The Bible tells us in 1 John 4:8 that “God is love”.
The interesting thing is, the less right people are with God, the more they like to assert this phrase…and its cousin phrase, “Judge not” found in Matthew 7:1.
But, notice that the verse does NOT say, “God is ONLY love”.
The fact is, God is not just a God of love. As we are going to see from the Bible itself, He is far more than that!
For instance, it is worth noting that the exact phrase, “God is love”, can only be found twice in the entire Bible.
The reality is that the Bible describes God in austere terms as much or more than it describes Him in loving terms.
But, too many people want to put God into a single dimension as ONLY a loving God…so that they have a license to live at a lesser level…so that they can do whatever they want and justify it with a wave of the hand and a flippant assertion that “God is love and He loves me just as I am.”
So, let’s have a Biblical look at what God is…and let’s find out whether this flippant mindset and attitude will fly with God on Judgment Day.
THE BIBLE TELLS US THAT THE LORD IS A MAN OF WAR
Exodus 15:3
The Lord is a man of war: the Lord is his name.
Revelation 19:11
And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war.
THE BIBLE TELLS US THAT THE LORD IS TERRIBLE
Deuteronomy 10:17
For the Lord your God is God of gods, and Lord of lords, a great God, a mighty, and a terrible, which regardeth not persons, nor taketh reward.
Psalm 47:2
For the Lord most high is terrible; he is a great King over all the earth.
Psalm 66:5
Come and see the works of God: he is terrible in his doing toward the children of men.
THE BIBLE TELLS US THAT THE LORD IS A PUNISHER
Isaiah 13:11
And I will punish the world for their evil, and the wicked for their iniquity; and I will cause the arrogancy of the proud to cease, and will lay low the haughtiness of the terrible.
Leviticus 26:
21 And if ye walk contrary unto me, and will not hearken unto me; I will bring seven times more plagues upon you according to your sins.
23 And if ye will not be reformed by me by these things, but will walk contrary unto me;
24 Then will I also walk contrary unto you, and will punish you yet seven times for your sins.
Now, some might say, “Wait a minute…that’s in Leviticus…that is the Old Testament.“
Well, I know that some people want to dismiss the Old Testament as irrelevant and not applicable to us. But, the Bible absolutely does NOT support that.
There are MANY verses in the New Testament that let us know that other than a few changes…such as changes in what we can eat…and the doing away of the ceremonial sacrifices…we are fully required to follow the Old Testament every bit as much as the New Testament.
Similarly, some people claim that the Old Testament law only applied to the people of Israel…but, that is not true either. The entire Bible is a warning to ALL OF HUMANITY that IF we commit sins, we WILL be destroyed for those sins.
In the first 5 books of the Bible, we find that the REASON God destroyed multiple nations and gave them to Israel was because of the sins being committed in those nations. And, God VERY PLAINLY told the Children of Israel that IF they committed ANY of those same sins, then He would destroy them too. From reading the Bible, we know that many of the Children of Israel did in fact commit some of the same sins…and God, true to His promise…destroyed sinful Israelites.
And, what the New Testament makes clear to us in multiple verses is that IF we commit sin, we TOO will be destroyed…just like the sinful nations were…and just like the Children of Israel subsequently were.
The point is, the standard that God requires of ANYONE is the same standard that God requires of EVERYONE!
THE BIBLE TELLS US THAT THE LORD IS A DESTROYER
Deuteronomy 4:24
For the LORD thy God is a consuming fire, even a jealous God.
Hebrews 12:29
For our God is a consuming fire.
Deuteronomy 6:15
(For the LORD thy God is a jealous God among you) lest the anger of the LORD thy God be kindled against thee, and destroy thee from off the face of the earth.
Ezra 8:22
The hand of our God is upon all them for good that seek him; but his power and his wrath is against all them that forsake him.
Psalm 34:16
The face of the Lord is against them that do evil, to cut off the remembrance of them from the earth.
1 Corinthians 3:17
If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are.
THE BIBLE TELLS US THAT THE LORD IS AN AVENGER
Nahum 1:2
God is jealous, and the LORD revengeth; the LORD revengeth, and is furious; the LORD will take vengeance on his adversaries, and he reserveth wrath for his enemies.
Romans 1:18
For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness.
Romans 12:19
Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord.
THE BIBLE TELLS US THAT THE LORD IS A REWARDER
Galatians 6:7
Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man south, that shall he also reap.
Romans 2:6
[God] will render to every man according to his deeds
Matthew 16:27
For the son of man shall … reward every man according to his works.
Job 34:11
For the work of a man shall he render unto him, and cause every man to find according to his ways.
Jeremiah 17:10
I the Lord search the heart, I try the reins, even to give every man according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings.
Proverbs 24:12
If thou sayest, Behold, we knew it not; doth not he that pondereth the heart consider it? and he that keepeth thy soul, doth not he know it? and shall not he render to every man according to his works?
Isaiah 3
10 Say ye to the righteous, that it shall be well with him: for they shall eat the fruit of their doings.
11 Woe unto the wicked! it shall be ill with him: for the reward of his hands shall be given him.
THE BIBLE TELLS US THAT THE LORD IS TO BE REVERENCED
Psalm 89:7
God is greatly to be feared in the assembly of the saints, and to be had in reverence of all them that are about him.
THE BIBLE TELLS US THAT THE LORD IS A JUDGE
Psalm 7:11
God judgeth the righteous, and God is angry with the wicked every day.
Now, let’s back up for just a moment and consider this verse…
1 John 1:5 — “God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.”
Think about what this means…
First of all…just because God is love and light, does NOT mean that He is weak or soft.
Just because God is merciful does NOT mean we can use His mercy as a license to live any old way we want to.
Secondly…no darkness means no evilness…but no evilness does NOT mean there is no justness or justice in God.
In fact, it would be evil for God to NOT judge sin…and it is impossible for God to be evil…and therefore, he WILL judge sin.
So yes, God is love and light…and in order to be love and light, He must also execute righteous and just judgment.
Isaiah 5:16
But the Lord of hosts shall be exalted in judgment, and God that is holy shall be sanctified in righteousness.
Psalm 9:16
The Lord is known by the judgment which he executeth: the wicked is snared in the work of his own hands.
THE BIBLE TELLS US THAT THE LORD IS HOLY
Psalm 99:9
For the Lord our God is holy.
Leviticus 19:2
Ye shall be holy: for I the Lord your God am holy.
Genesis 17:1
I am the Almighty God; walk before me, and be thou perfect.
Deuteronomy 18:13
Thou shalt be perfect with the Lord thy God.
Matthew 5:48
Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.
Ephesians 5:27
That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.
2 Corinthians 7:1
Dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirt, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.
Matthew 26:41
Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit is indeed willing, but the flesh is weak.
1 Samuel 2:3
Talk no more so exceeding proudly; let not arrogancy come out of your mouth: for the Lord is a God of knowledge, and by him actions are weighed.
John 4:24
God is a spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.
THIS PERFECTING PROCESS IS WHY WE COME TO CHURCH
Colossians 1:28
Whom we preach, warning every man, and teaching every man in all wisdom; that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus.
2 Corinthians 5
10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad.
11 Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord, we persuade men;
THE BIBLE TELLS US THAT THE LORD IS MERCIFUL
Deuteronomy 4:31
For the LORD thy God is a merciful God.
2 Chronicles 30:9
For the LORD your God is gracious and merciful, and will not turn away his face from you, IF ye return unto him.
2 Corinthians 6:2
behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.
So, IF you have been taking advantage of the Lord’s long-suffering mercy and grace, then you should realize that today is your chance to get right with God through Jesus Christ…because you will NOT always have the chance to get right with Him.
Genesis 6:3
And the Lord said, My spirit shall not always strive with man
Jeremiah 11:7:11
I earnestly protested unto your fathers…rising early and protesting, saying, Obey my voice. Yet they obeyed not, nor inclined their ear, but walked every one in the imagination of their evil heart: therefore I will bring upon them all the words of this covenant, which I commanded them to do: but they did them not. And the Lord said unto me, A conspiracy is found among the…inhabitants…They are turned back to the iniquities of their forefathers, which refused to hear my words; and they went after other gods to serve them [they] have broken my covenant which I made with their fathers. Therefore thus saith the Lord, Behold, I will bring evil upon them, which they shall not be able to escape; and though they shall cry unto me, I will not hearken unto them.
CONCLUSION
1 Peter 3:12
For the eyes of the Lord are over the righteous, and his ears are open unto their prayers: but the face of the Lord is against them that do evil.
Revelations 20
11 And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them.
12 And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.
15 And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.
Romans 11:22
Behold therefore the goodness and severity of God: on them which fell, severity; but toward thee, goodness, if thou continue in his goodness: otherwise thou also shalt be cut off.
So, does God’s love for us give us a license to live in sin?
Does God’s love for us give us a license to live a life that is anything less than our VERY BEST for Him?
Does God just love us as we are no matter what we do or how we live?
Well, the scriptures quoted throughout this article make it clear that the answer to these questions is, “Absolutely and definitely not!“