Love Is The Only Doctrine
I drove by a church in Springfield the other day and their sign by the road said “Love is the only doctrine of this church.” Now that sounds lovely, doesn’t it? Love is the only doctrine. Let’s all just love everybody. It really sounds wonderful, but is it biblical?
I dare say it is not biblical. It is true that the Bible says God is love (1 John 4:8). God is love. There’s no denying that. But please notice that the verse says God is love; it doesn’t say God is all love. Love is very much an attribute of God. Almighty God is loving, kind, long-suffering, merciful and full of grace. But if God was all love, then Jesus would never have had to die on the cross for guilty sinners. If God is all love, then He could have just forgiven us for our sins out of His great love and wouldn’t have had to sacrifice His own sinless Son for guilty sinners like you and me.
The view that love is the only doctrine is a false gospel. It is not biblical. In fact it is anti-Christ. It takes away from the unbelievable sacrifice Jesus paid on the cruel cross for guilty sinners like you and me. Love is the only doctrine undermines the true Gospel. This church, whose pastor is a woman that leads the atheist group that meets in the church, is really no pastor at all and she sure isn’t biblical. Any church that promotes love is the only doctrine is a social club, not a church. It is blasphemous to the great God of Heaven and earth.
God Is Loving
Not only is God loving, kind, patient, forgiving, merciful and full of grace, but He is also Holy, righteous, just and perfect. The unrighteous cannot go unpunished. Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous (Psalm 1:5). For thou art not a God that hath pleasure in wickedness: neither shall evil dwell with thee (Psalm 5:4).
A church that claims love is the only doctrine, does not teach about the God of the Bible. Anyone that claims love is the only doctrine is really saying love trumps everything. They are saying that you can do what you want to do because nothing else matters as long as you are doing something in the name of love.
There are no repercussions for your actions. Don’t you see how wrong this is? A child molester could claim they really love the little child they are perversely abusing. A rapist could just claim they really love their victim. Thieves could say they really love helping people get rid of their material possessions.
These warped people can claim love all day long, but that doesn’t change the fact that sin is sin and God cannot tolerate sin. Any church that only focuses on one of God’s attributes is missing all the other attributes of God. They foolishly believe that God overlooks our sins because we are all sinners and since God is love, He will automatically forgive everyone. But again, this is unbiblical. God is also Holy!
God Is Holy
Isaiah 6:1-7 states: In the year that king Uzaiah died I saw also the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his train filled the temple. Above it stood the seraphims: each one had six wings; with twain he covered his face, and with twain he covered his feet, and with twain he did fly. And one cried unto another, and said, Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord of hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory. And the posts of the door moved at the voice of him that cried, and the house was filled with smoke.
Then said I, Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts. Then flew one of the seraphims unto me, having a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with the tongs from off the altar: And he laid it upon my mouth, and said, Lo, this hath touched thy lips; and thine iniquity is taken away, and thy sin purged.
God is Holy! The angels cry out Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord of hosts. In Revelation 4:8 it says And the four beasts had each of them six wings about him; and they were full of eyes within: and they rest not day and night, saying, Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come. Heaven rings out Holy, Holy, Holy. If you miss God’s holiness, then you miss God!
Judgment To Come
The ungodly cannot stand in the judgment (Psalm 1:5). Not only is this verse pointing out that unrepentant sinners cannot stand before our Holy and righteous God, but it also points out that there is judgment to come. And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment (Hebrews 9:27). Any church that says love is the only doctrine denies the righteousness of God and they also deny that there is judgment to come. If everything is all love, why would there be judgment?
But the Bible is clear about judgment. It’s appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment. We are all going to die. You cannot cheat death. The question is, are you going to die as guilty, unrepentant sinner or are you going to die as a person who has repented and trusted Jesus Christ?
Repent Ye Therefore
Acts 3:19 states: Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord. Acts 17:30-31 says: And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent: Because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead.
God commands us to repent. Now that doesn’t sound very loving, does it? Why should we repent? Because God commands it! We have all sinned against God. None of us have obeyed God fully and completely. We have all gone astray. None of us are righteous, not a single person. That’s the real dilemma. God is love and God is Holy. How can God reconcile Himself with HIs perfect nature with us sinful creatures? The answer is through Jesus Christ alone.
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life (John 3:16). But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us (Romans 5:8). The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance (2 Peter 3:9).
God Is Rich In Mercy
Ephesians 2:4-5 says: 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, (by grace ye are saved;). 1 John 4:9-11 states: In this was manifested the love of God toward 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 he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another.
God sent His only begotten Son to be the atonement for guilty sinners like us. Our sin, our rebellion against God has separated us from God. Yet, He willingly sent Jesus to suffer Father God’s righteous wrath over our sins as Jesus, the perfect One, suffered, bled and died on the cross. He was the propitiation for our sins. That means the wrath was satisfied. Talk about not squaring up with love is the only doctrine. God is angry with unrepentant sinners over their sins. If Jesus Christ, the one who died on the cross and rose from the grave, the one who defeated sin, death, Hell and Satan is not your Lord and Savior, then you need to understand that God’s wrath over your sins still abides upon you.
Claiming All Love Does Not Diminish Your Guilt
Claiming all love; love as the only doctrine, does not diminish your guilt in any way, shape or form. You remain guilty, guilty, guilty. And remember it’s appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment. You do not want to die in your sins and face God’s anger over your sins on Judgment Day.
If you die in your sins, you will suffer God’s wrath forever and ever. You will suffer the flames of Hell for all eternity. Then you will cry out for love, but you will receive none. You will cry out for mercy, but you won’t receive mercy. In addition, you will cry out for forgiveness, but none will be given to you. If you die as an unrepentant sinner, you will suffer eternal torments and everlasting damnation.
That’s why Jesus commanded us to go into all the world and preach the Gospel to every creature. There’s nothing more valuable than your eternal soul and eternity is a really long time to be wrong. You need to repent and put your faith in Jesus. That’s why Jesus said: Thus it is written, and thus it behooved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day: And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. And ye are witnesses of these things (Luke 24:46-48). That’s why we are out here pleading with you tonight to repent and trust Jesus.
Your Sins Can Be Forgiven
Your sins can be forgiven. You do not have to stand before God on Judgment Day as a guilty sinner. Repent and surrender your life to Jesus and receive everlasting life. If you do this, God no longer sees you as a guilty sinner. He now sees you as righteous through the perfect sacrifice of Jesus. You can be made right with God through the righteousness of Jesus. Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God (Romans 5:1-2).
And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation; To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation. Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ’s stead, be ye reconciled to God. For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him (2 Corinthians 5:18-21).
Repent And Trust Jesus
You can be reconciled to God. Jesus took your sins upon Himself as He hung on the cross at Calvary, if you repent and trust Him. You can receive His righteousness. This is the great exchange. Jesus takes your sins and He gives you His righteousness. But you must accept this amazing gift and you receive it through repentance and faith. Repentance toward God and faith in our Lord Jesus Christ.
Oh, be made righteous tonight. Confess and forsake your sins. Turn from your sins and turn to Jesus. Trust Him. Receive Jesus as your Lord and Savior. Surrender your life fully and completely to Him. Submit to His Lordship. Do this tonight. Don’t put it off. You can follow false teachings like love is the only doctrine, die in your sins and split Hell wide open one day or you can come to Jesus through repentance and faith and receive remission or forgiveness for your sins. Are you going to remain spiritually dead in your trespasses and sins or are you going to repent and trust Jesus and receive eternal life?
(This message was lifted up in downtown Springfield, MO on March 3, 2017)