Whatever edict we might come across in the Bible, we must remember that it is forever constrained by love.
While God abides in love absolutely, man struggles with it. Oddly, in my experience, believers who mean well are often the ones who lose sight of this divine objective of God, to love. They forget that the Gospel of Jesus Christ is nothing more than a gathering of God’s children unto eternal love. “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life” (John 3:16). Eternal life and love are one and the same since they are both aspects of the divine, indivisible nature of God; therefore, to receive eternal life is to experience divine love.
When Christians struggle with these things, they become confused about how and when God intends to exercise His power. It’s all too easy for flawed humans to misappropriate His divine intentions, cut to the quick, judge others, and condemn them to the fierce wrath of God. Hell exists, but it must be presented in context. Our exuberance for Christ sometimes gets ahead of us. We love Him, so we feel the need to protect Him, the Lion. The Bible warns us, “Never take your own revenge, beloved, but leave room for the wrath of God, for it is written, ‘VENGEANCE IS MINE, I WILL REPAY,’ says the Lord” (Romans 12:19).
Humans seem more ready to smash anyone opposed to God than even God, Himself! Whole religions calling themselves “Christian” have been built on this error. The results are tragic.
While it’s a good thing to be a “soldier for Christ” (2 Timothy 2:3), a believer must follow their Leader. Consider how Jesus, the Lion and the Lamb, responded to the apostles, James and John, below.
When the days were approaching for His ascension, He was determined to go to Jerusalem; and He sent messengers on ahead of Him, and they went and entered a village of the Samaritans to make arrangements for Him. But they did not receive Him, because He was traveling toward Jerusalem. When His disciples James and John saw this, they said, “Lord, do You want us to command fire to come down from heaven and consume them?” But He turned and rebuked them, [and said, “You do not know what kind of spirit you are of; for the Son of Man did not come to destroy men’s lives, but to save them.”] And they went on to another village.
— Luke 9:51-56
Jesus’ intention was not to crush those still lost, even though they remained antagonistic to Him. Weren’t we all this way at one point in our lives, as unbelievers? Isn’t the human flesh inherently so? Then why are we so inclined to express ourselves the way James and John did above? The answer is that we are weak. Jesus wanted to save unbelievers, not destroy them. That is a far greater display of power.
It takes much more strength and conviction to walk directly into a fire to save someone than to simply extinguish the fire and lose the individual in the process. At any point in time, Jesus could’ve exercised divine power to wipe out those opposing Him. “Or do you think that I cannot appeal to My Father, and He will at once put at My disposal more than twelve legions of angels” (Matthew 26:53)? But He didn’t do that. Why? His plan is ultimately guided by love, not wrath. Wrath is the Lord’s divine response to evil, something He deals with Himself at the right time. When He does, we see the Lion.
For I will be like a lion to Ephraim
And like a young lion to the house of Judah.
I, even I, will tear to pieces and go away,
I will carry away, and there will be none to deliver.
— Hosea 5:14
For thus says the LORD to me,
“As the lion or the young lion growls over his prey,
Against which a band of shepherds is called out,
And he will not be terrified at their voice nor disturbed at their noise,
So will the LORD of hosts come down to wage war on Mount Zion and on its hill.”
— Isaiah 31:4
At specific times in human history, the Lion is evidenced through the wrath of God. However, man does not have the wherewithal or self-restraint to wield such power, so, except in very unique circumstances, God never bestows it upon him. Imagine if man did have God’s power, even for one day. How many lives would we destroy? Untold amounts, presumably, because of one simple fact…
Omnipotence without perfect love spells disaster - death would reign instead of life.
Consider the end of human history. Love, God’s ultimate intention, will be on full display at the coronation of Jesus Christ as the victorious “King of kings and Lord of lords” (Revelation 19:16). After millennia of human existence, God’s plan will be revealed, the truth plain to see. God’s plan is not a plan of wrath, but of love. Wrath is the byproduct in a world where people reject His plan. God draws humans to Himself (John 6:44) by revealing His love (1 John 4:8). As ambassadors of Christ (2 Corinthians 5:20), we ought to deliver the same message to others who are still lost.
If our audiences stand opposed to Christ, let us be surefooted enough to present them with both the Lion and the Lamb, for they are the same Person. Let us inform them that the One who can crush them is choosing not to, and that the One who has every right to annihilate them would rather love them for all of eternity.
Should people fear the Lord? Absolutely. The question is, are we administrators, personally, of His wrath? The answer is emphatically, “No!” Should we teach others about why they should fear the Lord? Sure, but that’s where it ends for us. Our job is to love. ”If, however, you are fulfilling the royal law according to the Scripture, 'YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF,' you are doing well” (James 2:8). I suppose our uncompromising stance on the truth found in the Word is our greatest expression of the Lion; but even then, the Word can protect itself.
A great many learned men are defending the gospel; no doubt it is a very proper and right thing to do, yet I always notice that, when there are most books of that kind, it is because the gospel itself is not being preached. Suppose a number of persons were to take it into their heads that they had to defend a lion, a full-grown king of beasts! There he is in the cage, and here come all the soldiers of the army to fight for him. Well, I should suggest to them, if they would not object, and feel that it was humbling to them, that they should kindly stand back, and open the door, and let the lion out! I believe that would be the best way of defending him, for he would take care of himself; and the best “apology” for the gospel is to let the gospel out. Never mind about defending Deuteronomy or the whole of the Pentateuch; preach Jesus Christ and him crucified. Let the Lion out, and see who will dare to approach him. The Lion of the tribe of Judah will soon drive away all his adversaries.
— Charles Spurgeon
I’ll close the way I opened.
Whatever edict we might come across in the Bible, we must remember that it is forever constrained by love.
Love in Christ,
Ed Collins
