Dear Arthur and Sandra:

My first question is: How does God's love for unbelievers not compromise his holiness? I've been studying the fall of man and our depravity without Christ and how we are born sinners and how sin is so deeply entrenched in our being. And with that I've been learning about God's wrath and hatred towards sin, so I'm kind of lost at how there is hatred and love. Or I could be completely wrong about something, so I'd much appreciate some correction and help! =)

First, I'm glad you're studying the character of God. Indeed, to know Him is to love Him.

How does God's love for unbelievers not compromise His holiness? Wow, you've expressed something propositionally that I've often felt existentially, emotionally. What I mean is that in the gratitude of my heart and soul, I can't believe that God could still love us and be so ridiculously generous as He is! He is just so good.

I assume when you wonder about Him loving unbelievers, you are including believers, who were all once unbelievers, as well, right? Your question is not, "I'm comfortable with the fact that He loves believers but I can't figure out how He loves unbelievers," right?

Off the top of my head, I would like to remind you that love is rooted in the lovER and not the belovED. Love speaks of the one loving more than the one being loved. 1 John clearly declares that great truth, God IS love - that's who He is! Can one who IS love do anything BUT love?

Love, remember, is a commitment, an action, a verb. With true love, the feelings come after the commitment. Thus, the fact that God does love unbelievers truly speaks volumes about HIM, doesn't it? I can't even begin to figure out how He does that. It's too amazing.

But, does it compromise His holiness? I think it affirms it. Only someone so other-worldly, so separate, so pure, so righteous, so benevolent, so committed to what's best (i.e. someone so HOLY, which is none of us) could love like that.

Another aspect of God's holiness, of course, is His unparalleled justice. No one is remotely just like Him. Thus, His love AND holiness, as expressed through His commitment to justice, sent Jesus to this earth (which was bad enough) to ultimately satisfy that justice on the cross. There, we see NOT holiness being violated for the sake of love, but being embodied in love.

Again, that speaks to Him (the Lover), not us (the beloved) because love has nothing to do with whether the object of love is worthy of love or is lovable. In fact, we are called to do the exact same thing. In Matt. 5 and Luke 6, we are commanded to love our enemies, those who persecute and revile us. As unbelievers are God's enemies, and yet He loves them, so are we to do the same. Why? Because of Christ in us, our hope of glory (Col. 1:27)! Since Christ is IN us, His love is in us, and His love constrains/controls us (2Cor. 5)

In fact, Jesus goes on to say that if we don't love them, we are no better than the world. Even those of the world know how to love those who love them. That's nothing special, and that's not godly love. God's love is the love that loves despite of and not because of. That's agape.

On another note, I'd also like to point out that hatred for sin is proportional to the greatness of love. God's hatred for sin is so great because His love is so great. O, that we would have such a hatred for sin. But we don't, because we don't have such a love for God and goodness. By God's grace, growing Christians can honestly say (as I can) that the older I get, the more I hate sin. As my love for Christ increases, so does my distaste for the things that dishonor Him.

Honestly, that's why much of this world's entertainment grows more and more repulsive to me the older I get. It's not because I'm just getting old and getting to be an old fogy (though that IS true); it is because I see more and more through His eyes and with His value system than I did before.

My recent passing through Las Vegas (the necessary evil during our trip to Bryce and Zion) affirmed that to me. I uttered the words more than once, "I hate Las Vegas!" But, as Sandra expressed more than once, "I really feel pain and hurt for the people here. I really feel sad for them."

Anyway, I don't know if that was helpful but it's a start if it's not. Please let me know your thoughts.