The God Who Loves: He Will Do Whatever It Takes To Draw Us To Him
Overview
Bible expositor John MacArthur opens your eyes to the perfect love of God
The cry of the human soul has always been to be loved faithfully, deeply, and completely. In The God Who Loves, John MacArthur gives a passionate, well-argued defense for what The God Who Loves is—and what it is not. He explores the persistent themes of God's love and goodness throughout the Old and New Testaments and tackles the difficult questions head-on with frank, thoroughly biblical answers.
Top Highlights
“The very act of the Ninevites’ repentance was confirmation of the sovereign grace and loving mercy of God. Had He not turned their hearts, they would never have turned.” (Page 52)
“Love, according to Scripture, is not a helpless sensation of desire. Rather, it is a purposeful act of self-giving. The one who genuinely loves is deliberately devoted to the one loved. True love arises from the will—not from blind emotion.” (Page 26)
“Love surely tempers even God’s judgments. What a wonder it is that He who is a consuming fire, He who is unapproachable light, is also the personification of love! He postpones His judgments against sin while pleading with sinners to repent. He freely offers mercy to all who will repent. He shows longsuffering and goodness even to many who steel their hearts against Him. Divine love not only keeps divine wrath in check while God appeals to the sinner—but it also proves that God is just when He finally condemns.” (Page 30)
“But that does not mean God derives pleasure from every aspect of what He has decreed. God explicitly says that He takes no pleasure in the death of the wicked (Ezek. 18:32; 33:11). He does not delight in evil (Isa. 65:12). He hates all expressions of wickedness and pride (Prov. 6:16–19). Since none of those things can occur apart from the decree of a sovereign God, we must conclude that there is a sense in which His decrees do not always reflect His desires; His purposes are not necessarily accomplished in accord with His preferences.” (Page 109)
“We must also note that several of the very worst corruptions of Christian truth are based on the notion that God can be understood solely in terms of His love.” (Page xiv)
