Is Love The Only Doctrine?
I saw a church sign the other day that read, “Love is the only doctrine of this church.” That sounds lovely, doesn’t it? What’s wrong with love? In fact, the Bible says God is love. He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love (1 John 4:8). And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him (1 John 4:16). God is love. So is love the only doctrine? Is this what the Bible says?
Is love the only doctrine? No it is not. God is love. Love is one of God’s many, many, countless attributes. But it is only one of many. Yes, again, God is love. But God is also righteous, Holy and just. He is even wrathful. You can’t just tout one attribute of God. In doing so, you miss God! You miss the God of the Bible. We can never fully understand God with our finite minds. But God graciously gave us His word so we can know Him.
Love Is Not The Only Doctrine
God’s word points us to Jesus Christ the Lord and love is NOT the only doctrine of Jesus. The Lord Jesus was tough on self-righteous, religious leaders. But woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye shut up the kingdom of heaven against men: for ye neither go in yourselves, neither suffer ye them that are entering to go in (Matthew 23:13). Jesus was also tough on His own disciples. Then he said unto them, O fools, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken (Luke 24:25).
The woke crowd in America would most definitely call Jesus unloving because of the words He spoke to the religious leaders and to His own disciples. Worse yet, Jesus was intolerant. Very intolerant. Jesus said unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me (John 14:6). Yes, woke Americans will not tolerate the intolerance of Jesus. Even though He is he Sons of God and He is the only Savior.
Jesus Is The Only Way
Yes our Lord says the He is the ONLY way. Not Buddha, not Mohammad, not the pope. Jesus says the He is the only way. Now, that’s not a very loving doctrine, is it? That’s sure not a tolerant doctrine. But it is the true doctrine. It is the truth. Jesus is grace and truth (John 1:14). Oh, you may not like it, but it the truth. Jesus is the truth, the way and the life. Eternal salvation is found in Christ Jesus and in Him alone.
God is love, but He is not just love. Remember, God is the one who wiped out ALL of mankind except for the eight souls on the ark. Every single man, woman, child and all animals outside of the ark. Every single one of them. You tell me how that is a doctrine of love? I’ve heard that it’s estimated that there were around 3-Million people on the earth at the time of the world-wide flood. Three million souls perished in the flood? Why? Because of God’s wrath, His righteous anger over wicked men and women.
And it repented the Lord that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart. And the Lord said, I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth; both man, and beast, and the creeping thing, and the fowls of the air; for it repenteth me that I have made them (Genesis 6:6-7).
Estimated Three Million People Wiped Out
God wiped out all of mankind except for the eight souls and the animals aboard the ark. Every single other living soul perished in the great flood. Every one of them. Wiping out 3 million people is not a doctrine of love. It is a doctrine of righteousness and justice. God is not just a God of love. He is so much more than that. It’s foolish to try to put God in a box, but it’s even more foolish to try to tie God down to only one of His countless attributes. It’s utter foolishness.
You might protest “But that was the Old Testament.” I’m glad you brought that up. Let’s look at the New Testament. Acts 5:1-11 says: But a certain man named Ananias, with Sapphira his wife, sold a possession, And kept back part of the price, his wife also being privy to it, and brought a certain part, and laid it at the apostles’ feet.
But Peter said, Ananias, why hath Satan filled thine heart to lie to the Holy Ghost, and to keep back part of the price of the land? Whiles it remained, was it not thine own? and after it was sold, was it not in thine own power? why hast thou conceived this thing in thine heart? thou hast not lied unto men, but unto God.
And Ananias hearing these words fell down, and gave up the ghost: and great fear came on all them that heard these things. And the young men arose, wound him up, and carried him out, and buried him. And it was about the space of three hours after, when his wife, not knowing what was done, came in.
And Peter answered unto her, Tell me whether ye sold the land for so much? And she said, Yea, for so much. Then Peter said unto her, How is it that ye have agreed together to tempt the Spirit of the Lord? behold, the feet of them which have buried thy husband are at the door, and shall carry thee out.
Then fell she down straightway at his feet, and yielded up the ghost: and the young men came in, and found her dead, and, carrying her forth, buried her by her husband. And great fear came upon all the church, and upon as many as heard these things. How does God killing a man and his wife for lying to the Holy Ghost jive with the love only doctrine? It doesn’t!
Good Judge
God is not just love. He’s also Holy, righteous and just. If a drunk driver killed your loved one in a car accident because they got behind the wheel drunk and the judge let the drunk driver go because the judge is a love only or loving judge, you would be furious.
Your loved one has been senselessly murdered by a drunk driver and the judge letting the driver go because the judge is a “love only doctrine” kind of judge, you wouldn’t feel that judges’ love at all. You’d be angry because justice wasn’t served. Your loved one needlessly died because of someone else’s bad choices and the judge letting them go wouldn’t make you feel loved. No, you’d feel betrayed by that unjust judge and by the judicial system.
God is not unjust and He is not a judge that can be bribed. Yes God is love, but He’s also wrathful. God hates sin. He hates sin so much that He was willing to punish His own sinless, perfect Son – Jesus who died a horrible death on the cross in the place of guilty sinners. That is for guilty sinners who repent and trust Jesus. Don’t think for one second that the love only doctrine is going to work in Judgment Day. It will not work.
Don’t Be Fooled By The Love Only Crowd
Salvation is found in Christ Jesus alone and you must come to Him His way, through repentance and faith. We are to have repentance toward God and faith in our Lord Jesus Christ (Acts 20:20-21). Oh, don’t be fooled by the prosperity preachers. Don’t be fooled by the love only crowd. Don’t be fooled by the cults and don’t be fooled by your own self-righteousness. If you think you are good enough to make it to Heaven on your own, you will not make it. No matter how much of a love only doctrine that you hold to.
Turn to Christ and live. Repent and believe the Gospel. Surrender your life fully and completely to Jesus Christ the Lord. He is Lord of all and every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus is Lord. Oh, but you must do so in this lifetime. Waiting until Judgment Day will be too late. You will do so on that great and terrible day of the Lord, but Jesus will still have His servants cast you into the lake of fire and brimstone where you will suffer in agony for all eternity.
God wiped out every man, woman and child during the flood except for the eight people on the ark. He also killed Ananias and Sapphira in the early years of the church. God is still judging people today. Please read Romans 1. God is turning unrepentant, hard-hearted sinners over to their own reprobate minds, that is His current judgment. And there is still judgment to come.
Great White Throne Of Judgment
All unbelievers will face God at the great white throne of judgment. And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them. And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.
And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works. And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire (Revelation 20:11-15).
In Revelation 21:7-8 Jesus says: He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son. But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.
Oh folks, do not be fooled. Hell is real. I heard the other day that Arnold Schwarzenegger did an interview and they asked him about the afterlife. He said that Heaven is a fantasy and anyone who tells you something else is an f-ing liar. It doesn’t matter how famous or rich Arnold Schwarzenegger is, he will split Hell wide open if he continues denying Jesus and dies in his sins. Ignorance will be no excuse on Judgment Day. Unbelief is no excuse. In fact, unbelief is sin (John 16:9).
Even though you may not be rich and famous, you too will go to Hell after you die, if you die outside of Christ Jesus. Our Lord says that ALL liars will have their part in the lake of fire and brimstone. That’s every single person who ever walked this earth and died (or dies) outside of Jesus. Don’t foolishly die in your sins and go to Hell. Don’t believe the love is the only doctrine crowd. Yes, God is love, but He’s also Holy, Holy, Holy. Repent and believe the Gospel before it’s too late. Surrender your life fully and completely to Jesus and be saved.