Of course God abhors the workers of iniquity. And, of course, He so loved them that they may find salvation through Jesus, even down to the worst and most abhorent soul, if they only give up their iniquity.
His hate is conditional. His love is unconditional. He does not hate men for their own sake but for the beasts we make ourselves into. But for our sake alone He loves us even in our iniquity, even when we inspire His hate and wrath. So no, I don't think God really "hates" according to human conceptions of that feeling.
Not a theologian. Just my 2 cents as a new believer. Don't crucify me.
OK_karen...a lot of the misconception ab the two groups comes, quite simply, from biblical illiteracy.
Bess you for quoting Scripture ab this crucial Doctrine!
The concept that WE are the ones who choose God, known as Arminianism, is the dominant belief in American churches...and it's easy to understand why: we want to be in control of everything.
BUT, as you have pointed out, and as Paul has illustrated, that is NOT the way it works! GOD is sovereign over all.
May God bless you.
A worker of iniquity is not necessarily damned just as a believer is not necessarily saved. The believer may yet earn his place in Hell and the wicked may yet earn their place in the Kingdom. God's grace is given not to the best of us but to the worst. Whores, killers, thieves. These workers of iniquity cannot be saved if they do not spurn the evil they have done. But if they do stop their evil works and dwell instead the light of The Lord the rest of their days then their salvation is surely at hand. This is the promise of our savior Jesus Christ.
The rich young man who boasts to Jesus about all the rules he's kept is confused by Jesus who says to love your neighbor as yourself. The man says, to justify himself "who is my neighbor", but he really thought that he'll stump God... Our neighbor is the fallen man, the one forgotten by the law (priest) or those who think they are righteous (levite). We are to care for all, so that they see and come back to God, or realise their sins and then repent.
Those who don't want to understand, we are told to shake the dust off our shoes when we leave their place... As they too will be dust, but that judgement is not for us to make.
Yes, but strength comes from humility. The last will be the first. You have to be the Samaritan - discredited by all others, yet still doing good. You have to be the publican who sees the Pharisee being a self righteous joke, yet still the publican looks at his sins, inward, and asks God for mercy. You have to be not of this world, but of God, part of His vine and know that this world will despise you because you sacrifice yourself for others when this world only wants people who build idols to themselves. Being strong is being in God and God being in you, but for that you have to renounce all material things and walk with him.
Take care.
Of course. God doesn't want us to be pushovers, but to fix ourselves first and be examples of His light that others who can see will follow.
"If you were blind, you would not be guilty of sin; but now that you claim you can see, your guilt remains."
Of course God abhors the workers of iniquity. And, of course, He so loved them that they may find salvation through Jesus, even down to the worst and most abhorent soul, if they only give up their iniquity.
His hate is conditional. His love is unconditional. He does not hate men for their own sake but for the beasts we make ourselves into. But for our sake alone He loves us even in our iniquity, even when we inspire His hate and wrath. So no, I don't think God really "hates" according to human conceptions of that feeling.
Not a theologian. Just my 2 cents as a new believer. Don't crucify me.
Beautifully said my brother.
Thank you.
OK_karen...a lot of the misconception ab the two groups comes, quite simply, from biblical illiteracy. Bess you for quoting Scripture ab this crucial Doctrine!
The concept that WE are the ones who choose God, known as Arminianism, is the dominant belief in American churches...and it's easy to understand why: we want to be in control of everything.
BUT, as you have pointed out, and as Paul has illustrated, that is NOT the way it works! GOD is sovereign over all. May God bless you.
A worker of iniquity is not necessarily damned just as a believer is not necessarily saved. The believer may yet earn his place in Hell and the wicked may yet earn their place in the Kingdom. God's grace is given not to the best of us but to the worst. Whores, killers, thieves. These workers of iniquity cannot be saved if they do not spurn the evil they have done. But if they do stop their evil works and dwell instead the light of The Lord the rest of their days then their salvation is surely at hand. This is the promise of our savior Jesus Christ.
Give this man a cookie! Amen
The rich young man who boasts to Jesus about all the rules he's kept is confused by Jesus who says to love your neighbor as yourself. The man says, to justify himself "who is my neighbor", but he really thought that he'll stump God... Our neighbor is the fallen man, the one forgotten by the law (priest) or those who think they are righteous (levite). We are to care for all, so that they see and come back to God, or realise their sins and then repent. Those who don't want to understand, we are told to shake the dust off our shoes when we leave their place... As they too will be dust, but that judgement is not for us to make.
Yes, but strength comes from humility. The last will be the first. You have to be the Samaritan - discredited by all others, yet still doing good. You have to be the publican who sees the Pharisee being a self righteous joke, yet still the publican looks at his sins, inward, and asks God for mercy. You have to be not of this world, but of God, part of His vine and know that this world will despise you because you sacrifice yourself for others when this world only wants people who build idols to themselves. Being strong is being in God and God being in you, but for that you have to renounce all material things and walk with him. Take care.
Of course. God doesn't want us to be pushovers, but to fix ourselves first and be examples of His light that others who can see will follow. "If you were blind, you would not be guilty of sin; but now that you claim you can see, your guilt remains."