Sinners in the Hand of a Loving God!

Are sinners “in the hands of an angry God?” Is God mad with us?  Is He judging and pouring out His wrath upon us today?  No, non, nada, nein!

Listen to this:

“For He says: “In an acceptable time I have heard you, And in the day of salvation I have helped you.” Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.”  (‭‭II Corinthians‬ ‭6:2‬ ‭NKJV‬‬)

“For he says, “In the time of my favor I heard you, and in the day of salvation I helped you.” I tell you, now is the time of God’s favor, now is the day of salvation.”  (‭‭2 Corinthians‬ ‭6:2‬ ‭NIV‬‬)

God declares this period in which we live to be  “the accepted time,” “the time of  favor” and  “the day of salvation.”  Therefore, during this dispensation, or period, which began with the resurrection of Jesus and will last until His return at the end of the age, God is NOT pouring out wrath, nor dispensing judgment, upon sinners.  Instead, He is accepting sinners, favoring them, and delivering them by grace through faith in the blood of Jesus!

Thus, those who prophesy wrath upon people and nations and declare wars, natural disasters, epidemics, accidents and premature deaths as “acts of God” and divine judgment are mistaken.   Those are either acts of Satan, acts of nature, or acts of men, who are rebelling against the goodness of God.

On one occasion, when the people of Samaria rejected Jesus and asked Him to leave their country, James and John, disciples of Jesus, deemed them ripe for judgment and requested permission to call down fire from heaven.  Jesus’ response should settle this issue forever.

“And 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, just as Elijah did?” But He turned and rebuked them, and said, “You do not know what manner 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 to another village.”‭‭ (Luke‬ ‭9:54-56‬ NKJV)

“The Son of Man did not come to destroy men’s lives but to save them!”  It could not be more clear.

The Gospel is not the story of “sinners in the hands of an angry God.”  It is the wonderful account of sinners in “the hands of a loving God.”  It is the beautiful story of how God reconciles sinners to Himself through Jesus and restores them to favor and to harmony in Christ.

Listen to this powerful passage below and then, ask yourself, “Is it possible for these to be the words of an angry God?”   Are our messages and prophecies of wrath and judgment in this age consistent with the message of reconciliation we are charged with? Are the ambassadors of the kingdom guilty of misrepresenting the King?

“Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation, that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation. Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ’s behalf, be reconciled to God. For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.” (‭‭II Corinthians‬ ‭5:18-21‬ ‭NKJV‬‬)

If God is reconciling the world to Himself by not imputing, or charging, their trespasses to them in this dispensation, on what basis then can anyone claim He is condemning and punishing sinners?  No, the ambassadors of Christ, who are faithful to the King, are those who are pleading with sinners to accept God’s offer of reconciliation and His gift of righteousness today, and thereby, escape the wrath that is to come.

“For they themselves declare concerning us what manner of entry we had to you, and how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God, and to wait for His Son from heaven, whom He raised from the dead, even Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come.” (‭‭I Thessalonians‬ ‭1:9-10‬ ‭NKJV)

Here it is again. Jesus’ mission during this day of salvation is not to deliver wrath, but to “deliver from wrath.”  And all of us who speak for Him need to know the difference.

Child of God, He is not mad with you, nor with any other person because of their sins.  God is mad with the devil and with sin because of the harm they cause.  BUT HE IS MADLY IN LOVE WITH SINNERS, All SINNERS!   Remember, God hates sin, but He loves you, much more, much, much more, than He hates your sins.

This is Good News for men everywhere. We are, saints and sinners alike, in the hands of a loving God. Hallelujah!

Now, may the goodness of God lead you and every man, everywhere, to repent.