HOW COME YOU COULD TELL A SINNER THAT GOD LOVES HIM, BUT TELL A BELIEVER (GOD'S OWN CHILD) THAT GOD IS ANGRY WITH HIM? HOW CAN AN ANGRY GOD DIE FOR SOMEONE HE IS ANGRY WITH?
This is a question that strikes at the very heart of the gospel.
How can we confidently tell a sinner, "God loves you," and then turn around and tell a believer, "God is angry with you" simply because he sinned?
If God loved us while we were still sinners, why would He stop loving us—or become hostile toward u because we sinned—after making us His children?
The Scriptures declare:
"But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us."
— Romans 5:8
Notice carefully what Paul says. God did not wait for us to change before He loved us. He did not wait for us to repent before He loved us. He did not wait for us to become righteous before He loved us.
He loved us while we were still sinners.
The cross was not God's response to our goodness. It was God's response to our helplessness.
The greatest proof of God's love was not given after we believed—it was given before we believed.
The apostle continues:
"For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life."
— Romans 5:10
Think about that.
When were we reconciled?
When we were enemies.
If God loved us enough to reconcile us when we were enemies, how much more does He love us now that we are His children?
If His love reached us in our rebellion, will it fail us in our sonship?
If Christ died for us when we were far away, will God now reject us after bringing us near?
The logic of the gospel is the exact opposite.
Paul argues from the greater to the lesser.
If God did the greatest thing imaginable—giving His Son for us while we were enemies—then surely He is not turning against us now that we belong to Him.
We Are No Longer Under Condemnation
The Bible does not describe the believer as standing under God's condemnation.
Instead, it says:
"There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus."
— Romans 8:1
Not less condemnation.
Not reduced condemnation.
No condemnation.
Why?
Because Christ has already borne the judgment that was against us.
"Who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree."
— 1 Peter 2:24
"Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us."
— Galatians 3:13
If Christ bore our judgment, what judgment remains for the believer?
If Christ carried our condemnation, what condemnation is left to carry?
God Has Adopted Us as His Children
The believer is not merely forgiven.
The believer has been adopted.
"Having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself."
— Ephesians 1:5
"For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, 'Abba, Father.'"
— Romans 8:15
We do not approach God as criminals approaching a judge.
We approach Him as children approaching a Father.
A loving father may correct his child.
A loving father may train his child.
But correction is not rejection.
Discipline is not condemnation.
Training is not wrath.
God's Love Did Not Begin at Salvation
Many believers live as though God's love started the day they believed.
The Bible teaches the opposite.
God loved us before we believed.
"But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ."
— Ephesians 2:4–5
Notice the timing.
Even when we were dead in trespasses.
God's love preceded our response.
His love was the cause of salvation, not the reward for it.
Nothing Can Separate Us from His Love
Paul reaches a triumphant conclusion in Romans 8:
"Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?"
— Romans 8:35
Then he answers:
"Neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come... shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord."
— Romans 8:38–39
Nothing can separate us from God's love.
Not our past.
Not our failures.
Not our weaknesses.
Not our circumstances.
Not even the powers of darkness.
The believer's confidence rests not in his ability to hold onto God but in God's ability to hold onto him.
The Cross Settles the Question
Ultimately, the cross answers the question.
"He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?"
— Romans 8:32
If God gave His Son for us when we were sinners, enemies, and rebels, then what does that say about His heart toward us now that we are His children?
The cross is not the evidence of an angry God trying to love people.
The cross is the evidence of a loving God giving Himself for people who could never save themselves.
So the question remains:
How come you can tell a sinner, "God loves you," but tell a believer, "God is angry with you"?
How can an angry God die for someone He is angry with?
If God loved us when we were enemies, how much more now that we are sons?
If He gave Christ for us while we were sinners, how much more now that we are reconciled?
The gospel does not point believers to God's anger as their expectation. It points them to Christ's finished work as their confidence.
"Beloved, if God so loved us..."
— 1 John 4:11
And the greatest proof that He does is still the cross.
This is a question that strikes at the very heart of the gospel.
How can we confidently tell a sinner, "God loves you," and then turn around and tell a believer, "God is angry with you" simply because he sinned?
If God loved us while we were still sinners, why would He stop loving us—or become hostile toward u because we sinned—after making us His children?
The Scriptures declare:
"But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us."
— Romans 5:8
Notice carefully what Paul says. God did not wait for us to change before He loved us. He did not wait for us to repent before He loved us. He did not wait for us to become righteous before He loved us.
He loved us while we were still sinners.
The cross was not God's response to our goodness. It was God's response to our helplessness.
The greatest proof of God's love was not given after we believed—it was given before we believed.
The apostle continues:
"For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life."
— Romans 5:10
Think about that.
When were we reconciled?
When we were enemies.
If God loved us enough to reconcile us when we were enemies, how much more does He love us now that we are His children?
If His love reached us in our rebellion, will it fail us in our sonship?
If Christ died for us when we were far away, will God now reject us after bringing us near?
The logic of the gospel is the exact opposite.
Paul argues from the greater to the lesser.
If God did the greatest thing imaginable—giving His Son for us while we were enemies—then surely He is not turning against us now that we belong to Him.
We Are No Longer Under Condemnation
The Bible does not describe the believer as standing under God's condemnation.
Instead, it says:
"There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus."
— Romans 8:1
Not less condemnation.
Not reduced condemnation.
No condemnation.
Why?
Because Christ has already borne the judgment that was against us.
"Who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree."
— 1 Peter 2:24
"Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us."
— Galatians 3:13
If Christ bore our judgment, what judgment remains for the believer?
If Christ carried our condemnation, what condemnation is left to carry?
God Has Adopted Us as His Children
The believer is not merely forgiven.
The believer has been adopted.
"Having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself."
— Ephesians 1:5
"For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, 'Abba, Father.'"
— Romans 8:15
We do not approach God as criminals approaching a judge.
We approach Him as children approaching a Father.
A loving father may correct his child.
A loving father may train his child.
But correction is not rejection.
Discipline is not condemnation.
Training is not wrath.
God's Love Did Not Begin at Salvation
Many believers live as though God's love started the day they believed.
The Bible teaches the opposite.
God loved us before we believed.
"But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ."
— Ephesians 2:4–5
Notice the timing.
Even when we were dead in trespasses.
God's love preceded our response.
His love was the cause of salvation, not the reward for it.
Nothing Can Separate Us from His Love
Paul reaches a triumphant conclusion in Romans 8:
"Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?"
— Romans 8:35
Then he answers:
"Neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come... shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord."
— Romans 8:38–39
Nothing can separate us from God's love.
Not our past.
Not our failures.
Not our weaknesses.
Not our circumstances.
Not even the powers of darkness.
The believer's confidence rests not in his ability to hold onto God but in God's ability to hold onto him.
The Cross Settles the Question
Ultimately, the cross answers the question.
"He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?"
— Romans 8:32
If God gave His Son for us when we were sinners, enemies, and rebels, then what does that say about His heart toward us now that we are His children?
The cross is not the evidence of an angry God trying to love people.
The cross is the evidence of a loving God giving Himself for people who could never save themselves.
So the question remains:
How come you can tell a sinner, "God loves you," but tell a believer, "God is angry with you"?
How can an angry God die for someone He is angry with?
If God loved us when we were enemies, how much more now that we are sons?
If He gave Christ for us while we were sinners, how much more now that we are reconciled?
The gospel does not point believers to God's anger as their expectation. It points them to Christ's finished work as their confidence.
"Beloved, if God so loved us..."
— 1 John 4:11
And the greatest proof that He does is still the cross.
HOW COME YOU COULD TELL A SINNER THAT GOD LOVES HIM, BUT TELL A BELIEVER (GOD'S OWN CHILD) THAT GOD IS ANGRY WITH HIM? HOW CAN AN ANGRY GOD DIE FOR SOMEONE HE IS ANGRY WITH?
This is a question that strikes at the very heart of the gospel.
How can we confidently tell a sinner, "God loves you," and then turn around and tell a believer, "God is angry with you" simply because he sinned?
If God loved us while we were still sinners, why would He stop loving us—or become hostile toward u because we sinned—after making us His children?
The Scriptures declare:
"But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us."
— Romans 5:8
Notice carefully what Paul says. God did not wait for us to change before He loved us. He did not wait for us to repent before He loved us. He did not wait for us to become righteous before He loved us.
He loved us while we were still sinners.
The cross was not God's response to our goodness. It was God's response to our helplessness.
The greatest proof of God's love was not given after we believed—it was given before we believed.
The apostle continues:
"For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life."
— Romans 5:10
Think about that.
When were we reconciled?
When we were enemies.
If God loved us enough to reconcile us when we were enemies, how much more does He love us now that we are His children?
If His love reached us in our rebellion, will it fail us in our sonship?
If Christ died for us when we were far away, will God now reject us after bringing us near?
The logic of the gospel is the exact opposite.
Paul argues from the greater to the lesser.
If God did the greatest thing imaginable—giving His Son for us while we were enemies—then surely He is not turning against us now that we belong to Him.
We Are No Longer Under Condemnation
The Bible does not describe the believer as standing under God's condemnation.
Instead, it says:
"There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus."
— Romans 8:1
Not less condemnation.
Not reduced condemnation.
No condemnation.
Why?
Because Christ has already borne the judgment that was against us.
"Who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree."
— 1 Peter 2:24
"Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us."
— Galatians 3:13
If Christ bore our judgment, what judgment remains for the believer?
If Christ carried our condemnation, what condemnation is left to carry?
God Has Adopted Us as His Children
The believer is not merely forgiven.
The believer has been adopted.
"Having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself."
— Ephesians 1:5
"For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, 'Abba, Father.'"
— Romans 8:15
We do not approach God as criminals approaching a judge.
We approach Him as children approaching a Father.
A loving father may correct his child.
A loving father may train his child.
But correction is not rejection.
Discipline is not condemnation.
Training is not wrath.
God's Love Did Not Begin at Salvation
Many believers live as though God's love started the day they believed.
The Bible teaches the opposite.
God loved us before we believed.
"But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ."
— Ephesians 2:4–5
Notice the timing.
Even when we were dead in trespasses.
God's love preceded our response.
His love was the cause of salvation, not the reward for it.
Nothing Can Separate Us from His Love
Paul reaches a triumphant conclusion in Romans 8:
"Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?"
— Romans 8:35
Then he answers:
"Neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come... shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord."
— Romans 8:38–39
Nothing can separate us from God's love.
Not our past.
Not our failures.
Not our weaknesses.
Not our circumstances.
Not even the powers of darkness.
The believer's confidence rests not in his ability to hold onto God but in God's ability to hold onto him.
The Cross Settles the Question
Ultimately, the cross answers the question.
"He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?"
— Romans 8:32
If God gave His Son for us when we were sinners, enemies, and rebels, then what does that say about His heart toward us now that we are His children?
The cross is not the evidence of an angry God trying to love people.
The cross is the evidence of a loving God giving Himself for people who could never save themselves.
So the question remains:
How come you can tell a sinner, "God loves you," but tell a believer, "God is angry with you"?
How can an angry God die for someone He is angry with?
If God loved us when we were enemies, how much more now that we are sons?
If He gave Christ for us while we were sinners, how much more now that we are reconciled?
The gospel does not point believers to God's anger as their expectation. It points them to Christ's finished work as their confidence.
"Beloved, if God so loved us..."
— 1 John 4:11
And the greatest proof that He does is still the cross.
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