No-God People, God is Love-based not Rules-based  

Quote: “If you have no God, then you have no revelation and you have no Bible and you have no hope because you have no salvation.” – John MacArthur. That’s it in a nutshell! No wonder fear is the primary motivator in most people across the globe. They’re on their own and they know it inwardly even when they deny it outwardly. A high price is paid for such a state of being, not only on a personal basis but on a familial and societal basis too. Ignorance of God, or denial, the price is similar. Where there is no vision (revelation, divine communication), the people perish (cast off restraint, are let loose, are left to run wild).

That’s the negative side of that part of the Scripture; consider now, the positive side of the other part: But happy (blessed, fortunate, well off) is he who keepeth the law (prophetic teaching, direction, instruction) Proverbs 29:18. Is this the language of a rules-based God or a love-based God? The majority of no-God people I have spoken to about God (that’s hundreds of them!) thought of Him as rules-based. “Obey My commands and all will go well for you. Disobey them and all will not go well for you.” The question is, where did that thinking come from? Certainly there are such statements in the Bible but the surrounding verses and even the chapters, quite often, need to be understood correctly so as to discern the context in which these commands are given.

God is not a rules-based military drill-sergeant! However, there are multitudes of rules-based church teachers and preachers from all denominations who are, metaphorically speaking. They will think nothing of pulling command-type Scriptures from their biblical context to support their Christ-less controlling mechanisms, agendas and doctrines. And the mental plus spiritual abuses people suffer from that, can be horrendous. That’s one explanation for there being so many no-God people among us. They were never taught to ask, “Who was God originally speaking to with these commands? How did the people of that day understand them? When were the commands given? Where were they given? Why were they given? What makes those commands relevant for our time?

“The God of the Old Testament is a God of violence and wrath, not a God of love,” say more than just a few no-God people. As the saying goes however, “A little bit of knowledge is dangerous.” How very true, because 8 times in the Old Testament it speaks of God as merciful and gracious or, gracious and merciful. In the same Old Testament, 8 times it speaks of God as one who is slow to anger; 5 times it says God shows great kindness and 3 times it says God is plenteous (abounding, abundant, exceedingly, strong) in mercy. So why then, the perceived violent and wrathful God of the Old Testament? In the opening book of the Bible, Genesis, God revealed Himself to the first man, giving him one simple instruction guaranteeing safe, healthy and eternal living, if followed Genesis 2:16-17.

Bear in mind now, the instruction was love-based, not rules-based. As time went on, the first man (and woman) failed to follow the instruction; first they questioned it, then they doubted it; they disbelieved the promised penalty if they went against it and finally they disobeyed the instruction. Death was the result of that decision for them; spiritual death instantly, physical death over time. Therefore, just as  through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned- Romans 5:12. God’s relationship with Noah was loved-based. Love for people was the reason He had Noah preach a message of repentance for 120 years. When it was clear to God their heart’s desire was to remain a grossly wicked no-God people He drowned them.

Where is the love in that? one might ask. It is in the very act itself! Imagine bringing your young children, grandchildren, nieces and nephews up in that kind of environment. Think of all the various kinds of sexual perversions, child molestations, pedophilia and bestiality they would be caught up in. Think of the violence, the home invasions, the killing, murders of the innocent, the elderly and the unborn in the womb. “That sounds pretty much like today,” someone says. You’re right! You don’t think a love-based God is not one day going to divinely intervene and deal with all that as He did back then? That’s what the New Testament book of Revelation is all about from Chapter 6 onward through to Chapter 19. No-God people desiring to remain as such will face their day of reckoning.

After the love-based God drowned the grossly wicked no-God crowd, He commanded Noah and his family to, increase in number and fill the earth Genesis 9:1. They only partially obeyed. They increased in population but did not move too far away. A love-based God cannot tolerate rebellion. It dishonors Him and it dishonors others; it turns them into no-God people. So when they said, Come, let us build ourselves a city, with a tower (of Babel) that reaches to the heavens, so that we may make a name for ourselves and not be scattered over the face of the whole earth, Genesis 11:4, God moved in, confused their language and scattered them. Had God not done so, they would have set up a one-world government and a one-world religion – a no-God religion!

When we turn to New Testament Revelation 13,  we see there’s strong evidence for a one-world government and one-world currency in place under the Anti-Christ. In Revelation 17,  we see the one-world religion in operation – The Mother of Harlots, under the direction of the false prophet. What the Genesis crowd intended will come to fruition when the Anti-Christ comes on the scene during the closing years of this current age. It all ends in disasters of extreme proportions however, as it would have back at Babel had God not scattered them. Current Romanist Pope Francis is a strong advocate for both one-world systems to come into play; he’s pushing for this. Whether it comes to pass in his time matters little, it will eventuate; the love-based God has decreed it – judgment time!

Only a love-based God would come up with a plan to call a 75 year-old man out from a no-God people and culture to start a great nation for Him, making the man’s name great into the bargain. Also, God promised the man if anyone blessed him God would bless them; if anyone cursed him God would curse them Genesis 12:1-3. Too, the promise was extended to the man’s descendants. God followed through on that promise too numerous times during the life of the man, plus his immediate family and He is still following through on it to his descendants 4000 years later. The man’s name was Abram, which means “exalted father.” We know of him better as Abraham, which means “the father of a multitude.” The Hebrews or Jews are his descendants; Israel is the nation.

Possibly it’s God’s dealings with the Old Testament Hebrews that causes no-God people to think of God as rules-based, not love-based. If so, this is where understanding is vital if they are to shed forever their rules-based concepts of God. When God called the Hebrews as a nation unto Himself it was for the purposes of blessing. God would bless them, they would be a blessing to Him and as a result, the witness of blessing would become evident to the surrounding nations. God would get the honor He calls for and everyone honoring Him would be blessed by Him. That’s a very basic overview, but it’s an accurate one. When the Hebrews were obedient, mighty blessings flowed, when they were disobedient, dishonoring and rebellious, severe judgments flowed. It’s all there in correct context.

In among all the commands of the so-called violent, wrathful, loveless, rules-based God of the Old Testament, we read these in reference to Him: mercy – over 200 times; grace – over 30 times; goodness – about 40 times; full of compassion – 5 times; long-suffering – 4 times; love – numerous times; forgive – numerous times; kindness, merciful kindness, great kindness, everlasting kindness. All of which were poured out upon people who were willing to become humble, repentant, obedient, compassionate, merciful, helpful and giving. Important note now: The God of the Old Testament is the same God of the New Testament. God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life John 3:16.

No-God people, God is love-based not rules-based. Those representing Him in pulpits expressing the latter are also fear-based, hence their controlling mechanisms. They need to be released from it as much as you do. You don’t need fear! You need a love-based God. You need divine revelation. You need a Bible. You need hope. You need salvation. Therefore, you need Jesus Christ! You need to experience His forgiveness. You need to experience all the blessings mentioned in the fourth paragraph of this post, plus those in the paragraph above, now and on-going. Old Testament Scripture: But You, O Lord, are a God full of compassion, and gracious, long-suffering and abundant in mercy and truth Psalm 86:15. New Testament Scripture: For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord Romans 6:23.