The Character of God

[B-A-C]

The Bible says God is love.

The Bible says God is good.

But the Bible also says.. God is a consuming fire for His enemies.
God rained down fire and brimstone on Sodom and Gomorrah.
God told the Jews to kill pregnant women and infants.
God had an angel kill 128,000 people.
God closed the Red sea in over the Egyptian army.
God killed Ananias and Saphira.
God killed Herod.
God prevented the Jews that wandered through the desert for 40 years from reaching Canaan.
Jesus called the Phrasees a brood of Vipers, and white washed tombs.
Jesus made a scourge a drove people out of the temple.
God caused a flood that killed 99.99% of the earth's population.

... God will have some people sent to the Lake of Fire.

Now.. if I was witnessing to someone... I don't know that I would start off the conversation with something like "You better repent or else".
Although many prophets and even Jesus Himself did say things like that.
I would probably start with the love and mercy and forgiveness angle. Sometimes that has worked for me.

But there are times... when the discussion reached the point where goodness, love and mercy were no longer the point.
They didn't either believe or care that these things were true.

So then we eventually get to the "repent or else" conversation. Sometimes this has worked for me also.

Of course... sometimes neither method works.

 

[Curtis]

Mat 11:6 And blessed is the one who is not offended by me.” (ESV)

All those things that you posted did not happen for no reason.

 

[Dave M]

there is a reason the Bible says FEAR God is the beginning of wisdom, far to many do not fear him, or what God can do to them.

 

[Christ4Ever]

Character of God

Tough one, especially when you start with "God is Love", but worthy of more than I can provide without filling pages and pages of homage while still leaving more that should be said, unsaid.

I do not believe humanity really understands Love outside of Jesus Christ.

Oh, we can quote and give some examples of what one believes Love to be, but normally it's probably furthest from the reality of what God has shown us of Himself to be.

One can easily start with John 3:16 "For God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life." and then follow it up with 1 John 4:19 "We love each other because he loved us first." and still we'd only be seeing the tip of the iceberg to God being Love.

It encapsulates some much else, like patience, just, merciful, slow to anger, and one could go through nouns, verbs, and grow it to Ephesians 3:18 "And may you have the power to understand, as all God's people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is.".

So, to ask the character of God and starting with God being Love, requires an eternity and one aspect of our God John 17:3 "And this is the way to have eternal life--to know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, the one you sent to earth."

So, I will leave it here, a worthy task for anyone/s daring to tackle what should be a labor of love, for nothing else would even come close...

With the Love of Christ Jesus.
YBIC/Moderator
Nick
\o/
<><

 

[Leumas]

The character
of God
Is Holy.

This covers
everything
about Him.

 

[Garee]

Different "kinds" of love. Satan would make it all one in the same

God's love is unfailing not unconditional. Which many do preach. Longsuffering the first condition building up it is kind stronger and stronger up to the end when that which is perfect (sola scriptura) is come, then that which is in part shall be done away.

The coin parable. The unseen side is what mankind has rejected no love for the spiritual unseen understanding called faith. Yoked with Christ he gives us his understanding the flip side

Mathew 22:17Tell us therefore, What thinkest thou? Is it lawful to give tribute unto Caesar,(Satan) or not?;But Jesus perceived their wickedness, and said, Why tempt ye me, ye hypocrites?Shew me the tribute money. And they brought unto him a penny.;And he saith unto them, Whose is this image and superscription?;They say unto him, Caesar's(Satan). Then saith he unto them, Render therefore unto Caesar(Satan) the things which are Caesar's;(Satan) and unto God the things that are God's.;When they had heard these words, they marvelled, and left him, and went their way.

Marveling, wondering they walked away in unbelief (no faith) the flip side not little none.

 

[Christ4Ever]

God's love is unfailing not unconditional.

The "unconditional" part I would have a problem with, because I truly believe that we can barely begin to comprehend how much He loves us, which is a Him to us, verses a us to Him. Ours too often is conditional, and too often is results driven. Are we to believe that it is also so with God who Created us in the first place?

I see where God hates the actions of humanity, but the person themselves whom He created before they have done wrong, unless one understands also that all have sinned so that all are hated until they do good?

Again, unless one says that He has no Love for any of His Creation (Humanity), until they do something good/bad which then determines His love, might be a possibility. Understanding also the condition that God is all knowing, and so the one who loves Him/by actions, and those who do not, would not be something He'd be unaware of before they act, and so makes His love conditional...

However, to say it is based upon preset conditions, I'm not too sure of. I am well aware of the "Jacob I loved, Esau I hated" verse in the OT, but again, does that mean as in 1 John 4:19 "We love each other because he loved us first." so until then we are hated?

I just don't see how we can especially in light of the thread topic make a determination that doesn't go in light of "all have sinned", and "God is Holy" as Brother Leumas has stated (which of course should be defined). Until we do then verse upon verse can be used to belabor the point of conditional/unconditional love of God.

The one thing we do know is that He is Love, but what that encompasses in totality of each person in time, or for God in the Now, I can't say, but lean towards all without condition, or none with conditions.

Interesting point to bring up brother....which can lead in the nuances to a lot of back and forth!

With the Love of Christ Jesus.
YBIC/Moderator
Nick
\o/
<><

 

[KingJ]

The Bible says God is love.

The Bible says God is good.

But the Bible also says.. God is a consuming fire for His enemies.
God rained down fire and brimstone on Sodom and Gomorrah.
God told the Jews to kill pregnant women and infants.
God had an angel kill 128,000 people.
God closed the Red sea in over the Egyptian army.
God killed Ananias and Saphira.
God killed Herod.
God prevented the Jews that wandered through the desert for 40 years from reaching Canaan.
Jesus called the Phrasees a brood of Vipers, and white washed tombs.
Jesus made a scourge a drove people out of the temple.
God caused a flood that killed 99.99% of the earth's population.

... God will have some people sent to the Lake of Fire.

I find the way you choose your words and put the OP together interesting. You need to try understand that you make a common mistake. You seem to constantly confuse 'nice' and 'not so nice' with 'good' and 'evil'. A good action can be both, nice and not so nice at the same time.

You state A - God is good, then you state that B - God is also a consuming fire. You then list God's actions as a result of Him being 'a consuming fire', something you separate from 'Him being good'. You leave the reader assuming that God has a good and a bad side to Him. This is extreme error. God is only good. Justice, is the side to Him that is a 'consuming fire' and justice is a good thing.

Example, using your first item listed:

God rained down fire and brimstone on Sodom and Gomorrah.

You insinuate that this is God's cruelty. His cruel side.

Removing the extremely wicked from earth so that children and the righteous can have an environment with a balance of good and evil, is a good thing.

The manner in which they were removed may have been a graphic burning, but it is a very quick death. We know from scripture that the fires of Sodom were like a furnace Gen 19:28. Most pass out after 20 seconds from inhaling carbon monoxide. No torturous 'slow burning'. We also know all children and animals go to heaven.

The wicked, suffer a quick death and may wake up to a terrifying reality where they are punished for their sins and separated from saints. This is God honouring their free will to reject Him and making them pay a punishment for their sin and according to their sin Rom 2:6 . Also a good thing. No free will is evil.

--------------------------

It is so important that Christians properly represent God on all contentious scripture. That is our 'one' job 1 Cor 5:20.

--------------------------

God is good Psalm 136:1. Fullstop. God is righteous in all His ways Psalm 145:17. Fullstop. God is light with no darkness in Him 1 John 1:5. Fullstop.

There is no such thing as God being a mix of good and evil. He is only good. Even to His enemies.

 

[KingJ]

Now.. if I was witnessing to someone... I don't know that I would start off the conversation with something like "You better repent or else".
Although many prophets and even Jesus Himself did say things like that.
I would probably start with the love and mercy and forgiveness angle. Sometimes that has worked for me.

But there are times... when the discussion reached the point where goodness, love and mercy were no longer the point.
They didn't either believe or care that these things were true.

So then we eventually get to the "repent or else" conversation. Sometimes this has worked for me also.

Of course... sometimes neither method works.

The gospel is a 'repent or else' message. It is just that we need to properly explain the 'or else'.

Most teach A - Eternal bliss in heaven verse B - Eternal torture in hell. This is not true. It is a complete misrepresentation of scripture. God would never torture anyone. He is good not evil. Torture is something that only the most wicked people in all of history are guilty of. You cannot defend God as good if He tortures the wicked in hell. This is a 'duh' fact. It is cringe to see a person type 'He is good' and 'He will torture the wicked'. The two statements are 100% mutually exclusive.

The truth is A - Eternal bliss in heaven as you will be with repentant sinners and Jesus or B - Eternal torment in hell as you will not be with repentant sinners and Jesus.

According to scripture, separation is the only thing that will make you weep and gnash your teeth. It is more painful than a punishment of a low heat, humane type of sin-based fire as described in detail by Jesus in Luke 16:19-31.

Luke 13:28 There will be weeping there, and gnashing of teeth, when you see Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God, but you yourselves thrown out.

 

[Garee]

The "unconditional" part I would have a problem with, because I truly believe that we can barely begin to comprehend how much He loves us, which is a Him to us, verses a us to Him. Ours too often is conditional, and too often is results driven. Are we to believe that it is also so with God who Created us in the first place?

I see where God hates the actions of humanity, but the person themselves whom He created before they have done wrong, unless one understands also that all have sinned so that all are hated until they do good?

Again, unless one says that He has no Love for any of His Creation (Humanity), until they do something good/bad which then determines His love, might be a possibility. Understanding also the condition that God is all knowing, and so the one who loves Him/by actions, and those who do not, would not be something He'd be unaware of before they act, and so makes His love conditional...

However, to say it is based upon preset conditions, I'm not too sure of. I am well aware of the "Jacob I loved, Esau I hated" verse in the OT, but again, does that mean as in 1 John 4:19 "We love each other because he loved us first." so until then we are hated?

Thanks

I would think "unconditional" can be established because his eternal love is "unfailing".

God whose name as an immutable attribute is Jealous. He owns all things. But his love is not jealous

Patiently working in those born again. . his love is long suffering becoming kind. . showing his love is not jealous not puffed up it has no need to brag. His love is not selfishly rude it cannot be made angry easily it does not remember wrongs done against it.; Love is never happy when others do wrong, but it is always happy with the truth. Love never gives up on people. It never stops trusting, never loses hope, and never quits.

Until God loved us, we received no eternal blessings. To hate is to not bless.

He blessed Jacob the deceiver but did not bless Esau the first born who saw no value in the unseen things of God and sold his spiritual birth rights the born again seed Christ for a bowl hairy goat stew.