop of your souls. ~ 1 Peter 2:19-25

According to the the apostle Peter, Jesus is our example to follow when we endure grief and suffer wrongfully. Peter says this within the context of the grief and sufferings of Christ which he endured when he bore our sins at the cross.

Throughout the bible, the definition of what it means to “to bare” consistently carries the meaning of lifting the burden from another. For example, as believers we are to: bear one another’s burdens and so fulfill the law of Christ. We are to follow Christ’s example in bearing the burdens of others, because , Jesus bore our sins in his body on the tree: the cross.

Isaiah 53:12 tells us, “He BARE the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.”

The Hebrew word for bare in Isaiah 53:12 is: naw-saw, and is translated as forgiveness in its various forms on multiple occasions in the old testament. For instance, it is translated as “forgiving” in Exodus 34:6-7:

And the Lord passed by before him, and proclaimed, The Lord, The Lord God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth,

Keeping mercy for thousands, FORGIVING iniquity and transgression and sin, and that will by no means clear the guilty; visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children, and upon the children’s children, unto the third and to the fourth generation. ~ Exodus 34:6-7

It is also translated as: forgive, forgiven, and forgavest in Psalm 25:16-18 and Psalm 32:1 &5.

Turn thee unto me, and have mercy upon me; for I am desolate and afflicted. The troubles of my heart are enlarged: O bring thou me out of my distresses. Look upon mine affliction and my pain; and FORGIVE all my sins. ~ Psalm 25:16-18

Blessed is he whose transgression is FORGIVEN, whose sin is covered. Blessed is the man unto whom the Lord imputeth not iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no guile…I acknowledge my sin unto thee, and mine iniquity have I not hid. I said, I will confess my transgressions unto the Lord; and thou FORGAVEST the iniquity of my sin. Selah. ~ Psalm 32:1, 2, & 5

In the scriptures above we can see that God bares his people’s sins by forgiving them.  In Romans 4, the apostle Paul quotes Psalm 32:1-2 (referenced above) in view of the forgiveness which comes through faith in Jesus Christ.

6 Even as David also describeth the blessedness of the man, unto whom God imputeth righteousness without works, 

7 Saying, Blessed are they whose iniquities are FORGIVEN, and whose sins are covered. 

8 Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin. ~ Romans 4:6-8

The Hebrews word, naw-saw, which is translated, bare, in Isaiah 53:12 appears in 610 passages of scripture in the old testament and is referenced a total of 653 times. Here are a few examples of how it is used elsewhere in the old testament:

And the flood was forty days upon the earth; and the waters increased, and BARE UP the ark, and it was lift up above the earth. ~ Genesis 7:17

And the Lord turned a mighty strong west wind, WHICH TOOK AWAY the locusts, and cast them into the Red sea; there remained not one locust in all the coasts of Egypt. ~ Exodus 10:19

Ye have seen what I did unto the Egyptians, and how I BARE you on eagles’ wings, and brought you unto myself.  ~ Exodus 19:4

And thou shalt put the staves into the rings by the sides of the ark, that the ark MAY BE BORNE with them.  ~ Exodus 25:14

Behold, I have set the land before you: go in and possess the land which the Lord sware unto your fathers, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, to give unto them and to their seed after them. And I spake unto you at that time, saying, I am not able to BEAR you myself alone: The Lord your God hath multiplied you, and, behold, ye are this day as the stars of heaven for multitude. (The Lord God of your fathers make you a thousand times so many more as ye are, and bless you, as he hath promised you!) How can I myself alone BEAR your cumbrance, and your burden, and your strife? Take you wise men, and understanding, and known among your tribes, and I will make them rulers over you.  ~ Deuteronomy 1:8-13

The Lord your God which goeth before you, he shall fight for you, according to all that he did for you in Egypt before your eyes; And in the wilderness, where thou hast seen how that the Lord thy God BARE thee, as a man doth BEAR his son, in all the way that ye went, until ye came into this place.Yet in this thing ye did not believe the Lord your God, Who went in the way before you, to search you out a place to pitch your tents in, in fire by night, to shew you by what way ye should go, and in a cloud by day.  ~ Deuteronomy 1:30-33

Bring no more vain oblations; incense is an abomination unto me; the new moons and sabbaths, the calling of assemblies, I cannot away with; it is iniquity, even the solemn meeting. Your new moons and your appointed feasts my soul hateth: they are a trouble unto me; I am weary to BEAR them. ~ Isaiah 1:13-14

Zion, that bringest good tidings, get thee up into the high mountain; O Jerusalem, that bringest good tidings, lift up thy voice with strength; lift it up, be not afraid; say unto the cities of Judah, Behold your God! Behold, the Lord God will come with strong hand, and his arm shall rule for him: behold, his reward is with him, and his work before him. He shall feed his flock like a shepherd: he shall gather the lambs with his arm, and CARRY them in his bosom, and shall gently lead those that are with young. ~ Isaiah 40:9-11

Hearken unto me, O house of Jacob, and all the remnant of the house of Israel, which are borne by me from the belly, WHICH ARE CARRIED from the womb: And even to your old age I am he; and even to hoar hairs will I carry you: I have made, and I WILL BEAR; even I will carry, and will deliver you. ~ Isaiah 46:3-4

I will mention the loving kindnesses of the Lord, and the praises of the Lord, according to all that the Lord hath bestowed on us, and the great goodness toward the house of Israel, which he hath bestowed on them according to his mercies, and according to the multitude of his loving kindnesses. For he said, Surely they are my people, children that will not lie: so he was their Savior. In all their affliction he was afflicted, and the angel of his presence saved them: in his love and in his pity he redeemed them; and he bare them, and CARRIED them all the days of old. ~ Isaiah 63:7-9

In Isaiah 53:4 the Hebrew word, naw-saw, is rendered as borne.

Surely he hath BORNE our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. 

In the gospel of Matthew; Matthew interprets Isaiah 53:4 in view of healing and deliverance.

16 When the evening was come, they brought unto him many that were possessed with devils: and he cast out the spirits with his word, and healed all that were sick:

17 That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Isaiah the prophet, saying, himself TOOK our infirmities, and BARE our sicknesses.~ Matthew 8:16-17 

According to Matthew’s interpretation of Isaiah 53:4, Jesus did not take the peoples infirmities and bare their sicknesses by becoming afflicted and sick in their place. Instead, Jesus took their infirmities and bare their sicknesses by delivering them from demons and healing them.

From Matthew’s interpretation of Isaiah 53:4 we can see that Matthew understood the words of Isaiah in view the antidote which was healing and deliverance.

In the same way, Jesus bore our sins by giving himself as an unblemished sacrifice so that we could be cleansed from our sins by his precious blood and made alive with him through his resurrection from the dead.

It is in view of the salvation which Jesus obtained for us through the laying down of his life that we should understand what it means that he bore our sins.

THE NEW TESTAMENT 

The new testament Greek word for bare is, anaphero, and it means to take up, bear, bring, (carry, lead) up, offer (up). It is used 9 other times in the New Testament in 8 different verses.

1 Peter 2:24 says “Who his own self BARE our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed.”

In Matthew 17:1 it is used to describe Jesus leading three of his disciples as they ascended up the Mount of transfiguration: “And after six days Jesus taketh Peter, James, and John his brother, and BRINGETH THEM UP  into an high mountain apart.”

Mark 9:2 also referencing the ascent up the Mount of Transfiguration as “LEADETH THEM UP.”

In Luke 25:51 it is used to describe Jesus’ ascension after His resurrection: And it came to pass, while he blessed them, he was parted from them, and CARRIED UP into heaven.

Now consider this for a moment: The same Greek word used in 1 Peter 2:24 which says Jesus bore our sins is the same Greek word used to describe his ascention into Heaven. This immediately reminds me of the burnt offerings which were offered on the altar of sacrifice in the Old Testament.

The words burnt offering come from the Hebrew word “o-law” meaning “ascending.”  The burnt offerings were to be wholly offered to the Lord as a sweet fragrance. Ephesians 5:2 tells us: Christ loved us, and gave himself for us as an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet smelling savor.

Jesus was wholly given to the God for us, and was accepted for us, as a sweet fragrance to God.

In Hebrews 7:27 and 9:28 the Greek word, anaphero translated bare, is used to describe Jesus giving his life as an offering for our sins:

Who needeth not daily, as those high priests, TO OFFER UP sacrifice, first for his own sins, and then for the people’s: for this he did once, when he OFFERED UP himself.

So Christ was once offered TO BEAR the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation.

In Hebrews 13:15 anaphero is used as a reference to the sacrifices of praise which we offer to God: By him therefore LET US OFFER the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name.

In James 2:21 it is used as a reference to Abraham offering up of Isaac as a burnt offering on the altar of sacrifice: Was not Abraham our father justified by works, WHEN HE HAD OFFERED Isaac his son upon the altar?

Finally, in 1 Peter 2:5 it is a reference to the spiritual sacrifices which we offer to God: Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, TO OFFER UP spiritual sacrifices, ACCEPTABLE to God by Jesus Christ.

In that Jesus bore our sins, he offered up Himself. God accepted the offering and sacrifice of Jesus for us. By him and through him, our sins are taken away by the blood he shed on the cross.

Jesus was not rejected by God in our place. Instead, Jesus offered himself as a holy and pure offering, accepted by God on our behalf, and by His precious blood we have redemption: this is HOW he bore our sins.

There is an increasing sentiment for the dangerous theology of universalism.

What is universalism?

In a nut shell, it is the theory that God has reconciled every person, having already forgiven every person’s sins (no repentance or faith in Jesus is necessary), and everyone is going to be saved and live happily ever after.

One of the scriptural texts taken and twisted by the universalists is 1 Corinthians 15:22:

For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.

The universalist interprets this text as saying, “just as all men died (spiritually) in Adam, even so, all men (literally every human) shall be made (spiritually alive) in Christ.” Some universalist go as far as to make claim that every person is in Christ and Christ is in every person.

This is a fallacy.

In 1 Corinthians 15:22, Paul is expounding on the resurrection to come. Paul does this by way of comparison that just as every man who is in Adam, dies; every man who is in Christ shall be made alive.

Paul is not teaching that every human being is in Christ, and therefore will be made alive.

Paul states that he preached that Christ had risen from the dead and this is what the Corinthians had believed. He then asks how is it that there are some among them who claim there is no resurrection of the dead, since Christ was preached to them that he was raised from the dead.

Paul then expounds on the resurrection and concludes with these words:

51 Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep (be physically dead), but we shall all be changed,

52 In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.

53 For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.

54 So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory.

55 O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?

56 The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law.

57 But thanks be to God, which giveth US the victory through OUR Lord Jesus Christ.

58 Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord. ~ 1 Corinthians 15:51-58

Paul makes reference to this same mystery of the resurrection in his 1st epistle to the Thessalonians.

14 For IF WE BELIEVE that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.

15 For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep.

16 For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead IN CHRIST shall rise first:

17 Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.

18 Wherefore comfort one another with these words. ~ 1 Thessalonians 4:14-18

The dead “in Christ” who raise from the dead, and those who remain (still alive) at the coming of the Lord, are those who (in verse 14) believe that Jesus did and rose again.

Reading into chapter 5, we see that there is a difference made between those who are, in Christ, who will be gathered to the Lord when he comes, and those who are NOT in Christ, and will not be partakers of the resurrection.

1 But of the times and the seasons, brethren, ye have no need that I write unto you.

² For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night.

³ For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape.

⁴ But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief.

⁵ Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness.

⁶ Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober.

⁷ For they that sleep sleep in the night; and they that be drunken are drunken in the night.

⁸ But let us, who are of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love; and for an helmet, the hope of salvation.

⁹ For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ,

¹⁰ Who died for us, that, whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with him.

¹¹ Wherefore comfort yourselves together, and edify one another, even as also ye do. 1 Thessalonians 5:1-11

Paul’s reference to the resurrection in 1 Corinthians 15 is not a reference to every human being. Neither is it scriptural to say that every human is in Christ and Christ is in every human. Neither is every person a child of God as taught by universal theology.

Such ideology is deceptive, misleading, and demonic.

This teaching is in response to the author of The Shack: William P. Young. In his new book, Lies we believe about God, Young makes the assertion that God is not in control and God doesn’t have a plan for your life.

On the contrary, the scriptures reveal God’s sovereignty and that he has specific plans for us. God said the following to Abraham:

Know of a surety that thy seed shall be a stranger in a land that is not theirs, and shall serve them; and they shall afflict them four hundred years; And also that nation, whom they shall serve, will I judge: and afterward shall they come out with great substance. ~ Genesis 15:13-14

Notice that God declared his plan to Abraham regarding Abraham’s descendants before they were born.

All throughout the old testament we see God working out his plan and purpose of redemption (which was ordained before the foundation of the world) through the lives of those he called. Many times in scripture, God declared what he was going to do in advance through those whom he raised up as prophets. This absolutely speaks to the truth at God is in control.

For this is the word of promise, At this time will I come, and Sarah shall have a son. And not only this; but when Rebecca also had conceived by one, even by our father Isaac; (For the children being not yet born, neither having done any good or evil, that THE PURPOSE OF GOD according to election might stand, not of works, but of HIM THAT CALLETH;) It was said unto her, The elder shall serve the younger. ~ Romans 9:9-12

While I do think we sometimes misunderstand how God’s plan for our lives is worked out, the notion that God doesn’t have a plan for us, is totally unscriptural.

The very fact that God calls some of us to do one thing, and others to do another, is evidence that God has a plan for our lives. The apostle Paul said: “For he that wrought effectually in Peter to the apostleship of the circumcision, the same was mighty in me toward the Gentiles.” ~ Galatians 2:8 Paul embraced God’s plan for his life by embracing his calling as an apostle to the Gentiles.

In Acts 16 we read the following concerning the ministry of Paul and Silas:

6 Now when they had gone throughout Phrygia and the region of Galatia, and were FORBIDDEN of the Holy Ghost to preach the word in Asia,

7 After they were come to Mysia, they assayed to go into Bithynia: but THE SPIRIT SUFFERED THEM NOT.

8 And they passing by Mysia came down to Troas.

9 And a vision appeared to Paul in the night; There stood a man of Macedonia, and prayed him, saying, COME OVER TO MACEDONIA, AND HELP US.

10 And after he had seen the vision, immediately we endeavored to go into Macedonia, ASSUREDLY GATHERING THAT THE LORD HAD CALLED US FOR TO PREACH THE GOSPEL UNTO THEM. ~ Acts 16: 6-10

Paul and Silas were forbidden by the Spirit of the Lord from preaching in Asia and Bithynia. Instead, they were led by the Spirit of the Lord to preach the gospel in Macedonia. This speaks to the truth that God had a plan for Paul and Silas. He wanted them to preach the gospel to the Macedonians, rather than going to Asia and Bithynia.

In 1 Peter 5 we read the following from the aged apostle Peter:

The elders (Shepherds or Pastors) which are among you I exhort, who am also an elder, and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, and also a partaker of the glory that shall be revealed. Feed the flock of God which is among you, taking the oversight thereof, not by constraint, but willingly; not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind; Neither as being lords over God’s heritage, but being examples to the flock. ~ 1 Peter 5:1-3

We know that Peter was an apostle, and Peter was also a Pastor who was personally commissioned by Jesus to “feed My Sheep.” 

Consider the following from the gospel of John.

15 So when they had dined, Jesus saith to Simon Peter, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me more than these? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, FEED MY LAMBS.

16 He saith to him again the second time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, FEED MY SHEEP.

17 He saith unto him the third time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? Peter was grieved because he said unto him the third time, Lovest thou me? And he said unto him, Lord, thou knowest all things; thou knowest that I love thee. Jesus saith unto him, FEED MY SHEEP.

18 Verily, verily, I say unto thee, When thou wast young, thou girdest thyself, and walkedst whither thou wouldest: but when thou shalt be old, thou shalt stretch forth thy hands, and another shall gird thee, and carry thee whither thou wouldest not.

19 THIS SPOKE HE, SIGNIFYING BY WHAT DEATH HE SHOULD GLORIFY GOD. And when he had spoken this, he saith unto him, FOLLOW ME.

20 Then Peter, turning about, seeth the disciple whom Jesus loved following; which also leaned on his breast at supper, and said, Lord, which is he that betrayeth thee?

21 Peter seeing him saith to Jesus, Lord, and WHAT SHALL THIS MAN DO?

22 Jesus saith unto him, IF I WILL THAT HE TARRY TILL I COME, WHAT IS THAT TO THEE? FOLLOW THOU ME. ~ John 21:15-22

According to John, Jesus has a specific calling for Peter’s life: feed my sheep. Peter was not to concern himself with the call on John’s life, but was told by Jesus: follow me.

The ideology that God doesn’t have a plan for our live’s is completely contrary to scripture. When we consider the many servants of God throughout the pages of the Bible we quickly see how wrong this claim is.

Consider that God called Noah to build an Ark because God was going to bring a destructive flood upon the world, and Moses was chosen by God to deliverer the children of Israel out of Egypt.

God made Moses the leader of Israel, and through Moses, God gave Israel the Law. God chose Aaron and his descendants as priests, and the tribe of Levi as their servants in the ministry.

God chose Joshua to lead the children of Israel into the promised land, and God gave each of the tribes of Israel a specific plot of land to possess within the borders of Canaan’s land.

All throughout scripture, God chose specific people at specific times to do specific tasks according to his will; such Gideon, Samuel, and David.

God said concerning David: I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after mine own heart, which shall FULFILL ALL MY WILL. ~ Acts 13:22

God spoke to Jeremiah and said: Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations. ~ Jeremiah 1:5

God then told Jeremiah: I have this day set thee over the nations and over the kingdoms, to root out, and to pull down, and to destroy, and to throw down, to build, and to plant. ~ Jeremiah 1:10

According to the Bible God had a specific plan for Jeremiah, and that plan was wrapped up was God’s calling of Jeremiah as a prophet to the nations.

When Mr. Young denies that God has a plan for our lives, he not only contradicts to the testimony of scripture concerning the lives of the servants of God recorded in the Bible, he also contradicts every teaching in the Bible concerning God’s will with regards to how we are called to live as children of God.

For instance, the apostle Paul says the following to the believers at Colosse: For this cause we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to desire that ye might be filled WITH THE KNOWLEDGE OF HIS WILL in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; That ye might WALK WORTHY OF THE LORD UNTO ALL PLEASING, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God… ~ Colossians 1:9-10

In Ephesians, Paul says: See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil. Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what THE WILL OF THE LORD is. ~ Ephesians 5:15-17

And to the Romans Paul wrote: I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, WILL OF GOD. ~ Romans 12:1-2

All throughout the new testament, we are given specific instructions concerning what the will of God is, and how we are to live in a manner which is pleasing to the Lord.

Paul tells us that it is the will of God that we live a life of sanctification because God has called us to holiness ~ 1 Thessalonians 4:3-8.

Paul also tells us that it is the will of God that we be thankful in every thing ~ 1 Thessalonians 5:18.

Peter tells us what the will of God is when we suffer as Christians ~1 Peter 4:14-16 .

Ironically, William Young, who disputes that God has a plan for our lives, also teaches (in the Shack) that Jesus doesn’t want to make us Christians. Yet, when Paul testified of Jesus before King Agrippa, the King said to Paul: You are almost persuading me to be A CHRISTIAN. ~ Acts 26:28

The apostle Paul wanted King Agrippa to become a Christian. William Young is opposed to God wanting people to becomes Christians. As a Christian, I prefer the apostle Paul’s credentials over that of William Young.

Paul, who almost persuaded King Agrippa to become a Christian, believed that God had a plan for his life, for he repeated claimed that he was called to be an apostle to the Gentiles according to the will of God.

God absolutely has a plan for our lives!