God’s Love for Sinners … (August 2023 Update)
The Love of God is amazing! It is obvious that He loves believers, but the greatness and the depth of His love is actually seen in His love for non-believers. Yet, some today believe that God does not love unbelievers. In fact, some will say that, when we are sharing the gospel, we should not even tell a non-believer that God loves them. They will say that God is angry with the wicked every day (Psalm 7:11). Therefore, it is wrong to tell a non-believer that God loves them until they come to faith in Him.
Even John 3:16 is often interpreted to show that God only loves believers. While the verse says, “God so loved the world, it is often suggested that this passage shows that God’s love is not only for Jews, but for all kinds of people — But not for non-believers. Even one of my favorite authors, A. W. Pink (The Sovereignty of God), says that the “world” in John 3:16 refers to “the world of believers” and does not include the ungodly. But the Bible seems to indicate otherwise. In fact, to interpret John 3:16 in this way actually seems to minimize and restrict the love of God. But God’s love for the never-repenting non-believer may be one of the greatest examples of how great His love is!
What does the Bible say about the love of God for sinners?
First of all, the Bible shows us that God’s love extends to all – even to the non-believer. Psalm 145:9 tells us: “The Lord is good to all, And His tender mercies are over all His works” (NKJV). The NIV translates it this way: “The Lord is good to all; he has compassion on all he has made.” Certainly, He has made even the non-believer. In Matthew 5:43-45, Jesus tells us to love even our enemies:
You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. For if you love those who love you, what reward have you? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? And if you greet your brethren only, what do you do more than others? Do not even the tax collectors do so? Therefore, you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect.
Our love for even our enemies is a reflection of God’s love for the unjust. If God does not love the non-believer, why should we? Jesus said God’s love for His enemies is to be the model for our love for our enemies!
Even Romans 5:6-8 reminds us that God loved us even while we were still “ungodly” and “sinners.” While some suggest that God’s love for us in our unconverted state was because of His knowledge of His election of us, the passage itself does not seem to indicate this. Nor does John 3:16. B. B. Warfield (The Savior of the World) says that the term “world” in John 3:16 does not limit the extent of God’s love to only to believers but instead, it magnifies the wonder of His love. Warfield says that John 3:16 suggests that “the world is so bad that it takes a great kind of love to love it at all, and much more to love it as God has loved it when He gave His Son for it.” In other words, we see the great depth and breadth of God’s love when we see that He even loved the lost who would never come (John 3:17-18). Even John Calvin takes such an interpretation of John 3:16: “Namely that faith in Christ brings life to all, and that Christ brought life, because the Father loves the human race, and wishes that they should not perish.”
Second, we see God’s love for the non-repentant in the life of Jesus. In Mark 10, Jesus encounters the Rich Young Ruler. Even when confronted by Jesus about his failure to truly keep all the commandments, the rich ruler refuses Jesus’ call to come and follow him. How did Jesus respond? Mark 10:21 says, “Then Jesus, looking at him, loved him.” In Matthew 23:37, Jesus looks over the unrepentant city of Jerusalem and weeps, saying, “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing!” We can see clearly that Jesus as the incarnate Son of God displayed God’s great love, even for unrepentant sinners.
So, in what ways is God’s love for all seen? John MacArthur (The God Who Loves) suggests 4 ways that we see God’s universal love. (I modified these to 3 for simplicity and made a few changes.)
First, we see God’s love for all in His Common Grace. Common grace is the term that theologians use to describe the love of God for all mankind. It includes God’s restraining grace on evil in the world. While the world is certainly evil, it is not as evil as it could be because God, in His grace, restrains evil. God has given everyone a conscience which operates to restrain evil within us (Romans 2:15). Also, His rains on the earth are an expression of common grace. In Acts 14:17, Paul tells the people at Lystra, “Nevertheless He did not leave Himself without witness, in that He did good, gave us rain from heaven and fruitful seasons, filling our hearts with food and gladness.” God’s common grace is even designed to lead people (non-believers) to repentance: “Or do you despise the riches of His goodness, forbearance, and longsuffering, not knowing that the goodness of God leads you to repentance?” Common grace does not save anyone, but it stands as a testimony to the love of God that is designed to lead people to repentance.
Second, we see God’s love for all in His Compassionate Love. This is seen in many verses that speak of God’s compassionate love for all mankind. For example, in Psalm 86:5, the psalmist says that God is “good, and ready to forgive, and abundant in mercy to all those who call upon You.” God’s love is not just for believers. God loves all mankind and is ready to forgive any that will respond and call on Him. Why does He love even those who will never respond? It is simply because love is an essential attribute of who God is. In fact, 1 John 4:7-10 tells us that God is love and says that the evidence of God’s love is that He sent Jesus to be the propitiation for our sins. He does not love us as believers because we deserve His love or earn His love. He loves us in spite of who we are and what we have done. God’s love for the non-believer is the same. He does not love them because they will respond – He loves them in spite of their response. That is what makes His love so amazing and so great! He loves the unlovable simply because He is love.
There is no question that most of the passages in the Bible that speak about God’s love refer to His love for His own children. But it is also clear that He loves even those who will never be part of His family. I have often compared this to the neighbor kids that used to come and play with my children. I certainly love them, but not like I love my own children. God is love. He is full of compassion. He loves His children with an everlasting love. But He also loves all of mankind and stands ready to forgive and receive any and all who will come to Him.
Third, we see God’s love for all in His Constant Warnings and His Calls to Salvation. One aspect of God’s compassionate love for non-believers is seen in His constant warnings about their eternal punishment and His continual calls for them to come to repentance. If God did not love non-believers, He would not waste so much time calling them to repentance. In fact, His warnings might be one of the best evidences of His love because, at the very least, God knows who will come to Him and who will not. Yet, He continues to extend His forgiveness and love to those He knows will never respond! That’s the greatness of God’s love!
In Isaiah 65:2-3, God says to rebellious Israel: “I have stretched out My hands all day long to a rebellious people, who walk in a way that is not good, according to their own thoughts; A people who provoke Me to anger continually to My face.” God’s love is seen in His constant warnings and continual stretching out His hands to a people who are constantly rebellious. In Ezekiel 33:11, God says, “As I live,’ says the Lord God, ‘I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way and live. Turn, turn from your evil ways!” We see the same love in the repeated calls to come to Jesus in the New Testament. In fact, the Book of Revelation ends with an appeal to everyone to come and freely receive the gift of eternal life: “the Spirit and the bride say, “Come!” And let him who hears say, “Come!” And let him who thirsts come. Whoever desires, let him take the water of life freely.”
God clearly loves even the non-believer. Not in the same way He loves the believer and not to the same degree. But the depth of God’s love might be seen best in His amazing love for sinners who will never repent and come to Him. “All day long” He continues to stretch out His loving hands to receive any who would come to Him. He shows His great love even to those He knows will never respond to Him.
How should the love of God for sinners affect us?
First, it should remind us of God’s great love to us while we were still sinners (Romans 5:8). And it should increase our love for Him. 1 John 4:19 says, “We love Him because He first loved us.” When we understand God’s love for sinners, and place ourselves in that same category, it ought to make us love Him even more. There is nothing in us that was lovable; yet He loved us.
Second, it should increase our love for the lost. Erroll Hulse, in an article in Reformation Today (1983), writes “if God does not love them [non-believers] it is hardly likely that we will make it our business to love them.” I am glad that we have a God who regularly and clearly displays His love for the lost. And it is our business to do the same and to share with them the wonderful gospel that can change their lives.
As John Newton wrote, “Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound, that saved a wretch like me.” God’s love for sinners is a great reminder that He loved us when we were His enemies and when we did not love Him. Teaching about His love for those who will never come does not minimize the wrath of God toward sinners. It magnifies how great His love is – So great that He even loves those who will reject Him to the end. May we too love others – those who are unlovely, undeserving, and unresponsive to our love toward them. Because that is the kind of love that God shows to even the unrepentant sinner.
Teaching Ministry …
This past month, I had a short break from teaching, and I really needed it! All of July and August I have had time to work on the house. I was planning to teach again in September, but God provided another mercy for me. The class I usually teach in September is going to be taught by another professor this semester. That is really an answer to prayer because I really have a lot to do in September.
My next class will be the first week in October. So, I am working on preparations for the class now. It is a class in Evangelism that I have taught for the last few years. Be praying for my preparations and pray that I can find a Ukrainian mentor to sit with the class. It will probably be another year before I am able to travel to Ukraine and teach. Also, pray for my preparation time as I get ready for classes in November. This year I will be teaching two classes in November – one at Kyiv Seminary and another in Lviv.
Also, I continue to be involved in the nursing home ministry in Fayetteville. I am preaching at least once a month here and really enjoying spending time with these dear believers. At the end of August, Katya and I will be participating in a Discipleship conference here in Rogers, Arkansas. Pray that it will be a productive time for us and also that we might be able to encourage others who might be thinking about missions.
In October, I will also be leading a men’s retreat at a church in Florida. The retreat will be about disciple making and I am hoping to teach through 2 Timothy. I have a lot of preparation to do to get ready for the conference. Pray that I can be helpful for this church during this retreat.
While we are in Florida for the retreat, we will also be meeting with a mission agency there to talk about how Katya and I can help to train and equip others for missions and ministry. This agency focuses on reaching unreached people in closed countries. While we are familiar with this ministry and know the leaders, we still need to see how our gifts and experience might be helpful to them and their missionaries. Be praying that this trip will help us to know if this is the direction we should take in ministry in the coming year.
Our House …
We continue to make progress and are seeing things move along now. We have the HVAC system installed and the plumbing (stage 2 of 3) will also be done this coming week. I have been working on electric for the last three weeks and should also finish this week. I have been really blessed by some help and advice from Sean Cooper and Hunter Goff. We have been working around the clock for the last two months trying to get everything ready for the drywall. I (Jim) have been working from sunup to sundown every day in temperatures around 100F! It has been difficult, and I have lost 18 pounds in the last month.
But it has been a team effort. Katya and the girls have been coming and helping with so many tasks. We still have much to do, but we know that we will all have great memories of all the work we have put into building this house.
Later this week, the exterior should be getting started and we hope that it will be finished by the end of August. Our next big step is the drywall. We need to get this done before the end of August or at least early September. Pray with us about this – it has been hard to find a drywaller to do the job. (I don’t like doing drywall!). Once we get the drywall done, we will be able to start work on the finish work. We will still have a lot to do, and we don’t anticipate being in the house before November.
Pray for our move back to Fayetteville. We have loved staying at Hiding Place Hollow the last 12 months. But 12 months is the limit that a missionary can stay there. So we will be reducing everything to 4 suitcases and living in a 1-bedroom apartment for the next 2-3 months. It will be difficult, but we are grateful for the Lord’s provision for us! Hiding Place Hollow (HPH) has given us a home and we have loved time with other missionaries (our girls have become “pen pals” with some missionary children serving in India) and also with the leaders of HPH. HPH is a great ministry to missionaries. We have also enjoyed serving there. Last weekend, Jim was able to work with about 40 other people clearing land for HPH. Please check out their link and pray about being part of their support team as they minister to missionaries!
As we mentioned last month, we finally sold our house in Ukraine. It sold for $25K less than we had hoped but we are glad that we were able to get something for it. And we need every bit of the money so that we can keep building here. Just pray that the money can be eventually transferred here to us. It is difficult getting money out of Ukraine because of the war. It will probably need to be brought out in smaller portions. We think we should have all the money by November or December at the latest. Pray that everything goes well with getting the money back to us.
Pray for Ukraine …
Continue to pray for Ukraine. While the numbers are not public knowledge, many, many Ukrainians defending their country are dying. And many of our students (pastors, chaplains and other believers) are trying to give comfort and the gospel to so many families. Pray for their strength and encouragement during this war.
Also, please pray for the people of Russia. I have been convinced from the start of the war that the war will not end until there is a change in government. The people of Russia are beginning to learn about what has been really happening. Pray that they will call on their leaders to stop this war, and, if necessary, that the people will force a change in the Russian government.
We are so grateful for God’s love. It is undeserved but He continues to love us. Pray for those without Christ. Pray that the love of Christ might draw them to the Savior and His wonderful forgiveness!
By His Grace,
Jim, Katya, Kristina and Nadia
If you missed previous updates or just want to read some short theological reflections, you can find these at our website at https://teachingresources.org/ .
Also, some have asked about how to support us. You can send checks to Teaching Resources International, PO Box 1025, Cabot, AR 72023 or pay through PayPal on our website. Just put “#1000 Ehrhard” in the memo so our treasurer knows where to allocate the funds. If you want to help with our relocation fund or building efforts, put Relocation in the memo.
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