Love plays a central role in the Bible. Love of God, love of neighbor, even love of the enemy. But today’s interpretation of this love leads to considerable misunderstandings and even to fatal misconceptions.
Inhalt / Content
- 1 The “feeling” of love is a misunderstanding
- 2 Some examples of “love” in the Bible
- 3 Love is decision and attitude
- 4 The misconception is pre-programmed
- 5 God is not what man would like him to be
- 6 Obedience out of love
- 7 Does the loving God destroy people?
- 8 The judgment will condemn the sinners
- 9 God is love – But also justice
- 10 The realization could come too late
- 11 Man decides for himself
- 12 Advanced Topics
The “feeling” of love is a misunderstanding
The term “love” occurs almost across the entire spectrum of the Bible. Above all, Jesus Christ emphasized love in a particularly popular way and (apparently) gave it a new definition. “Love your enemy” is one of the almost strange-sounding requests of the Savior. But this love is profoundly misunderstood by the majority of Christian-oriented people today.
Extremely energetic support for this misinterpretation of biblical love came from countless novels, heartbreaking love stories and the tear-jerking music of “Hollywood hams”. A relatively current prime example of such “emotional films” is the filmed novel “The Shack”. This strip is intended to represent the gospel and the constellation of God, Jesus Christ, angels and humans.
However, the truth is so misguided that this novel can at best serve as an exemplary example of the (intentional?) misleading of people. It’s shocking that this fantasy story stayed at the top of the bestseller list for tens of weeks.
“The Shack” linked the love of God with the emotional worlds of the viewers and readers of the novel. The consumption of handkerchiefs in living rooms and cinemas must be enormous.
Some examples of “love” in the Bible
The following are a few excerpts from the Bible with “love” as the content. Also the words used in the basic text (Hebrew and Greek):
Proverbs 7:18:
“Come, let us take our fill of love until the morning: let us solace ourselves with loves.”
“dode” – דֹדִים – love, popular, dear, friend
Song of Solomon 2:5:
“Stay me with flagons, comfort me with apples: for I am sick of love.”
“a-hab-aw” – אַהֲבָה – Love
Jeremiah 2:2:
“Go and cry in the ears of Jerusalem, saying, Thus saith the LORD; I remember thee, the kindness of thy youth, the love of thine espousals, when thou wentest after me in the wilderness, in a land that was not sown.”
“a-hab-aw” – אַהֲבַת – Love
John 10:17:
“Therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I might take it again.”
“agapa” – αγαπα – to love (in a moral or social sense), to like
John 14:15:
“If ye love me, keep my commandments.”
“agapaó” – αγαπατε – to love (in a moral or social sense), to like
John 15:9:
“As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my love.”
ηγαπησεν, based on “agapaó” – (he) loved, (in a moral or social sense), pleases (him).
“agapé” – αγαπη – Love, kindness, appreciation
Romans 5:8:
“But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”
“agapén” – αγαπην – Love, kindness, appreciation
Love is decision and attitude
Even “love” in connection with the relationship between father and son, or son and human beings, has absolutely nothing to do with the “love” that is predominantly understood today. The love that is often described in the Bible has no relation to emotional worlds, flushing emotions, adoration, pining and soul pain.
It is a matter of brotherly love, benevolence, favor and appreciation. The love described in the Bible is therefore primarily a choice and an attitude of man. Does it sound “unromantic”? It is! Love in the Bible has absolutely nothing to do with romance and certainly not in the erotic sense.
The word “eros” (Έρως), implying love in the romantic (ειδύλλιο) or erotic sense, is found nowhere in the Bible.
The misconception is pre-programmed
Many Christian-oriented people believe in an “all-forgiving” God. Belief in Jesus Christ and “love” were enough to be saved immediately and maybe even irrevocably. “Once saved, always saved”. Obedience to God is dismissed as works righteousness and accordingly rejected.
However, obedience includes fulfilling the will of God, as is crystal clear in Matthew 7:21:
Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.
“The 10 Commandments have been abolished, the Old Covenant is obsolete and with it the Old Testament as well, according to one thesis. Jesus Christ finally fulfilled the law through His death, in the sense of abolition. The all-forgiving God closes all people in his heart and will let all “loving” people enter the gates of heaven. Out of love. As a result, this affects all people, regardless of their religion, even if they used to worship demons as Hindus.”
In one way or another these ideas are circulating, even in large faith communities and churches.
God is not what man would like him to be
It is true that God accepts all people just as they are. However, nowhere in the Bible does it say that God also says: “Remain as you are!”. Rebirth is an essential requirement for salvation. This rebirth includes turning to God, recognizing, repenting and also refraining from sin. It also includes surrendering one’s life to Jesus Christ. Even Jesus Christ as a man was obedient to the Father, as in Hebrews 5:8:
Though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered;
Obedience out of love
Of course, obedience to God also includes following His statutes (e.g. 10 commandments). Because without commandments there would be no definition of sins, quite apart from the assertion of God’s (eternal) righteousness. Many Christian-oriented people have already forgotten that there will be a judgment. But which court with which judgments if there are no laws?
Man’s righteousness is not his own righteousness, but the righteousness of Jesus Christ (more Information about faith righteousness). Man cannot be justified by the law. One sin is enough and it’s over. The wages of sin is death, that’s it! Righteousness by the grace of Jesus Christ by faith is totally opposed to the dogmas of the Catholic Church. This institution relies undiminished on works righteousness (“good deeds cancel sins”). But the chapter of this blasphemous organization is very, very long.
Does the loving God destroy people?
Now the man with a Christian orientation could object indignantly that the loving God will not simply destroy His beloved creatures.
Surely! He will, most certainly and thoroughly! God does not like this, but He will “cleanse”. One of the “faults” within Christian churches is the bending of God’s characteristics according to their own ideas, which are possibly still based on “human rights”. God owes man absolutely nothing and He certainly does not behave in the way man would like (for his own benefit). Fallen man’s moral concepts are completely different from God’s moral concepts. This was still characteristic of Adam and Eve until the fall of man. These two were created in the image of God.
The judgment will condemn the sinners
Yes, God loves all people, even the sinner. God loves His creatures so much that He even gave His only begotten Son (John 3:16). But God is righteous and His righteousness is everlasting righteousness (Psalm 119:142). God will ultimately judge all sinners who have not repented and confessed and repented of their sins. And there is only one verdict, death! This means the second death (Revelation 20:14), i.e. the irreversible extinction of existence. A consequence that lasts forever. This statement is the starting point for the thesis of a “eternally burning hell“. But this is nonsense.
God is love – But also justice
God will eliminate all people who remained in their sins. Point. This consequence can also be seen in the statement Ezekiel 18:21-23:
“But if the wicked will turn from all his sins that he hath committed, and keep all my statutes, and do that which is lawful and right, he shall surely live, he shall not die. All his transgressions that he hath committed, they shall not be mentioned unto him: in his righteousness that he hath done he shall live. Have I any pleasure at all that the wicked should die? saith the Lord GOD: and not that he should return from his ways, and live?”
Everything fundamental is contained in these 3 verses alone. But the problem with many Christian-oriented people is their assumption that the Old Testament is invalid and Ezekiel is just the Old Testament and thus an “old story from yesterday”. A fatal mistake. Jesus Christ asked to read the book of Daniel, Matthew 24:15:
When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand:)
Therefore, a counter-question: Would Jesus ask people to read the book of Daniel in the (today) Old Testament if this were obsolete? Hardly likely.
The realization could come too late
The term “love” contained in the Bible and completely screwed up is thus a suitably made and weighty building block for misleading people into hopeless ruin. Most people will only realize this when it is far too late. In addition to the verdict, justice also includes the justification. The condemned man will clearly see his mistake. He will also recognize when and in what way he has rejected or dismissed the recognizable truth. The condemned person will also understand the justice of the verdict. But it is too late. Luke 13:28:
Man decides for himself
There is no such thing as eternally burning hell. That would also speak against the loving God. 80 years of sinful life and eternal, eternal, eternal torment, while the redeemed know for eternity that their once loved ones may have to endure it? No. The Bible doesn’t say that either. “Eternity” is eternal, irreversible death. Man will be as if he had never existed. But the condemned person will become aware of this as well as the self-inflicted disqualification from life together with our Lord, for eternities. This in a world that we cannot even imagine today. Just the idea of becoming aware of your own fatal mistake in this way sends chills down your spine. But the decision is up to each individual.
Advanced Topics
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The 10 commandments have been changed by the major churches >>>
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Bible verses from King James Version
