by Dr. Ralph L. Keiper
GOD'S LOVE
N ot too long ago I was speaking on the subject of the sovereignty of God. After the meeting a young stu dent came to me and asked, “You have emphasized this one aspect tonight. I want to know, however, what the dif ference is between that and the aspect of fate as we find in many of the eastern religions and philosophies. There is very little question here. The complete difference is the love of God. In Romans 9 :33, “What if God, will ing to show his wrath, and to make his power known, endured with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath fitted (headed) for destruction.” Paul rightly points out that God has every right to show His wrath. Men have turned their backs upon Him from the very beginning of time. Basically, apart from Christ, men’s hearts are against God. Instead of revealing His wrath, however, the Lord endured with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath which can only be bound for perdition. Always, where man has been in rebellion against God, the Lord has been longsuffering and mer ciful toward him. The next verse (23) tells us, “And that he might make known the riches of his glory on the vessels of mercy, which he had afore prepared unto glory.” God’s great desire in the mani festation of His power is not to dem onstrate wrath, although at times this is necessary. He is a just and right eous God. Sin must be punished. The work in which God delights most of all is to demonstrate His glory and grace. Take a concordance and trace down the word “riches” someday. What a rewarding study. Going on we read, “Even us, whom he hath called, not of the Jews only, but also of the Gen tiles?” We must keep in mind the Old Testament background if we are to understand the significance of this verse. Originally Gentiles had no claim upon God, simply because they were
not members of the Covenant. For a Gentile to receive anything from God at all, he first had to become a Jew. When the Lord Jesus Christ came, however, this was all changed. John the Baptist proclaimed, “Behold the Lamb of God who taketh away the sin of the world.” The Gospel doors were thrown open. “Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and gave his Son to be the propitia tion for our sins.” Then in verses 25 and 26 we have two excellent illustrations from the Old Testament. “As he saith also in Osee (Hosea), I will call them my peo ple, which were not my people; and her beloved which was not beloved. And it shall come to pass, that in the place where it was said unto them, Ye are not my people; there shall they be called the children of the living God.” Hosea had married an adulteress. She symbolized the unfaithfulness of Is rael toward God. Hosea’s wife was absolutely nothing, but he made her everything. From this metaphor comes a great truth. Israel, having drifted away from God, was absolutely noth ing. Yet because of God’s great love
Charles Ivans of Encino, California, is one of the many Biola students who has the oppor tunity of playing on the beautiful Lansing Memorial pipe organ installed in Biola’smusic building.
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