A couple of weeks ago my wife and I took a quiet Sunday afternoon drive around town. As we drove through the Kansas City Plaza district we were stunned by a very peculiar sight. Standing at a popular corner next to a giant wishing fountain, was a man holding a sign that read “Free Hugs”. We were concerned at first that this was some creepy guy using his sign as an excuse to hug the many young women walking around. I turned the corner and at the end of the street stood another man holding the same sign. Just down the street from him yet another. Putting two and two together I figured they had to be a part of some sort of group, or church.
I turned the car around, rolled down my window, and waived the guy over. He walked toward us reluctantly, acting as though he was in trouble. So I compensated by being super chipper in my tone. “Hey man! Watcha doin’ out here?” He stated the obvious: “uh we are out here just offering free hugs… just wanting to spread love… yeah ya know?” “I get that” I said, “But why are you wanting to ’spread love’?” He took a big gulp, and paused as if to muster up strength then said, “Well you know everyone needs love, we want to offer it.” Trying to get him to admit that he was a Christian I asked him, ” So are you with a church, or group? Surly there was some motivation to try to offer free ‘love’ to people.” “Well yeah I have a Christian background, but I’m not trying to push my religion on anyone! But uh yeah… all of us out here come from a bible college in the area… But we just want to spread Love not religion. I don’t want force my beliefs to you.” Quickly I snapped back, “You wouldn’t want to force it on me- except it could save me from Hell.” He nodded in a confused agreement. We talked a little more; I encouraged him, and thanked him for being out on the street. As we drove away I was conflicted. While truly thankful that these young people were at least giving it the ol’ college try, and I mean literally, I was pained at his idea of sharing the good news of Jesus Christ. What he was sharing was not something that promotes Christ, it’s not a message that will help anyone, it wasn’t the gospel.
The question that got me thinking about this story is one that I have been wrestling over the last couple of weeks: Should we mention God’s love we presenting the gospel to un-believers? In our efforts to understand how God has saved us sinners who have accepted Christ, we muddy the waters concerning unbelievers who have not accepted, but in fact rejected Christ. God’s love doesn’t burn for them, instead Jesus tells us very plainly in John 3:36 that “upon them the wrath of God Abides”. There is hope for them, and hope for any human who still has a breath if they Repent, not understand God’s love.
What leads me to say this is not because I’ve changed my view of a loving God to one that is only punitive. But in our giving of “free hugs” we forget that God’s affection is toward believers, not unbelievers. Never in the New Testament, (believe me I checked) where the gospel of Christ was presented to unbelievers was the love of God mentioned; not even one time. They only preached “Repent, and be baptized” and you can be forgiven of your sins, and live forever free from sin. The love of God was something sacred that was to be cherished by those who had already accepted Christ and were in covenant with Him. To talk about the love of God freely before unbelievers is in a sense to “cast your pearls before swine“; because until they repent of sin and are cleansed, they cannot comprehend the love of god. (disclaimer- I am not referring to unbelievers as swine- simply using the metaphor used by Christ.)
Here are some examples where the gospel was preached to unbelievers: Matthew 3:2; 4:17; 10:7; 28:16-20; Mark 1:14-15 Acts 2:23-24; 4:10; 5:30-32; 10:39-41; 13:28-29; 17:2-4; 17:17-33; 19:2-8; I Cor. 15. Not once is the love of God mentioned.
God’s love for the world.
This discussion leads then to one verse. Many of you who may be frustrated with what I just said have already turned your Bibles there with your finger on it, raising your hand emphatically. Squirming in your seats like the teenagers in my World View class. Dying to just scroll down to the comments and say you peace before I finish. Well let’s get to the verse shall we?
John 3:16 “For God so love the world that he gave his only begotten son, who so ever believes in him shall have eternal life.” God does love unbelievers, but not in the way many portray. John 3:16 is better translated by most scholars to say, “God loved the world once”. Meaning the emphasis of God’s love, the onetime act that demonstrated his great love for humanity was the cross. God stepped down from heaven. Became a man, and crushed himself as a sacrifice for our sins. So that we could be like him in righteousness and actually know what love is.
Until someone repents and accepts the power of the cross, they will not and cannot understand God’s great love for them. To tell them that they can experience the love of God apart from the cross, is to offer them something Christ has not. Only in the power of the cross of Christ can we not only experience real love, but also show it. The only hope for sinners is to acknowledge their depravity, only then can they truly encounter the heights of love that God can raise them to if they accept Him. The cross is the primary expression of the love of God.
It is important to note at this point, that I am talking about two different events. One the demonstration of the love of God, and two the experience of the love of God. The point is God Demonstrated His love for the world by sacrificing His son Jesus. We can only experience God’s love by repenting of our sins, and accepting that which he demonstrated. All the “free hugs” and “God loves You” don’t cause any actually harm, but they don’t cause any actual good either. Unless the conversation ends in repentance, your words have fallen on deaf ears.
God’s love expressed through us.
This should strengthen our resolve for evangelism, not hinder it. As we grow in understanding of how God loved the world it changes the way that we view the world. Christianity is an exclusive religion, and objective faith; meaning only those who have accepted Christ as the only way, are saved from God’s impending wrath. Our resolve then isn’t to high five each other that we made it in, and point a judgmental finger to the world who acts in the same depravity we once walked in. Instead it means that we love in the same way that we were loved. We lay our life down for those who are perishing in their sins so that “none should perish” (2Peter 3:9) We let the “love of Christ compel us” to preach the freedom and love Christ has offered through the cross for any who would accept it.
We follow in the footsteps of our blessed savior and risk everything, stop at nothing, give all we have for the sake of those that may give their life to Christ. We must literally lay our lives down that many may come to Him.
The Brevity of the hour
God’s love truly does exist. His mercy truly is upon the whole Earth. Time is His mercy to all of humanity. All have sinned, all deserve death, all deserve wrath, yet the fact that we have not yet been consumed is His great love. (Lam 3:22) Yet time will not always tarry. No man can be certain the hours he has left. God is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger, and rich in love. But be sure, God’s anger is coming for wickedness. Because He is righteous he must judge wickedness, the time of mercy will not tarry forever. Therefore let us not waste anymore time trying to defend God in his righteous anger, while promoting a love that isn’t available to them until after repentance. Let us love those outside of the faith with the only true, and real love we can: call them to repent from their sins so that they are not swept away by His righteous wrath.
If you want a message that is relevant to the times and hour that we live in it’s simple: “Repent, for the kingdom of God is coming quickly.”
Lest the cross be emptied of it’s power.
Random rants + a random time= 
