Two days ago we moved from “Big House in the Wildwood” to “Little Cabin on the Back Forty.” God heard our cry, answered our prayers, and delivered us. A testimony of God’s grace and… His LOVE.
On that day, as we came across a quaint restaurant overlooking the Missouri river to commemorate this momentous occasion, I was shocked to see the following quote (mis)attributed to Benjamin Franklin:
“Beer is proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy”
I lost my appetite.
Another sign, more prominent, stated something like, “Enjoy beer. God loves you.”
Sick to my spiritual stomach.
And no, it’s not because I believe beer is sin. But drunkenness is sin. What sickens me is attributing such a thing to God.
This is the sentiment of “Christian” America: “God loves you”, impling that we ought therefore to enjoy more of this life. There were many couples eating bar food while imbibing frothy beers. Smiles abounding. “Hey, God loves you… pass the beer!” This is also often called “the Good Life” by many American Christians, at least in my experience.
The scene reminded me of another time thousands of years ago, when God was displaying is wrath:
Exodus 32:3-6
So all the people broke off the golden earrings which were in their ears, and brought them to Aaron. And he received the gold from their hand, and he fashioned it with an engraving tool, and made a molded calf. Then they said, “This is your god, O Israel, that brought you out of the land of Egypt!” So when Aaron saw it, he built an altar before it. And Aaron made a proclamation and said, “Tomorrow is a feast to the Lord.” Then they rose early on the next day, offered burnt offerings, and brought peace offerings; and the people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play.
And what was God’s response? (Now, before you object to this being contrary to God’s character, remember that “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.” Hebrews 13:8):
Exodus 32:7-11
And the Lord said to Moses, “Go, get down! For your people… have corrupted themselves. They have turned aside quickly out of the way which I commanded them. … And the Lord said to Moses, “I have seen this people, and indeed it is a stiff-necked people! Now therefore, let Me alone, that My wrath may burn hot against them and I may consume them. And I will make of you a great nation.”
Think a bit on this notion of God as loving in light of God displaying His wrath. And if some of you are saying inwardly, “this is NOT the God I worship” it may be that you have formed your own notion of God just as His people did on that day at the foot of Mt. Sinai.
Back to Ben. As with much of the information floating around these days, this too is false. However, Franklin did write a letter to André Morellet in 1776 stating:
“Behold the rain which descends from heaven upon our vineyards; there it enters the roots of the vines, to be changed into wine; a constant proof that God loves us, and loves to see us happy.”
He is being consistent with the theology of a Deist, but shallow in his understanding of God’s love.
Some might object, pointing to Jesus’ reference to God blessing everyone by sending rain:
Matthew 5:43-45
“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.
True. Jesus is provoking us to a deeper understanding of the message of God’s love, as understood through His creation. God is using everything to draw everyone to Himself, even rain and sun.
It can be the goodness of God that brings someone to repentance (Romans 2:2-5), but the goal is not to “eat, drink, and be merry.” Rather, God now commands all people to repent (Acts 17:30-31) – to turn from their sinful self-centered, self-willed, selfish lives to serving the Living God in holiness, righteousness, and total surrender to His will being done and His Kingdom coming it all its fulness.
But let’s get back to proof of God’s love. Is it really beer? To apply the Agape (love) of God to beer is unthinkable to anyone who knows God through Christ Jesus. Again, beer is not the issue at hand.
Is proof of God’s love found in the things of this world? According to the divine writings of the Apostle John, who walked and talked with Jesus, he says “No”:
1 John 2:15-17
Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world. And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever.
Ok. That is plain enough. If this is not sitting well with you, examine yourself to see if you’re in the faith (2 Corinthians 13:5). Paul often challenged the saints to make sure they weren’t deceived. For those who have ears to hear (in other words, for those who are willing to listen): “Don’t be deceived.”
So, what could this proof of God’s love be?
It is that “when we were still without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly… God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him. For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life. And not only that, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received the reconciliation.” (Romans 5:6-11)
I have two questions for you to consider:
1) Do you understand that the wrath of God remains to this very day upon ALL who refuse to believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and refuse to follow Him? See John 3:36
2) Have you come to a place where you understood your life with all of it’s morality and goodness (in our own eyes) was truly ungodly and at enmity against God?
If so, you have a good chance of now understanding God’s love. Jesus is not merely a lucky rabbits foot or “life” insurance. We must decrease in our life and desires so that He can increase His life through us. We must die to ourselves, take up our cross, forsake ALL, and follow Him.
Let me make it plain.
The command is to repent, believe, love, and obey God through the teachings of Jesus Christ. If Jesus is not Lord of our life, we have no business believing we are a christian, and worse yet we should anticipate the wrath of God being revealed in its fulness someday.
Btw, I could quote and have quoted scripture to back up all of this, but I challenge you to do the research and find it for yourself. Resist the temptation to pull out your well-known verses and don’t go looking in soothing devotionals. Rather, dig deeply into the Word of God and study the wrath of God. (Yes, God’s wrath is in the New Covenant/Testament, also.) It will make you so appreciate not only the work and ministry of Christ and the Cross, but it will magnify the PERSON of Christ and the LOVE of God!
A Christian bumper sticker, pendant, tattoo, or any other trinket we wear, display or own does not make one a follower of the Lord Jesus Christ. One thing does make one a Christian. Doing the will of God (Matthew 7:20-21). And the first will of God is that we would believe in His Son and come to know Him.
Psalm 27:4
One thing I have desired of the Lord,
That will I seek:
That I may dwell in the house of the Lord
All the days of my life,
To behold the beauty of the Lord,
And to inquire in His temple.
Written by Jeff Tobler.
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