OK, it’s in the Bible. So I believe it. John said, “God is love.” And he (and other apostles, too) also wrote of the many ways God loves us humans. Plus, all you gotta do, to know that’s true, is take a good look at what Jesus did for us. Yeah, that’s true love. So, why do I have to go and mess all that up by saying something like, “God hates.”
You don’t have to like it when I say/write that. And it might make you uncomfortable to hear/read it. But none of that makes it any less true.
And it’s true. God hates certain reprobates.
(side note: In Calvinism, a reprobate, is a sinner who is not of the elect and is predestined to damnation. That’s stupid and NOT true)
Now, I’m gonna borrow from Jeff Foxworthy’s “you might be a redneck” standing joke to illustrate what I mean.
If you strut around with an attitude of arrogance, you might be a reprobate. If it’s easier for you to lie than tell the truth, you might be a reprobate. And if your hands shed innocent blood (and if you support someone who physically does that, you share the guilt), you might be a reprobate.
Am I touching on any nerves, yet?
OK, there are more.
If you devise wicked plans, even if they’re just in your heart, you might be a reprobate. Or if your feet (physical AND metaphorical feet) are swift to run to evil, you might be a reprobate.
No descriptions of you yet?
Well, here are two more. If you tell lies about someone, on purpose, you might be a reprobate. And if you stir up bad feelings, especially among your family and friends, you might be a reprobate.
Because reprobates, by definition, are people who do those seven things. And they don’t tend to feel any guilt or sense of remorse when they do. And God hates that. Yeah, you read that right. God hates that.
The very same God who, through love, willingly took on the responsibility for every bad thing that has ever happened, is happening now, or ever will happen, hates. And it makes total sense, when you allow yourself to step back from the “God is love” perspective. Step back enough to realize His hate and love are sort of symbiotic.
He hates anyone who would dare shed innocent blood. And yet He loves anyone, who shows true humility and remorse, enough to make the Way out of the eternal consequences even of murder.
God hates unrepentant sinners. But He loves sinners who realize their need for Him. So, because of His love/hate relationship with us humans, we all have two options of where we’d prefer to spend eternity. One is place where you never have to hear the name of Jesus again. We call that hell. The other is where Jesus is. We call that Heaven.
As for me, I choose Heaven. And I DO get to choose. Calvin was absolutely wrong about that. My eternal life in Heaven was made possible by Jesus. But it’s up to me to decide whether I’ll go there. And it’s up to you, too.
You can’t run away from real truth.
And every word of truth is a knife.
A captivating voice might pigeonhole your choice,
Cut free…and choose life.
And choose to tell everybody where they can get some Tony music, in a songbook journal.
Stay tuned,
