Sermon Central
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God's Overwhelming, Unexplainable, Incomprehensible, Reconciling Love
Contributed by Richard Goble on Jan 16, 2008 (message contributor)
Summary: God loves His children in spite of their sin.
Title: God’s Overwhelming, Unexplainable, Incomprehensible, Reconciling Love For His Children
Text: Hosea 3:1-5
Theme: God loves His children in spite of their sin.
Introduction
The most destructive force in the entire universe is the unbridled wrath of God. The Bible uses anthropopathic (from the Greek "Anthropos", meaning "man" and "Pathos", meaning to feel or suffer, his is the assignation of human emotional characteristics to a non-human subject) expressions to express the wrath of God. Human terms, however, cannot give the full meaning of the infinite and sovereign God’s emotional experiences. As His love is infinitely incomprehensible, so are his displeasure, hate, anger, wrath, and vengeance. (Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology).
Consider these passages that describe God’s wrath.
“God is a just judge, and God is angry with the wicked every day.”
“For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness,”
“For we know Him who said, ‘Vengeance is Mine, I will repay," says the Lord. And again, "The Lord will judge His people.’ It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.”
“And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. But rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.”
“But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up. Therefore, since all these things will be dissolved, what manner of persons ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be dissolved, being on fire, and the elements will melt with fervent heat? Nevertheless we, according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells.”
For now, though, God’s wrath is tempered with His grace.
· The fall – Adam and Eve suffered spiritual death, they were cast out of the Garden of Eden, but still God performed a blood sacrifice to cover their sins. (Genesis 3:21, 24)
· The flood – God destroyed all humanity except for Noah who found grace in the eyes of the Lord. (Genesis 6:5-8)
· Sodom and Gomorrah – Destroyed because of their wickedness and depravity, but Lot was saved. (Genesis 19:24-25)
· The Egyptians – Destroyed in the wrath of God so the children of Israel could escape. (Exodus 15:7; Psalms 78:49-51)
· At the cross – God poured out His wrath against sin upon His Son so that you and I could be saved. (Psalms 38:1-2; 1 Thessalonians 5:9)
However, from the gospel of John we find that God’s love, condemnation, and anger are directed at the unbeliever simultaneously. (John 3:16, 18, 36)
All those who continue to scorn Jesus Christ have insulted the Holy Spirit. (Hebrews 10:28-29)
Hell is a real place where the wrath of God against sin will be poured out without mercy for all eternity (Mark 9; Luke 16).
WHAT HOPE IS THERE FOR ESCAPING THE WRATH OF ETERNAL DAMNATION?
Hosea 3 – (Complete Jewish Bible)
Adonai said to me, “Go once more, and show love to [this] wife [of yours] who has been loved by her boyfriend, to this adulteress — just as Adonai loves the people of Isra’el, even though they turn to other gods and love the raisin cakes [offered to them].”
So I bought her back for myself with fifteen pieces of silver and eight bushels of barley. Then I told her, “You are to remain in seclusion for a long time and be mine. You are not to be a prostitute, and you are not to be with any other man; and I won’t come in to have sex with you either.” For the people of Isra’el are going to be in seclusion for a long time without a king, prince, sacrifice, standing-stone, ritual vest or household gods. Afterwards, the people of Isra’el will repent and seek Adonai their God and David their king; they will come trembling to Adonai and his goodness in the [latter days] acharit-hayamim.
THE ONLY THING THAT PREVENTS ME FROM BEARING THE FULL WEIGHT OF GOD’S WRATH AGAINST SIN IS HIS LIMITLESS, IMMEASURABLE LOVE.
In this chapter we see several contrasts that depict man’s need for forgiveness and God’s provision of redemption.
I. REBELLION – MY SIN IS REBELLION AGAINST GOD
FORGIVENESS – GOD LOVES ME AND WANTS ME BACK (Hosea 3:1)
A. Every Sin Is Rebellion Against God. (Psalms 41:4; Psalms 51:3-4)
B. Every Individual Has Sinned And Rebelled Against God. (Romans 3:23; 1 John 1:8-9)
