loved – Ministry of Grace Church

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Romans 9:13 – Love and Hate

Posted on May 30, 2018 by Will

As it is written, "I loved Jacob, but I hated Esau."

Truth to Learn

God chooses whom He loves and whom He hates.

Behind the Words

The word translated “loved” is from the verb agapaō, which refers to a self-sacrificing love.

“Hated” is from the Greek verb miseō, which refers to “an active hatred that is made evident in words and actions.”

Meaning Explained

Paul now quotes another Old Testament passage for his Roman Jewish Christian readers to consider. It is quoted from Malachi 1:2, 3

"I have loved you," says the LORD. "Yet you say, 'In what way have You loved us?' Was not Esau Jacob's brother?" Says the LORD.

"Yet Jacob I have loved; But Esau I have hated, And laid waste his mountains and his heritage For the jackals of the wilderness."

Now, I can just hear some of you saying, “But that’s not fair! God is love, according to I John 4:8, 13, so how can He hate anyone?” Perhaps from our human perspective it does not appear fair, but we know that God is righteous, that is, He always does what is right. Therefore, if He says that he loved Jacob and hated Esau then we have to accept that it is righteous love and righteous hatred.

Let’s look at a couple of things the Bible says about God:

And Jehovah spoke to Moses, saying, “Speak to all the congregation of the sons of Israel and say to them, You shall be holy, for I, Jehovah your God, am holy.” (Leviticus 19:1,2)

God is a Holy God, that is, He is set-apart from all sin and sinfulness. He is pure and without sin! He always does that which brings glory to Himself. He is holy!

because I will proclaim the name of Jehovah, ascribe greatness to our God. He is the Rock; His work is perfect. For all His ways are just, a God of faithfulness, and without evil; just and upright is He. (Deuteronomy 32:3,4)

According to this verse, all of God’s ways are just; they satisfy perfect justice and they are absolutely right. He is without evil; He is just and upright.

God does not always tell us why He does things, but if we believe that He is a holy and just God and if He is without evil as these verses proclaim, then God’s choosing is without sin and it is right and just. He cannot do otherwise.

So … even though we don’t understand how or why He chooses some to righteousness and not others, we have to believe that His choosing is right, and just, and holy!

Application

Paul is very clear in his teaching that God had a love for Jacob that He did not have for Esau. And, he already made it clear that this distinction was made independent of the actions of either of them. God’s choice is always right and without sin. Who are we to argue with Him?

In God's service, for His glory,

Ephesians 2:4 – Abundant Mercy

Posted on August 19, 2015 by Will

But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us,

Truth to Learn

Because of God’s mercy we don’t get what we deserve. It’s not fair, it’s mercy!

Behind the Words

The word “rich” is translated from plousios, which is the condition of having ploutos, meaning “wealth or riches, in money or possession.” Figuratively, it means “to have an abundance of something.”

“Mercy” is from the Greek noun eleos. This word refers to “sorrow over the misfortune of others, which disposes a person to overlook personal offenses and to treat an offender better than he or she deserves.” It is sometimes translated as “compassion.”

“Because of” is a translation of the Greek preposition dia, which means “through, either positionally or instrumentally.” In the current verse it means that God’s mercy is a result of His love.

The adjective “great” is from polus, meaning “much or many.” This is not a measure of size. That would be the Greek word megas. Polus is a measure of quantity or magnitude.

The words “love” and “loved” are from the same root, agapē. This word refers to a kind of love in which the lover is focused on that which will do the most good for the loved one. It is a self-sacrificing love which places the good of the loved one above the good of self.

Meaning Explained

In the past few verses the Apostle Paul has been describing how we were dead in sin before we were saved. Our manner of life was controlled by Satan and his world system. We followed the lusts of our flesh and we were deserving of the full weight of God’s wrath.

Here he goes on to describe how all that was changed. The instrument of our change, freedom from the bondage of sin, was God, Himself. We know how rich our God is. In the fiftieth chapter of Psalms we are told that he owns the cattle on a thousand hills (in the Old Testament wealth was measured by how many animals you owned). Paul now tells us that His wealth is not just in material things; He also has an abundance of mercy, that is, He is rich in mercy. Because of this mercy, we Christians will not receive from God the wrath that we truly deserve. Instead, He will be compassionate and merciful toward us.

This mercy that God shows to us is an outgrowth of His love. This love and mercy are so great toward us that He forgives us of all our sins (past, present, and future). Throughout the Bible, forgiveness means more than removal of blame. It includes completely forgetting the offending act. In fact, in the book of Psalms, as a description of God’s forgiveness, we are told:

As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us. (Psalms 103:12)

We learn in Romans that the penalty for our sins is death. Instead of our death, however, God gave up the life of His Son, who did not deserve death, as the ransom to set us free from death. Because we Christians have accepted Christ’s blood as the payment for our sins, God has forgiven, forgotten, and completely cast away our sinful acts.

Application

The next time you complain to God that things are not fair, that you are not getting what you deserve, remember that what you deserve is death and the wrath of God. However, because of His mercy and His great love with which He loved us, He has forgiven our sins and has given us eternal life. Our response to His mercy should be gratitude demonstrated by a life of submission to Him. Let’s take a few minutes right now and thank God for His mercy. Let’s recommit to serving Him out of a heart of gratitude.

In God's service, for His glory,

2 Thessalonians 2:16 – Eternal Comfort and Hope

Posted on December 7, 2012 by Will

Now may our Lord Jesus Christ Himself, and our God and Father, who has loved us and given us everlasting consolation and good hope by grace,

Truth to Learn

Our God promises eternal comfort and real hope for Christians.

Behind the Words

The word translated “himself” is autos, meaning “him, her, or it.” It serves to give emphasis to the person or thing being spoken of. In Greek, word order is used for emphasis and in this case autos is the first word in the sentence. Therefore, Paul is emphasizing “our Lord Jesus Christ Himself.”

“Has loved us” is from a form of agapē, which specifically refers to “a self-sacrificing love.” It is a verb of action, not just emotion and is most often used to describe the love that God demonstrates. It is expressed here as a singular verb.

Aiōnios is the word translated as “everlasting.” It literally refers to “an age” as a long duration of time. Hence, it is the word used to express that which is perpetual, everlasting, or eternal.

The word “consolation” is translated from paraklēsis, which is made up of para, meaning “beside” and a form of kaleō, meaning “to call.” It is used here to express the encouragement and comfort given by one who has been called alongside as a helper or comforter.

“Hope” is translated from elpis, which represents “hope,” not as just a wish, but as something that is fully expected.

Meaning Explained

Having just concluded this portion of his teaching, the Apostle Paul now expresses a prayer of benediction for the Thessalonian Christians. Paul has been teaching about the Day of the Lord in which God, in the person of Jesus Christ, will judge the inhabitants of the earth. Therefore, it is appropriate that he emphasizes the work of God, in the person of Jesus Christ, in giving us comfort and hope. This is the only place in any of Paul’s writings where he mentions God the Son before God the Father when the two are spoken of together.

He specifically identifies the Lord Jesus Christ as separate from the God the Father by the use of the conjunction “and.” However, at the same time, he shows the unity of the Godhead by using singular verbs (“has loved” and “has given”). Note also that the verbs “comfort” and “establish” in the following verse are also expressed in the singular form. Since in Greek, just as in English, the subject and verb of a sentence must agree in number, Paul is making a strong statement here that the Father and the Son are separate persons, but one God.

Now look at what Christians have already been given. The first thing is consolation. Our guide, who walks with us throughout our journey in this life, gives us comfort and encouragement as we travel. However, it is not just for this life, but for all eternity. Our guide, our God, also gives us hope. No matter what happens to us here, we have complete hope, and assurance, that we will spend eternity in a place of peace and comfort where we will eternally praise Him. It is not just a wish or a dream. It is real and we can count on it because God has promised it to us, and what God promises He always delivers.

Application

No matter what trial or difficulty you may be undergoing right now, as a Christian you have the guarantee of future peace and comfort in the presence of God.

In God's service, for His glory,