Does the bible make this statement, "God loves sinners"? What about, "God loves you"? I could not find them. What it does say is that God loved a people that He chose and gave to Christ in the covenant of grace before the foundation of the world. It does says that He "in love...predestinated them unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will." It does say that He loved them and "sent his Son to be the propitiation" for their sins. It does say that the "love of God is in Christ Jesus." In other words, God's love is not spoken of toward any sinner who is not in the covenant. It is never spoken of to any sinner outside of Jesus Christ. God loves those sinners whom He chose in eternal election according to His own sovereign will and pleasure. God loves those sinners that Christ stands for as their Surety and Mediator. God loves those sinners whose sins Christ bore in His own body on the tree and fully satisfied the law's demands. God loves those sinners to whom He imputes the righteousness of Christ. He loves those sinners to whom He gives faith, who by that faith do trust Christ as all their righteousness and standing before God. The truth is, God's love toward these sinners is eternal, unchanging and undeserved. His love to His people is always spoken of in the past tense, He "loved" us. He presently loves those sinners who are in Christ because He has always loved them in Christ. That's the only way a holy and just God could love a sinner! "But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." (Rom. 5:8) These are the sinners God loves and this is how He has manifested His love to them particularly in sending His Son to die in their place and establish for them a perfect righteousness. You see, a blanket statement such as "God loves sinners" standing alone does not reveal the true love of God at all. God's love is distinguished by what He does for those He loves through the life and death of Christ. Without the declaration of those things which God has done in Christ for those He loves, the love of God becomes nothing more than sentiment and emotion. Let all believers "Hail Sovereign Love" alone!

Gary Shepard

AN EASY HELL

"I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am. I know both how to have a little, and I know how to have a lot. In any and all circumstances I have learned the secret of being content—whether well-fed or hungry, whether in abundance or in need." Philippians 4:11-12

Whatever affliction or trouble a child of God meets with, it is all the hell he shall ever have! Whatever eclipse may be upon his name or estate—it is but a little cloud which will soon be blown over—and then his hell is past!

Death begins a wicked man's hell.

Death ends a godly man's hell.

Think with yourself, "What is my affliction? It is but a temporary hell. Indeed, if all my hell is here on earth, it is but an easy hell. What is the cup of affliction compared to the cup of damnation!"

Lazarus could not get a crumb; he was so diseased that the dogs took pity on him; and as if they had been his physicians, licked his sores. But this was an easy hell—the angels quickly fetched him out of it!

If all our hell is in this life—and in the midst of this hell, we have the love of God—then it is no more hell, but paradise! If all our hell is here on earth, we may see to the end of it; it is but skin-deep, it cannot touch the soul. It is a short-lived hell. After a dreary night of affliction, comes the bright morning of glory! Since our lives are short—our trials cannot be long!

As our riches take wings and fly away—so do our sufferings! Let us learn then, to be content, whatever our circumstances.

Thomas Watson

MY DESIRE IS . . .

1. To exalt the grace of God.

2. To proclaim salvation alone through the blood and righteousness of the Lord Jesus Christ.

3. To declare the sinfulness, helplessness, and hopelessness of man in a state of nature.

4. To describe, as far as I am able, the living experience of the saints of God in their trials, temptations, and sorrows--and in their consolations and blessings. J.C. Philpot

FOR THE UNGODLY!

"Christ died for the ungodly!" Romans 5:6

To redeem poor sinners, Jesus came down from heaven, put on the rags of our mortality, agonized, bled, died.

Jesus is made His people's substitute, burden-bearer, sin-remover, guilt-sustainer. Their debt is placed to His account. His riches pay the full amount. Sin is removed from the sinner, and placed on the Sinless! Their curse is rolled on Him, and He endures it, until no more remains! God deals with Jesus as the guilty one! He, as spotless Deity, receives imputed sins, and fully expiates them all. In the vicarious victim, God's justice is satisfied,

and wrath expires! Jesus, in His life, in the garden, on the cross suffers their sufferings, dies their death, and so becomes their uttermost salvation! His pains are their pardon! His stripes are their healing! His agony is their recovery! "Christ died for the ungodly!" Romans 5:6

Henry Law

Hark! How the Gospel trumpet sounds!

Christ and free grace therein abounds;

Free grace to such as sinners be,

And if free grace why not for me?

The Saviour died and by His blood

Brought rebel sinners near to God;

He died to set the captives free,

And why, my soul, why not for thee?

Thus Jesus came the poor to bless,

To clothe them with His righteousness;

That robe is spotless, full and free,

And why, my soul, why not for thee?

Eternal life by Christ is giv'n,

And sinful men are raised to heav'n;

Then sing of grace so rich and free,

And say, my soul, why not for thee?