The Communicable Attributes of God

Sovereign Grace Family Church

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November 14, 2018

00:04: If you want to open your Bibles with me tonight, we can go ahead and turn to the book of 1 John, chapter 4.
00:12: And just hold your place there.
00:19: Thank you.
00:19: I'll put those here.
00:25: For those of you who have been with us, you know what the subject is, but I know we have new folks each week, so I want to kind of bring everyone up to speed as to where we are.
00:36: We are in a study of systematic theology.
00:39: It's actually the doctrines of the Bible.
00:44: And we are looking at the first major division of systematic theology, and that is theology proper.
00:54: That means that we're studying the nature and the attributes of God.
01:00: That's what theology proper means.
01:02: And specifically, one might call it patriology, because we look at the Father more specifically in this than we do when we look at Christology and pneumatology, which are the studies of Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit.
01:19: Two members of the Trinity, of course, but when we look at theology proper, we're looking at God the Father and the entire Trinity as a whole.
01:30: And so tonight, we are looking at the attributes of God.
01:34: This is the fourth time we've looked at this subject, because I keep getting caught on attributes.
01:40: And I could spend the rest of my life preaching on attributes of God and never run out in the sense of how great and magnificent each one is.
01:49: And so it's been hard for me not to just stop each time we come to a point.
01:55: But I am going to try to do something magical tonight.
01:57: I'm going to try to get through the entire worksheet in one night.
02:03: I don't think the possibility is there, but we shall see if it is, in fact, possible.
02:12: Here's the reasoning.
02:14: We won't be here next week.
02:16: Next week is Thanksgiving week, and on Thanksgiving week, we don't have any evening activities at all.
02:22: We don't have any of our regular evening studies or anything.
02:25: So we don't have service next week.
02:28: And the week after that, I would like to get on to teaching on the Trinity.
02:31: That's one of my favorite subjects.
02:32: I wrote a book on the Trinity.
02:34: It's something I enjoy teaching.
02:36: And so I'd like to finish the attributes of God tonight.
02:40: But we will see.
02:43: As you remember, there are two aspects of the attributes of God.
02:46: We break them down into, first, the incommunicable attributes.
02:49: Those are the attributes of God that are not communicated or shared or transferred to man.
02:55: Some of the incommunicable attributes of God are His eternality.
02:59: He is eternal, and in that eternal nature, He doesn't share that with us.
03:03: We're eternal going forward, but we had a point where we were not.
03:07: We had a point where we were brought into time.
03:09: God doesn't have that.
03:10: God has always been and will always be.
03:12: From everlasting to everlasting, you are God.
03:15: So His eternality, He can't share with us.
03:19: His other aspect of aseity, His self-existence, He is independent of us.
03:24: We're dependent on so many things.
03:26: God's independent of anything.
03:28: He is not contingent on any other thing for His existence, power, or any of those other things.
03:33: And we talked about that for weeks.
03:34: I don't want to again go back and rehearse everything we've said.
03:38: But tonight, we're going to look at the communicable attributes.
03:42: Those are the attributes that God does share with us.
03:48: Now, having said that, I want to clarify something.
03:51: Nothing that God shares with us is so full that we experience all of it.
03:58: So every one of God's attributes, even the ones we're going to look at tonight, could rightly be called incommunicable because we're not sharing in the fullness of that which is God's.
04:08: And love, and goodness, and righteousness, and all of those things, we don't share in the fullness.
04:13: But these are things that God communicates to us and says, Here, we're going to share this or transfer this to you.
04:19: So that's why we call these the communicable attributes of God.
04:24: The first one is the attribute of love.
04:31: The attribute of love.
04:35: I don't get to experience eternality, but I can experience love.
04:42: And that's how we break the two apart, right? That's how we break the communicable and the incommunicable.
04:47: I can't experience aseity, but I can experience love.
04:53: I can't experience omnipotence, but I can experience love.
04:58: And so that's the difference.
05:00: And that's why we begin with this one.
05:02: In your Bibles, in 1 John chapter 4, it says this in verse 7.
05:08: Beloved, let us love one another.
05:13: Boy, if the church would just do that.
05:16: I'll just stop right there.
05:17: If the church would just love one another and obey that one command, things would be so much different.
05:23: But it goes on.
05:25: Beloved, let us love one another.
05:27: For love is from God.
05:30: And whoever loves has been born of God and knows God.
05:37: Anyone, verse 8, who does not love God, or excuse me, rather, anyone who does not love does not know God.
05:45: Because God is love.
05:50: Notice that phrase.
05:52: God is love.
05:54: I do think this is a phrase that has been maligned a bit.
05:58: Because the phrase, God is love, has been changed.
06:07: How has it been changed? It's been changed to this.
06:12: Love is God.
06:15: And that's not the same.
06:18: Because nowadays we say, well, we've got to love.
06:22: And we've got to love anything and anyone in any way.
06:26: And we're not to make distinctions.
06:27: We're not to make exceptions.
06:29: We're not to have any type of divisions.
06:31: We're not to have anything.
06:32: We're just to love everything and anything.
06:35: And that means even loving evil.
06:38: You know what the Bible says? The Bible says that the worst thing in the world is when the good is called evil and the evil is called good.
06:47: And then that's what we see in our world.
06:49: That's the absolute moral transfer.
06:52: That which is good is called evil.
06:55: And that which is evil is called good.
06:57: But this is important because the Bible says God is love.
07:03: But it doesn't say love is God.
07:06: What that means is God defines love.
07:16: You say, well, what are you getting at? Well, a lot of people come up with an emotional type of love, an emotional type of experience that they want to attribute to God.
07:28: And so they say, this is what I think love is.
07:30: So this must be what God is.
07:32: And see, that's backwards.
07:33: That's love is God.
07:35: But see, the problem is men in their hearts are confused about what love is.
07:39: Wouldn't you agree that men and women are confused about what love is? Men think that love is an emotion.
07:47: Men think that love is a feeling.
07:49: Men think that love is something that is very much in the heart.
07:54: And we tell people, follow your heart.
07:56: What does the Bible say about the heart? It's desperately wicked above all things.
08:02: Who can know it? Right? So we take our version of love and we say that's what God must be.
08:09: So God can't create hell.
08:11: Because in my version of love, there's no hell.
08:14: And God is love, so God can't make hell.
08:16: You see what I mean now when I say love is God is backwards? Because we take our version of love, which is a perverted, human, fallen version of love, and we take that and we say that's what God is.
08:30: I heard it really good this week.
08:31: I was reading church history by Bruce Shelley.
08:35: He said the problem with liberal theology is not only does it teach that God likes us, but it teaches that God is like us.
08:47: That's the problem with liberal theology.
08:48: It doesn't just teach that God likes us, but that God is like us.
08:54: And God isn't like us.
08:55: Isn't that one of the things when we talked about the communicable attributes? God is not like you.
08:59: God is not like me.
09:00: God's ways are above our ways and His thoughts above our thoughts.
09:04: And so we talk about God and we talk about His love.
09:07: It's different.
09:09: It's so magnificently different.
09:14: And this is why I hate modern worship songs.
09:17: Not all of them, but a lot of them really bother me.
09:23: I'm not opposed to guitars and I'm not opposed to drums or any of those things.
09:27: I think a lot of those things are fine.
09:29: But I am opposed to songs that talk about the never-ending reckless love of God.
09:36: There's a song.
09:37: It says, Oh, the overwhelming, never-ending, reckless love of God.
09:43: It chases me down, fights till I'm found, leaves the 99.
09:49: And so that last part sounds pretty good.
09:51: That's biblical, yes.
09:51: But this idea of reckless love, what does that even mean? What are we trying to attribute to God? What are we trying to attribute to what it means to love? You know what God's love is like? It's not reckless.
10:04: You know what it's like? I'll describe it to you because it's in the Bible.
10:09: Love is patient and kind.
10:12: Love does not envy or boast.
10:15: It is not arrogant, nor is it rude.
10:18: It does not insist on its own way.
10:21: It is not irritable or resentful.
10:23: It does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices in the truth.
10:28: Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
10:33: And love never fails.
10:35: And by the way, that's not talking about the way we love one another.
10:38: Because nobody in this room has ever loved like that.
10:42: That's the love of God.
10:44: And it does.
10:45: And it describes God's love.
10:48: 1 Corinthians 13, while it may give us a paradigm to look to for love, it's not about our love.
10:54: It's about God's love to us.
10:57: It's about the way God loves.
11:00: And it's not reckless.
11:02: It's directed.
11:04: You think about a reckless driver.
11:05: Woo! Just going crazy.
11:06: No, God is very, He's laser directed.
11:10: And He's got His eyes set upon His elect.
11:12: And He never takes His eye off that prize of His own glory in saving His people.
11:18: Ever.
11:21: In a sense, God's love encapsulates many of His other moral attributes.
11:27: Because God is merciful, kind, impatient, and gracious all because of His love.
11:35: As beings made in His image, guess what we get to do? We get to share in that love.
11:41: That's the communicable side of it, right? But I do want to mention one thing.
11:46: Because this is important.
11:48: There's a word that often goes with love that is an inappropriate word.
11:53: And this might challenge you, might make you think a little bit.
11:57: You might even think worse of me when I say this.
11:59: And if you think worse of me, that's fine.
12:05: There's a word that's often put with the word love.
12:08: And it is unconditional.
12:10: You've heard that phrase? Unconditional love.
12:13: I challenge you tonight to find me one place in the Bible where it says the phrase unconditional love.
12:21: You won't find it.
12:24: Anywhere.
12:26: Because this.
12:28: God's love is conditioned.
12:30: God's love is conditioned on His choice.
12:35: God makes a choice to love.
12:38: And that's the condition.
12:42: God makes a choice not only to love, but how and whom to love.
12:48: I know I mention this verse a lot, but I just like to remind people that the Bible says, Jacob, I loved.
12:55: But Esau, I hated.
13:00: I remember a conversation not too long ago where I was talking to a man and I said, Do you believe that God loves every person? Absolutely, equally? Without distinction? And he said, Yes! I believe in the unconditional love of God.
13:22: I said, Okay, you believe the Bible.
13:23: Yes, yes.
13:25: I said, Please tell me what it means when it says, Jacob, I loved.
13:32: But Esau, I hated.
13:34: He said, Well, hated means love less.
13:40: I mean, didn't you just say it was equal and unconditional and there wasn't a difference? And yet you just said love less and I can't talk to you anymore.
13:53: Because you have entered into the area of the ridiculous.
13:57: Yes? I think we get it twisted because God's love is uninfluenced by the saint.
14:03: Yes, absolutely.
14:04: And I'm getting there.
14:06: No, you're with me.
14:07: And you're tracking it.
14:07: Because that's the next point.
14:09: When we say He makes a choice, the choice isn't based on anything I do.
14:13: God's choice is based upon His own eternal counsel.
14:16: Ephesians chapter 1.
14:18: He chooses based upon the counsel of Himself.
14:21: Of His own will.
14:23: He didn't choose based upon I'm handsome or not.
14:28: Or anything else.
14:30: He chooses based upon the counsel of His will.
14:34: Right? And so, it's an important conversation to have.
14:39: And again, I don't want to be ugly.
14:41: But just this idea.
14:43: I'll tell you where I was.
14:45: Jennifer's with me.
14:46: We were in South Florida.
14:47: We were at a debate.
14:48: It was a debate on the subject of homosexuality and marriage.
14:53: And I was there.
14:54: And Dr.
14:55: James White was debating Dr.
14:57: John Shelby Spong.
14:58: Who is an Episcopalian Bishop.
15:02: Who was for homosexual marriage.
15:05: Dr.
15:05: White was opposed to it.
15:06: We were on Dr.
15:07: White's side, of course, on that particular debate.
15:09: During the conversation, there were people with signs.
15:13: You know, God loves everyone thing.
15:15: And a lady walked up to them.
15:17: They have a question and answer period at the end.
15:19: And at the end, the lady walks up to the microphone.
15:23: What does it mean when I say unconditional love? She's challenging Dr.
15:28: White.
15:29: And his response to her was simple.
15:31: Show me it in the Bible.
15:34: Chapter and verse.
15:37: You just can't do it.
15:40: He didn't offer any other explanation.
15:42: It's not in the Bible.
15:43: That's not what I'm here to argue.
15:47: It may sound harsh, but it's the truth.
15:53: Now, the Bible does teach.
15:54: And again, I'm not talking out of both sides of my mouth here.
15:57: Because I'm going to say something now that's going to sound like I'm going to repudiate what I just said.
16:01: And please remember, it is the theologian's prerogative to make distinctions.
16:08: As much as it is a woman's prerogative to change her mind, it is a theologian's prerogative to make distinctions.
16:15: I'm trying to tease my wife because she doesn't think I'm funny.
16:18: But that's actually R.C.
16:20: Sproul used to make that joke a lot.
16:23: But the reality is this.
16:25: There is something that we call Omni.
16:29: Remember the Omnis? Remember those? Omnipresence, Omnipotence, Omnipresence.
16:36: There's something we call Omnibenevolence.
16:39: Oh, messed that up.
16:44: Omnibenevolence.
16:45: What does Omnibenevolence mean? All loving.
16:49: Right? That's benevolent.
16:51: Or all good.
16:52: Right? Benevolent.
16:54: Right? And you say, well, didn't you just say God's love, whatever, whatever.
16:57: Here's something that you could put beside that.
17:00: Put the word common.
17:02: Grace.
17:05: God shows an extension of grace to every person by not destroying them the very moment they are conceived.
17:14: You live, whether you are saved or not, you are living every moment by the very grace of God which keeps your heart beating.
17:22: You are the product of the grace of God every day.
17:25: And we call that common grace because it extends to all men.
17:31: And we could say that's an extension of what we would call the disposition of God.
17:38: God is disposed to love because He is good.
17:42: And so because of that disposition, He does show an omnibenevolent spirit.
17:48: He gives the reign to the just and the unjust.
17:55: Right? I can be in my house and it will be raining and I got neighbors down the street who are unbelievers and it isn't like there's a wall that comes up and says, okay, Keith's the only one who gets the reign.
18:08: And nobody else except for the believers in this neighborhood.
18:11: It isn't like there's cordoned off walls and we're the only ones who get the reign.
18:15: Jesus said in the Sermon on the Mount, God gives the reign to the just and to the unjust.
18:20: And in that, He expresses a benevolence toward all mankind.
18:25: But it is not the same as saving grace.
18:31: So when somebody says, you believe God loves everyone? I can say, yes, in one sense, God has shown love to all men.
18:41: But as John 3.16, people always say, John 3.16 repudiates election.
18:46: No, it doesn't.
18:47: For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son that all the believing ones...
18:53: You say, no, it says whosoever.
18:55: Well, it actually says pas hapistun.
18:57: You want to get argumentative.
18:58: It says all the ones believing are all the believing ones.
19:02: If you want to translate that whosoever, that's fine.
19:04: The persons that believe will have everlasting life.
19:09: What happens to the people who don't believe? Hell.
19:13: Right? So there's a distinction, even in John 3.16, between those who believe and those who do not.
19:24: And here's the thing.
19:25: I want to make this crystal clear.
19:27: God is not holding back love from anyone.
19:30: In the sense that there are people who want to be loved and God's just going, nah.
19:39: The natural disposition of man is to hate God.
19:44: What does the Bible say? We are at enmity with God.
19:48: That word enmity, what does it mean? War.
19:52: We are by nature children of what? Wrath.
19:58: Right? Only until God removes the heart of stone and gives us a heart of flesh do we have any desire to love Him at all.
20:05: I've heard people say, well Calvinism says God's standing there with His hand held out holding people back who want to come.
20:11: No, God is reaching into the gutters of death and pulling out dead bones and breathing in life.
20:18: Like, well you remember the prophet who went and saw the valley of dry bones and he said, will these bones live? And God sent a wind and there was the bones lived and that's what salvation is.
20:32: It's the bringing life to the dead person.
20:39: Sorry, I get a little excited.
20:44: The love of God is magnificent because it is vast, it's far reaching, it's forgiving, it's kind, it's gracious.
20:53: Not one sinner deserves it.
20:59: And yet God gives it generously.
21:00: That's the other thing.
21:01: It's undeserved love.
21:09: I told you earlier I don't really care for a lot of the modern ways church music expresses the love of God.
21:15: And not all of them.
21:16: There are some good songs.
21:17: Please forgive me if I came across as a fuddy-duddy.
21:21: Okay, it isn't that.
21:22: But so much of the songs express God's love in a way that the Bible never does.
21:28: But I want to share with you a hymn.
21:32: It's just called The Love of God.
21:34: I'm going to read it to you.
21:35: I won't sing it to you.
21:38: But this is a hymn.
21:41: It says, The love of God is greater far than tongue or pen can ever tell.
21:48: It goes beyond the highest star and reaches to the lowest hell.
21:52: The guilty pair bow down with care.
21:54: God gave His Son to win.
21:57: His erring child He reconciled and pardoned from His sin.
22:03: When hoary times shall pass away and earthly thrones and kingdoms fall.
22:07: When men who hear refuse to pray on rocks and hills and mountains call.
22:11: God's love so sure shall still endure.
22:14: All measureless and strong, redeeming grace to Adam's race.
22:20: The saints' and angels' song.
22:22: And verse 3 is powerful.
22:25: Could we with ink the ocean fill? And were the skies of parchment made? Were every stalk on earth a quill and every man a scribe by trade? To write the love of God above would drain the ocean dry.
22:44: Nor could the scroll contain the whole, though it be stretched from sky to sky.
22:50: O love of God, how rich and pure, how measureless and strong.
22:55: It shall forevermore endure.
22:58: The saints' and angels' song.
23:01: You know what heaven is? Heaven is the uninterrupted love of God forever.
23:11: We talk about heaven sometimes.
23:13: Pearly gates, golden streets, glassy seas.
23:21: God's love.
23:23: That's what matters in heaven.
23:27: The abode of God will be with man.
23:33: Revelation 21.
23:36: That's what we look forward to.
23:38: The love of God without any restraint.
23:44: So that's an attribute we get to enjoy.
23:47: And I have time to move on, so I will.
23:51: The second attribute on your list I bet you're so excited to hear me talk about.
23:56: Hate.
23:58: Yeah.
24:00: I want to give him a worksheet.
24:02: You're welcome to come to the table, young man.
24:03: We have a worksheet for you.
24:08: There you go.
24:10: But yeah.
24:12: The second one on the list.
24:14: I got to tell you.
24:14: I really thought whether or not I even wanted to add this.
24:19: This isn't in the textbook.
24:23: I told you guys we're using Moody's Handbook of Theology as the base for this.
24:29: But I'm not bounding myself to that only.
24:32: So I've added a few things in here and there.
24:35: And I added the hate of God.
24:39: And I admit that it's not on most lists.
24:47: Because many people think it is a blasphemous thing to say that God hates.
24:55: Yet I believe, and I will say this.
24:56: I believe it is necessary to understand hatred of God if we are to really understand his love.
25:06: And I'll explain why.
25:08: Because God loves, he also hates.
25:11: He loves righteousness.
25:13: He hates injustice.
25:15: He loves humility.
25:17: He hates pride.
25:18: He loves the family.
25:20: He hates divorce.
25:22: Scripture says these things.
25:23: I'm not making these words up.
25:24: The Bible says six things does the Lord hate.
25:27: Yet seven are an abomination unto him.
25:30: I love my daughter.
25:32: If someone hurts my daughter, I don't love them.
25:34: I hate it if they were to hurt my daughter.
25:37: You understand? I love justice.
25:41: And so when I see on the news injustice happening.
25:46: I hate it.
25:47: I loathe when I see someone who has committed a vicious act go free.
25:55: Because that's unjust.
25:59: By the way, the passage with the six things God hates is Proverbs 6, 16-19.
26:05: Here they are.
26:07: Haughty eyes, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood.
26:10: A heart that devises wicked plans, feet that make haste to run to evil.
26:14: A false witness who breathes out lies, and one who sows discord among the brethren.
26:19: That last one ought to hit a lot of folks in churches all over the United States.
26:24: He who sows discord among the brethren is hated by God.
26:31: Now, if you want a more PC way of saying this.
26:36: You could write wrath.
26:37: If that makes you happy.
26:39: I don't like to think about the hate of God.
26:41: Okay, well the wrath of God is the expression of his hatred.
26:45: The wrath of God is the outpouring of his hatred.
26:49: Okay? And I know, and again, this might get me in trouble.
26:55: But I'll say it anyway and deal with it later.
27:00: Because some people like to limit and say God hates actions but not actors.
27:10: It's usually said this way.
27:12: God hates sin but loves the sinner.
27:15: Right? You've probably heard it.
27:17: You may have said it.
27:19: Very popular bumper sticker slogan.
27:22: God loves sinners.
27:24: God hates sin or vice versa or whatever.
27:28: But for that, I want to ask you to open your Bibles again and turn with me to Psalm chapter 5.
27:35: This is one of many passages, but just for the sake of at least having one to look at.
27:42: So that you know I'm not making things up.
27:44: Psalm chapter 5.
27:55: Go to verse 4.
27:59: Now this verse 4 is not an issue for most people.
28:02: It says, For you are not a God who delights in wickedness.
28:05: Evil may not dwell with you.
28:06: Okay? No problem there.
28:09: The boastful shall not stand before your eyes.
28:11: No problem there.
28:12: You hate all evildoers.
28:18: Now that doesn't fit on a bumper sticker.
28:23: I mean it really doesn't, right? Because there is a different thing.
28:27: People don't like that.
28:31: It's not what? I can't one more time.
28:35: Yeah, yeah.
28:36: It's not easy to choke down.
28:40: It's difficult to consider what he means.
28:43: It says, God hates all evildoers.
28:45: You say, wait a minute.
28:45: I'm an evildoer.
28:48: I've done evil.
28:49: I've not only done evil.
28:51: I've done great evil.
28:53: I know my own heart.
28:59: In this regard though, it is I believe speaking of the reprobate in a sense.
29:06: Because God's hatred is going to be poured out in his wrath.
29:21: Now here's where this really gets difficult.
29:25: Because I believe this is an attribute God shares with us.
29:29: As I already said, right? I don't like it when I see injustice.
29:32: So I hate it.
29:33: Right? And I hate it when someone hurts someone else or whatever.
29:39: But there's places in the Bible where that's actually seen as righteous.
29:46: For a second, turn over to Psalm 139.
29:48: We mentioned that earlier in the prayer.
29:50: Miss Cindy mentioned it in her prayer.
29:52: Psalm 139.
29:54: And by the way, Psalm 139 is one of the passages that we look at on the subject of abortion.
29:59: Because it talks about being formed in the womb.
30:01: And what did it say earlier about hands that shed innocent blood? Oh boy.
30:05: If that is not a direct point at the desperate evil of abortion.
30:11: But here, Psalm 139 verse 19.
30:16: Oh that you would slay the wicked, O God.
30:21: This is what we call an imprecatory psalm.
30:23: This is where the psalmist is praying for the destruction of his enemies.
30:28: Oh that you would slay the wicked, O God.
30:30: O men of blood, depart from me.
30:32: They speak against you with malice intent.
30:34: Your enemies take your name in vain.
30:36: Do I not hate those who hate you, Lord? Just stop for a second and think about that.
30:49: Do I not loathe those who rise up against you? I hate them.
30:54: Verse 22.
30:55: With a complete, some translations say a perfect hatred.
31:01: I count them my enemies.
31:02: Now here's where we get a hard time with this.
31:04: Because Jesus said love your enemies.
31:07: And we know the Bible is not speaking with a forked tongue.
31:12: The Bible is not speaking out of both sides of its mouth.
31:14: It doesn't contradict itself from the Old Testament to the New Testament.
31:18: And Jesus is still present in the Old Testament because he's eternal.
31:22: So it's not like Jesus comes on the scene to correct all the mistakes of God the Father that he made back in those Old Testament days.
31:29: That's what the liberals try to push on us.
31:32: This idea that there's a contradiction in the scripture.
31:34: But it is a tension because we have Jesus saying love your enemies.
31:40: And then you have the psalmist who under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit of God says I hate those who hate you.
31:47: With a perfect hatred.
31:53: So what's the answer, Pastor Keith? Well, I don't believe there is a contradiction in the Word of God.
32:06: And I'm going to tell you why.
32:09: When Jesus tells us to love our enemies, catch this.
32:17: When Jesus tells us to love our enemies, they're still our enemies.
32:24: He didn't say make friends with your enemies.
32:26: He said love them.
32:27: And love is a choice that we make in our actions towards someone.
32:37: And I'll give you an example.
32:41: Love and like are different.
32:43: I've explained this before.
32:45: Like is not something you get to choose.
32:49: I like ice cream.
32:50: I don't like rutabagas.
32:51: I didn't choose that.
32:54: It just happens to be.
32:56: There are certain people I like.
32:58: There are certain people I don't like.
33:01: And I know that if you're honest and not trying to be too pious, you might say the same thing.
33:06: Yeah, there are some folks I like.
33:08: And there are certain folks I don't really like.
33:10: Maybe it's because they're rude and obnoxious.
33:12: Or maybe it's because they're just not my type of person.
33:15: Right? But I'm called to love them.
33:19: Because love is an action that I do.
33:24: It's something that I perform.
33:27: And when Jesus came into the world, he said perform acts of love even if someone hates you.
33:35: Because in doing so, there are opportunities to win them to the gospel.
33:42: And when we do those things, people do often get overwhelmed by love.
33:48: Because the Bible says you're never going to overcome evil with evil.
33:51: But you can overcome evil with what? With good.
33:56: So Christ comes in with this command to love our enemies.
34:00: Because that's how we overcome them.
34:03: And that's how someone can go from being an enemy to being a brother.
34:09: So you say, what about this in the psalmist? The psalmist says he hates with a perfect hatred.
34:13: I'll tell you this.
34:15: I don't think I can do that.
34:16: So I don't try.
34:19: I don't believe I'm sanctified enough to hate anyone with a perfect hatred.
34:22: So I'm just going to love as best I can even when I don't like the person.
34:29: Does that make sense? And again, I don't believe there's a contradiction here.
34:33: Because I think it's on two different purviews.
34:35: I think we have enemies of God.
34:37: And when I see the enemies of God and I see what they're doing.
34:40: There is a part of me that wells up with hatred.
34:43: And yet, what does Jesus say? Love them anyway.
34:46: Do good love to them anyway.
34:48: That wasn't a good way of saying that.
34:49: Do good and loving things.
34:51: Do good love.
34:52: Do good and loving things to them anyway.
34:58: Because in doing so, what does the apostle Paul say? You will heap burning coals on their head.
35:04: And that doesn't mean you're doing it out of spite.
35:07: It means it's going to make the flame of their hatred.
35:11: It's going to be laid on them, not on you.
35:14: So I think there's a profundity here that's hard to understand.
35:18: But the point in all of this is to simply say.
35:20: We cannot see God's love without understanding that God also hates things.
35:25: Because love draws forth that hatred for that which attacks that which is loved.
35:31: When that which is loved is attacked.
35:33: Whether it's God's glory, His righteousness, His people, whatever.
35:36: His hatred is expressed.
35:38: Yes.
35:49: That's an example of hating what God hates.
35:53: Yes.
35:54: Absolutely.
35:55: And that guy was flaunting it.
35:56: We talked about this a few weeks ago I think.
35:58: Where he paraded her out.
36:00: He was going to have his foreign bride.
36:02: And he didn't care.
36:03: And he paraded her out and he brought her into the tent.
36:06: And so.
36:07: Get a staff.
36:09: It's long enough to go through them both.
36:11: And it sure enough did.
36:14: And it was an expression of the wrath of God.
36:17: Through that agent of wrath.
36:20: I mean think about how many times in the Old Testament.
36:22: The wrath of God is expressed through an agent of some sort.
36:26: Whether it be a nation.
36:28: Or whether it be some element like water.
36:32: You know it brings the wrath.
36:33: Snakes.
36:34: Bring the wrath of God.
36:35: Numbers 21.
36:36: Oh my mercy.
36:37: It's the worst thing ever.
36:39: God sent fiery serpents among them to express His pleasure.
36:45: No.
36:46: To express this pleasure.
36:48: Yeah.
36:53: We have expressions of God's wrath.
36:56: And we could.
36:57: People say I don't like the word hate.
36:59: Well if you want to call it wrath call it whatever you want.
37:00: It's an expression of God's displeasure.
37:03: On that person or that nation.
37:05: Or what have you.
37:08: Alright we got a few more minutes.
37:09: Let's work on.
37:10: I know I did two.
37:12: Here's the great thing about these last three.
37:14: They almost were fully encompassed in love.
37:18: But I do want to say a few things about them.
37:23: Righteousness.
37:24: By the way.
37:26: There's two words.
37:28: That most of us are familiar with.
37:30: But not really the reason.
37:34: I just like to tell people this.
37:35: Because my son.
37:36: Is named Justice.
37:38: But he's not J-U-S-T-I-C-E.
37:41: Because justice.
37:42: With the U.
37:43: Is actually righteousness.
37:46: Justice with the I-C-E.
37:47: Is the application of righteousness.
37:49: Right.
37:50: So it's just the applying of that which is just.
37:52: That's why that's his name and not that.
37:56: And you'll see that in scripture.
37:57: We named him after the disciple that wasn't chosen.
37:59: In Acts chapter 2.
38:00: Remember there was Justice.
38:02: And there was Matthias.
38:04: And they rolled the lot.
38:05: And we call him the unchosen disciple.
38:08: Poor guy.
38:10: But the idea of justice.
38:12: Righteousness.
38:13: This is God's righteousness.
38:17: God is entirely correct.
38:19: In all of his dealings.
38:21: One of the most difficult things I hear.
38:23: People say.
38:24: Is.
38:25: They try to justify the acts of God.
38:29: Here's the problem with that.
38:31: And I know why people do.
38:32: Well God commanded.
38:34: People to kill other people.
38:35: That doesn't go with my sense of right.
38:38: And so I have to justify God.
38:40: Okay.
38:41: I understand the reason.
38:42: Why that happens.
38:45: But I want to show you why.
38:47: That shouldn't happen.
38:54: Imagine.
38:56: This line.
38:59: Represents.
39:00: All that is just.
39:02: Or righteous.
39:03: So we just say just.
39:06: Right.
39:06: This line represents all that is just.
39:10: Okay.
39:11: A lot of people.
39:13: And even though they might not express it this way.
39:16: They see God.
39:19: As having to.
39:21: God is here.
39:22: Justice is a demand.
39:24: That he must reach.
39:26: Because that's the way we are.
39:28: We are.
39:30: Here.
39:31: And we reach for justice.
39:33: We reach up toward justice.
39:35: The problem with this.
39:37: Scenario.
39:38: Is that God.
39:42: Is the line.
39:46: Everything he does.
39:47: Is just.
39:48: Because justice is not something he is reaching for.
39:51: Justice is something he is.
39:53: It's an attribute.
39:54: Of his nature.
39:56: So whatever he chooses.
39:58: Is the right thing.
39:59: Every time.
40:01: Remember when Abraham was talking to the Lord.
40:04: Under the oaks of Mamre.
40:05: And the two angels were going down to Sodom.
40:08: And Abraham said.
40:10: Lord if you find but 50.
40:12: Right.
40:13: We did this a few weeks ago.
40:14: When brother Andy prayed.
40:15: And he read that text to us.
40:17: Lord if you find 50.
40:18: If you find 40.
40:19: If you find 30.
40:20: If you find 5 righteous.
40:24: What did Abraham say? Will not the judge of the universe.
40:30: Do right.
40:33: And the answer is implied in the question.
40:35: If he is the judge of the universe.
40:37: He always does what is right.
40:38: Because he is the standard.
40:41: God has no standard above him.
40:43: That he has to reach.
40:45: He is the standard.
40:47: So when God says.
40:48: Blessed is he who takes your little ones.
40:50: And dashes their heads against the stone.
40:53: Yeah that's in there.
40:54: You say I don't like that.
40:56: At whatever reason.
40:58: And for whatever reason.
40:59: When he said that it was right.
41:07: I don't like that.
41:09: But yet you'll sing God is good.
41:12: All the time.
41:14: Put a song of praise.
41:16: In this heart.
41:17: You'll sing that song.
41:18: You know what goodness is? Righteousness.
41:22: In fact that's the scariest attribute of God.
41:26: Who is it? Paul Washer said that.
41:28: The one thing we should be most scared about of God.
41:30: Is that God is good.
41:31: Because you're not.
41:34: The most frightening thing about God's nature.
41:36: Should be that God is good.
41:38: Because we're not.
41:43: Yeah God is good all the time.
41:44: All the time God is good.
41:47: But just like love.
41:48: We don't get to determine what good is.
41:50: He does.
41:50: He's the standard.
41:54: It is the scariest of his attributes.
41:56: And yet he communicates it to us.
42:00: I'm going to say something.
42:00: That's going to get me flogged by all my Calvinist friends.
42:05: Man is good.
42:08: But wait.
42:09: There's more.
42:13: Man bears the Imago Dei.
42:16: And when he was created in the garden.
42:20: God said.
42:22: It is good.
42:24: And then he said.
42:24: It's not good that he be alone.
42:26: So he made a woman.
42:27: And I think he did better the second time around.
42:29: But we'll talk about that another time.
42:30: But he made woman and he said.
42:33: Very good.
42:34: Man and woman are very good.
42:36: Man was made good.
42:39: And we fell into sin.
42:41: And total depravity enveloped us.
42:44: And we became enemies of God.
42:46: And yet.
42:48: One man.
42:50: Will throw another man down.
42:52: Or throw himself down on a grenade.
42:54: To save his friend.
42:58: One man will run into traffic.
43:00: And throw a child out of the way.
43:01: And himself bear the brunt of 2,000 pounds of vehicle.
43:05: To save a child.
43:08: There is a sense.
43:09: In which that Imago Dei.
43:11: Wasn't completely eradicated.
43:13: In the fall.
43:14: And we see expressions.
43:16: Of the goodness of God.
43:18: In what we call acts of altruism.
43:20: When men do good.
43:24: Even if they be unbelievers.
43:25: They are reflecting.
43:27: The way they were made.
43:31: I am going to say this.
43:32: Men tarnish that goodness.
43:34: Men destroy that goodness.
43:35: And men are totally depraved.
43:42: But we are not as bad as we could be.
43:44: The grace of God.
43:46: Still is acting on us.
43:48: And keeping us.
43:49: From being as evil as we could be.
43:53: Again some of my Calvinist's.
43:54: Want to flog me for what I just said.
43:55: When I say man is good.
43:57: I want to reiterate.
43:58: Man was created good.
44:00: There was a fall.
44:01: It removed our natural inclination to God.
44:04: It removed our desire to go to him.
44:06: It put us as rebels.
44:08: In his kingdom.
44:10: And we deserve nothing but his wrath.
44:13: And yet.
44:14: We couldn't eradicate all.
44:16: That was the Imago Dei.
44:17: It is still there.
44:18: There are some people who believe.
44:20: The image of God was removed at the fall.
44:22: Do you know how I can prove their wrong? Genesis chapter 9.
44:27: Genesis chapter 9.
44:29: God institutes.
44:31: God institutes capital punishment.
44:33: Do you know why he institutes capital punishment? Genesis chapter 9.
44:36: If a man sheds the blood of another man.
44:40: So shall his blood be shed.
44:41: Because in the image of God.
44:43: He made him.
44:46: When you murder.
44:47: Another human being.
44:49: You are killing an image bearer.
44:51: Of God.
44:53: And thus you forfeit your right to life.
44:56: Because you have killed somebody.
44:58: Who bears the image of God.
45:04: There is a reason why we long for justice.
45:07: Because the image of God still exists.
45:10: There is a reason why.
45:11: Even the rank unbeliever.
45:13: Will feed his kids.
45:15: And love his wife.
45:17: And go to work every day.
45:19: For 50 years.
45:22: Because that image is still there.
45:25: So I got to say.
45:26: I may get raked over the coals for that one.
45:28: But I want you to know.
45:30: Any goodness we have.
45:32: Is all the grace of God.
45:34: So hopefully that will save me from any rebuke I might get.
45:37: It's all the grace of God.
45:39: Alright.
45:39: Last two things.
45:40: Mercy and grace.
45:41: Let me finish this.
45:43: I can do it in just a few minutes.
45:44: Because this is actually my favorite thing to show people.
45:47: Because a lot of people miss this one.
45:48: Mercy and grace are often confused.
45:51: They are not the same thing.
45:53: Mercy.
45:55: Is the withholding of a punishment that is deserved.
45:59: Grace.
45:59: Is the giving of a gift that is undeserved.
46:02: You say well that sounds like the same thing.
46:03: And it's really not.
46:06: Because both of them deal in the area of justice.
46:09: Going back to justice.
46:12: Right? What did we say justice is for the ICE? The application of righteousness.
46:17: Which is just.
46:18: Right? This is the application of justice.
46:22: Right? Or justice is the application of righteousness.
46:27: When you sin.
46:28: What do you deserve? Justice.
46:33: Whatever it is.
46:34: Whether it's hell.
46:35: Whether you want to say punishment.
46:37: Separation from God.
46:38: Whatever.
46:39: When you sin.
46:40: You deserve justice.
46:42: Right? So you sin.
46:46: This is you.
46:48: You deserve.
46:49: That's a great you.
46:50: I don't know why you are doing this.
46:52: But you are here.
46:52: You have sinned.
46:54: You deserve.
46:54: You fall under the justice of God.
46:56: Right? God chooses to save you.
47:03: Your sin is placed on Christ.
47:05: Christ's goodness is given to you.
47:07: And as a result.
47:09: You are given.
47:11: Mercy.
47:14: Because mercy.
47:17: Is not justice.
47:21: You deserve this.
47:22: But you got this.
47:24: Which is not this.
47:27: Now I am not saying God is unjust.
47:29: Because he took your punishment and gave it to Christ.
47:30: So God is still just.
47:31: This is why Romans 3 says he is the just and the justifier.
47:35: Of the one who comes to faith in Jesus Christ.
47:37: So God is still just.
47:37: Right? He is not eliminating his justice.
47:39: What I am saying is you didn't get it.
47:41: You deserved it.
47:43: But you didn't get it.
47:45: And so there is really three categories.
47:47: There is justice.
47:51: There is.
47:53: Unjustice.
47:54: And there is non-justice.
47:56: You say well the two are the same.
47:57: No.
47:58: Unjust or injustice is if God gave you something you didn't deserve.
48:01: If God sends you to hell and you don't deserve it.
48:03: That is unjust.
48:05: God doesn't give anything that is unjust.
48:08: Right? God never gives unjust or injust.
48:12: But he does hold back his justice.
48:14: And gives mercy.
48:15: And we call that non-justice.
48:17: It is holding it back.
48:19: Does that make sense? Am I being clear? I am not trying to be confusing.
48:23: Because here is why I want to say this.
48:24: I want to tell you a story.
48:26: R.C.
48:26: Sproul tells a story.
48:27: He says imagine a little boy.
48:29: Did I tell this about a little boy in the ice cream? Still in the ice cream? Okay.
48:33: Everybody looks confused.
48:34: That is good.
48:34: I mean I haven't said it yet.
48:35: Little boy goes into a shop.
48:40: He wants to buy ice cream.
48:42: He is standing in line.
48:43: He gets to the register.
48:47: Ice cream is a dollar.
48:49: He pulls out 75 cents.
48:53: He doesn't have the dollar.
48:55: Man behind him says Son I will pay your quarter.
49:00: I will pay your addition.
49:01: I will add it to your 75 cents.
49:04: And you have your ice cream.
49:06: Is the lady behind the counter Is she obligated to take the payment? Yes she is actually.
49:16: She can't make the man not give it.
49:19: As long as it is a legal transaction.
49:21: She can't not take it.
49:22: The money is there.
49:23: It is worth a dollar and they are doing that transaction.
49:26: She can't say no no I am not going to take that.
49:28: Because legally she has to.
49:30: Now here is a different scenario.
49:33: Little boy comes in.
49:34: He is looking at the ice cream.
49:37: Lady has made an ice cream cone.
49:39: Set it on the thing.
49:41: He is looking at it.
49:41: She turns her head away and he grabs the ice cream.
49:44: He runs out the store.
49:46: As he is running out he comes face to face.
49:48: With Johnny Law.
49:50: Police officers walking in.
49:52: Grabs him by the arm.
49:53: Pulls him back inside.
49:54: Now he is standing there.
49:55: A stolen ice cream cone in hand.
49:57: It is still worth a dollar.
49:58: Same thing.
49:59: Same scenario.
50:01: Johnny Law has got him held up by the arm.
50:03: What are you going to do lady? A man who is in line.
50:09: Says listen.
50:11: I don't want this boy to get a record.
50:12: I don't want him to get in trouble.
50:15: I will pay for his ice cream.
50:18: Is she obligated now to take it? No she is not.
50:24: Because an injustice has been done.
50:26: A crime has been committed.
50:29: Her.
50:29: She can demand that the boy be punished.
50:33: But can she take the dollar? She can.
50:38: She can make a choice.
50:40: To accept the payment.
50:42: And non justice.
50:44: She can be merciful.
50:46: Right? God takes the payment for Christ.
50:49: He didn't have to.
50:50: But he chose to.
50:51: It was his plan to do so.
50:53: He takes the payment.
50:55: And he gives us mercy.
50:58: That is the picture of what happened at the cross.
51:02: God didn't have to do it.
51:03: He chose to do it.
51:05: He chose to show mercy.
51:07: Even though we were criminals.
51:11: We are not the first boy.
51:12: We are the second boy.
51:13: In case you are wondering.
51:15: And so God chooses to do that for us.
51:19: Mercy.
51:19: Mercy.
51:20: Is the holding back of justice.
51:24: And that is what God does.
51:26: God pours out our justice.
51:28: On his son.
51:29: That way he remains just.
51:32: And grace.
51:33: Is the gift that goes with it.
51:35: Because now not only is mercy being held back.
51:38: But you are being given something.
51:39: Chorus.
51:40: Grace in the Greek is chorus.
51:42: It means it is a gift.
51:44: In fact how many of you have ever heard of a charismatic? We are going to talk about this Sunday.
51:48: The title of my sermon Sunday.
51:50: Is from Corinth to Azusa.
51:52: And if you don't know what that means.
51:54: Look it up.
51:55: Because the Azusa street mission.
51:58: Was where Pentecostalism started in the United States.
52:02: So look up that history.
52:03: It is pretty interesting.
52:04: But my sermon is going to be on the spiritual gifts.
52:07: Because we are in 1 Corinthians chapter 12.
52:09: But the gift is called the charismata.
52:14: The grace.
52:15: Of God.
52:16: It is a gift.
52:18: That is why they are called charismatics.
52:22: We are the recipients.
52:25: Of God's gracious gift.
52:28: And salvation.
52:30: And now go back to us.
52:31: We said these are communicable gifts.
52:33: God tells us to do what? Be merciful.
52:37: I have been merciful to you.
52:39: Be merciful to somebody else.
52:39: If somebody else hurts you.
52:41: What do you do? You do good to them.
52:43: That is mercy.
52:45: You give gifts to people when they don't deserve it.
52:47: That is grace.
52:49: And in doing so you are showing love.
52:51: I think everyone of God's communicable attributes.
52:54: Goes back to love.
52:55: Because hatred is based on love.
52:56: Because he hates the things that go against what he loves.
52:59: We go back to his righteousness.
53:01: It is because he loves justice.
53:04: You go back to his mercy.
53:05: It is because he loves to be loving.
53:07: And forgiving.
53:08: And he loves to give gifts.
53:10: What does the Bible say about a good father? A good father gives good gifts.
53:17: To his children.
53:19: And the greatest gift we have.
53:21: Is Jesus Christ.
53:24: Let's pray.
53:25: Father I thank you for tonight.
53:27: For this opportunity to study.
53:29: I pray it has been a fruitful time for everyone here.
53:31: Most of all Lord that we have understood.
53:33: Better and fresher.
53:36: Your graciousness.
53:37: And your love and your mercy.
53:38: Which is expressed to us through your son Jesus Christ.
53:41: And it is in his name we pray.
53:43: Amen.