Love of God, from “The Great Doctrines of the Bible” by Evans

Notes: (1) “The Great Doctrines of the Bible” by Rev. William Evans, Ph.D., D.D. is a well-respected reference material for Bible students, pastors, missionaries and laymen. You can read the entire book from Google (click the picture of the book cover), or download the complete zipped e-book. (2) Surf to the index of lessons and online quizzes from Evans. (3) The most important ideas and statements from this part of Evans’ book are listed in the “Basic truths” section below.

The Love of God.

Christianity is really the only religion that sets forth the Supreme Being as Love. The gods of the heathen are angry, hateful beings, and are in constant need of appeasing.

(1) Scriptural statements of the fact.

1 John 4:8-16--“God is love.” “God is light”; “God is Spirit”; “God is love.” Spirit and Light are expressions of God’s essential nature. Love is the expression of his personality corresponding to His nature. It is the nature of God to love. He dwells always in the atmosphere of love. Just how to define or describe the love of God may be difficult if not impossible. It appears from certain scriptures (1 John 3:16; John 3:16) that the love of God is of such a nature that it betokens a constant interest in the physical and spiritual welfare of His creatures as to lead Him to make sacrifices beyond human conception to reveal that love.

(2) The objects of God’s Love.

aa) Jesus Christ, God's only-begotten Son, is the special object of His Love.

Matt. 3:17--“This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” Also Matt. 17:5; Luke 20:13. Jesus Christ shares the love of the Father in a unique sense, just as He is His Son in a unique sense. He is especially “My chosen.” “The One in whom my soul delighteth,” “My beloved Son,”--literally: the Son of mine, the beloved. And we can readily understand how that He who did the will of God perfectly should thus become the special object of the Father’s love. Of course, if the love of God is eternal, as is the nature of God, which must be the case, then, that love must have had an eternal object to love. So Christ, in addressing the Father, says: “Thou lovedst me before the foundation of the world.”

bb) Believers in His Son, Jesus Christ, are special objects of God’s Love.

John 16:27--“For the Father himself loveth you, because ye have loved me, and have believed that I came out from God.” 14:21-23--“He that loveth me shall be loved of my Father. ...If a man love me...my Father will love him.” 17:23--“And hast loved them, as thou hast loved me.” Do we really believe these words? We are not on the outskirts of God's love, but in its very midst. There stands Christ right in the very midst of that circle of the Father’s love; then He draws us to that spot, and, as it were, disappears, leaving us standing there bathed in the same loving-kindness of the Father in which He Himself had basked.

cc) God loves the world of sinners and ungodly men.

John 3:16--“For God so loved the world” was a startling truth to Nicodemus in his narrow exclusivism. God loved not the Jew only, but also the Gentile; not a part of the world of men, but every man in it, irrespective of his moral character. For “God commendeth his love towards us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us” (Rom. 5:8). This is wonderful when we begin to realize what a world in sin is. The love of God is broader than the measure of man’s mind. God desires the salvation of all men (1 Tim. 2:4).

(3) How the Love of God reveals Itself.

aa) In making infinite sacrifice for the salvation of men.

1 John 4:9, 10--“In this was manifested the love of God towards us, because that God sent his only-begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him. Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that God loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.” Love is more than compassion; it hides not itself as compassion may do, but displays itself actively in behalf of its object. The Cross of Calvary is the highest expression of the love of God for sinful man. He gave not only a Son, but His only Son, His well-beloved.

bb) In bestowing full and complete pardon on the penitent.

Isa. 38:17--“Thou hast in love to my soul delivered it from the pit of corruption: for thou hast cast all my sins behind thy back.” Literally, “Thou hast loved my soul back from the pit of destruction.” God had taken the bitterness out of his life and given him the gracious forgiveness of his sins, by putting them far away from Him. Eph. 2:4, 5--“But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ,” etc. Verses 1-3 of this chapter show the race rushing headlong to inevitable ruin. “But” reverses the picture; when all help for man fails, then God steps in, and by His mercy, which springs from “His great love,” redeems fallen man, and gives him not only pardon, but a position in His heavenly kingdom by the side of Jesus Christ. All this was “for,” or, perhaps better, “in order to satisfy His great love.” Love led Him to do it.

cc) In remembering His children in all the varying circumstances of life.

Isa. 63:9--“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.” Here is retrospection on the part of the prophet. He thinks of all the oppressions of Israel, and recalls how God's interests have been bound up with theirs. He was not their adversary; He was their sympathetic, loving friend. He suffered with them. Isa. 49:15, 16--“Can a woman forget her sucking child? Yea, they may forget, yet will I not forget thee. Behold, I have graven thee on the palms of my hands; thy walls are continually before me.” It was the custom those days to trace upon the palms of the hands the outlines of any object of affection; hence a man engraved the name of his god. So God could not act without being reminded of Israel. God is always mindful of His own. Saul of Tarsus learned this truth on the way to Damascus. (From “The Great Doctrines of the Bible” by Rev. William Evans, Ph.D., D.D.)

Basic truths

[1] “Christianity is really the only religion that sets forth the Supreme Being as Love. The gods of the heathen are angry, hateful beings, and are in constant need of appeasing.”

[2] Scriptural statements of the Love of God: 1 John 3: 16; 4:8-16; John 3:16). “The love of God is of such a nature that it betokens a constant interest in the physical and spiritual welfare of His creatures as to lead Him to make sacrifices beyond human conception to reveal that love.”

[3] The objects of God’s Love.

Jesus Christ, God’s only-begotten Son, is the special object of His Love (Matt. 3:17; Matt. 17:5; Luke 20:13). “The love of God is broader than the measure of man’s mind. God desires the salvation of all men.”

Believers in His Son, Jesus Christ, are special objects of God's Love (John 14:21-23; 16:27; 17:23).

God loves the world of sinners and ungodly men (John 3:16; Rom. 5:8; 1 Tim 2:4)

[4] How the Love of God reveals Itself.

In making infinite sacrifice for the salvation of men (1 John 4:9, 10). The Cross of Calvary is the highest expression of the love of God for sinful man. He gave not only a Son, but His only Son, His well-beloved.

In bestowing full and complete pardon on the penitent (Isa. 38:17; Eph. 2:4,5)

In remembering His children in all the varying circumstances of life (Isa. 63:9; 49:15, 16)

Further study (Be like the Bereans! Acts 17:11)

[1] Materials by John Piper against open theism

Some Early Baptist Confessions of Faith Explicitly Disowned the “Openness” View

How Open Theism Helps Us Conceal Our Hidden Idolatries

Beyond the Bounds, Open Theism and the Undermining of Biblical Christianity (you can also read this book online, 3.4MB PDF).

This understanding of God’s foreknowledge has united the church for twenty centuries. But advocates of “open theism” are presenting a different vision of God and a different view of the future.

The rise of open theism within evangelicalism has raised a host of questions. Was classical theism decisively tainted by Greek philosophy? Is open theism a product of process theism? What philosophical presuppositions and cultural conditions are allowing open theism to flourish? How should we understand passages that tell us that God changes his mind or repents or expresses surprise? Are essentials of biblical Christianity—like the inerrancy of Scripture, the trustworthiness of God, and the gospel of Christ—at stake in this debate? Where, when, and why should we draw new boundaries—and is open theism beyond them? Beyond the Bounds brings together a respected team of scholars to examine the latest literature, address these questions, and give guidance to the church in this time of controversy.

[2] An Examination Of Open Theism, by Gregg Cantelmo (Senior pastor, Bridgeway Community Church; teacher in “The Institute,” the educational arm of East Valley Bible Church in Gilbert, and at Southwestern College in Phoenix; pursuing Doctorate of Ministry degree at Phoenix Seminary)

Open theism is concerned with how God experiences the world. It asks and attempts to answer the questions, “What does God know?” and “When does He know it?” The essence of the questions open theists ask are not dealing with how God knows the future, but if he knows it at all. An early proponent of open theism said, “God experienced the events of the world He has created. . .as they happen, rather than all at once in some timeless, eternal perception. This also means that not even God knows the future in all its details.” Open theists maintain that God does not know what a given human being will do until he acts. They refer to such human actions as “possibilities.” Because God remains unaware of human possibilities, the future remains “open” in His mind. This means that rather than God knowing all things, He is in the process of learning new things as they take place. This is a significant redefinition of the classical doctrine of God’s omniscience. The open theist’s view of omniscience is that God has complete knowledge of the past and the present, but not the future. What God does know of the future is in reference to what he knows of “present dispositions, proclivities, inclinations, intentions and probabilities as well as they can be known.”

“Though God’s sovereignty conflicts with our autonomy, it in no way diminishes the value and role of our earthly walk with God. Just as the Scriptures begin with God and His sovereignty and creative authority over creation, so should theology begin with God and His sovereignty and creative authority. Whereas the Scriptures elevate God, open theism elevates man. The many difficulties open theism presents on the theological landscape come not from God’s lack of knowledge concerning man, but from man’s finite limited understanding of an infinite and awesome God. Of God we affirm with the Apostle Paul, “For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be the glory forever. Amen.” (Rom. 11:36).” (Read the complete article)

[3] Who’s Moving Whom?: An Evaluation of Clark Pinnock’s Theology of God’s Openness, by Glenn R. Kreider (Professor of Theological Studies at Dallas Theological Seminary)

[4] “The Attributes of God” part 1 and part 2, by A. W. Tozer (Infinitude, Immensity, Goodness, Justice, Mercy, Grace, Omnipresence, Immanence, Holiness, Perfection); read also Knowledge Of The Holy, The Pursuit of God and other works by Tozer.

“If a sermon can be compared to light, then A. W. Tozer released a laser beam from the pulpit, a beam that penetrated your heart. If you have never read Tozer - what are you waiting for? Thirty minutes spent in a Tozer essay is often better than a week at a Bible conference.” (Warren Wiersbe, Bible teacher; General Director, Back to the Bible Broadcast; Former Pastor, Moody Church in Chicago)

[5] Knowing God, by J.I. Packer

“We are cruel to ourselves if we try to live in this world without knowing about the God whose world it is and who runs it. The world becomes a strange, mad, painful place and life in it a disappointing and unpleasant business, for those who do not know about God. Disregard the study of God, and you sentence yourself to stumble and blunder through life blindfold, as it were, with no sense of direction and no understanding of what surrounds you. This way you can waste your life and lose your soul.”

Knowing God study guides: Section 1 Introduction and Chapters 1-6; Section 2 Chapters 7-17; Section 3 Chapters 18-22.

[6] Evidence for God, from Institute for Creation Research

• Everything Has a Cause
• The Effect Problem
• Time, Space, and Matter
• The Logical Implications
• God Caused Beauty
• God Caused Justice
• God Caused Love
• God Caused Meaning
• God Caused Order
• God Caused Time, Space, and Matter

ICR’s popular Acts & Facts free monthly news magazine contains articles and information of current interest dealing with creation, evolution, and related topics. Current and past issues can also be read, and you can sign up to receive future issues in the mail, all for free. Full versions of previous editions can be viewed online in PDF format.

[7] Does God Exist? by Jimmy Williams (also available in Spanish)

[8] Does God Exist? by Hampton Keathley IV

[9] Evidence For God's Existence by J. Hampton Keathley, III

[10] The Rationality of the Christian Worldview

[11] Materials by Ken Boa

• The Evolution Revolution: Naturalism and the Question of Origins
• No God at All: Western Humanism and the New Atheism

[12] Evidentialist Apologetics: Faith Founded on Fact

[13] Presenting Evidence That Demands a Verdict

[14] Classical Apologetics: It Stands to Reason

[15] Taking Every Thought Captive

[16] How I Know Christianity is True by Patrick Zukerian

[17] Survey of Bible Doctrine: God by Sid Litke

Sermons on the attributes of God (Be like the Bereans! Acts 17:11)

[1] Sermons by Philip G. Layton, Gold Country Baptist Church

• Living in Light of God’s Attributes, Introduction
• Living in Light of God’s Sovereignty
• Living in Light of God’s Sovereignty, Part 2
• Living in Light of God’s Providence
• Living in Light of God’s Omniscience
• Living in Light of God’s Omnipotence
• Living in Light of God’s Omnipresence
• Living in Light of God’s Justice and Mercy at the Cross
• Living in Light of God’s Faithfulness and Goodness
• Living in Light of God’s Holiness
• Living in Light of God’s Grace
• Living in Light of God’s Glory
• God is Love .. but that's not all - Living in Light of His Wrath and Love
• God is God and I Am Not - Living in Light of God’s Supremacy
• Living in Light of our Infinite and Intimate Creator

[2] Sermons by Pastor Jeremy Stephens, Southview Baptist Church

• Knowing an Unknowable God - Part 1 - Self Existence
• Knowing An Unknowable God - Part 2 - Immutability
• Knowing an Unknowable God - Part 3 – God’s Love

[3] God is, by David Palmer, East Side Baptist Church

[4] The Doctrine of God - Part A: The Nature and Attributes of God, by Randy D. Starkey, East Bend Baptist Church

[5] SF523 - WHAT WE BELIEVE ABOUT GOD (Hebrews 11:6), by Timothy McGhee, First Baptist Church – Powell

[6] Materials by Kurt Andree

• The Communicable Attributes of God I
• The Incommunicable Attributes of God I
  

[7] Praise to the God of Unlimited Power, by Dr. Kelly Randolph, Country Acres Baptist Church

[8] Is It Possible To See God, by Thomas

[9] God The Holy Spirit, by George Toews

[10] Three Forgotten Perfections of God, by Kenneth P. McCaulley

[11] Attributes of God, by Shaun LePage

[12] Attributes Of God: Faithfulness, by Timothy D. Hall

[13] Doctrinal Statement: Theology Proper, by Jason Button

[14] 100 Names of Jesus, by Ralph Andrus, Calvary Baptist Church

[15] What We Believe and Why We Believe It Concerning God 4, by Richard E. Rutherford Jr

[16] The Immensity of God, by Wayne Gropp

[17] Some Things God Cannot Do, by Kenneth W. Burton

Note: This ministry does not necessarily endorse or share all the views and opinions expressed in the materials, resources or links mentioned in these posts. Please always refer to the Articles of Faith and Biblical distinctives of Baptists when you study these materials.