Many people, even religious people, suppose that God is against sinners. βDo what is right,β they think, βand God will love and bless you, but do what is wrong and He will be angry with you and curse you.β
Perhaps this view of God comes from the fact that many Scripture passages, especially in the Old Testament, reveal God as the Enemy of the workers of iniquity. But He is the Enemy of the workers of iniquity as such β as workers of iniquity, not as individual persons.
In Ezek.Β 18:23Β God asks: βHave I any pleasure at all that the wicked should dieβ¦ ?β And in II Pet. 3:9 we learn that when God might have judged this world for the crucifixion of Christ. He delayed the judgment because He is βlongsufferingβ and βnot willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.β
The Apostle Paul, referring to the crucifixion, declares that βGod was in Christ, reconciling the world unto Himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliationβ (II Cor.Β 5:19).
How could He have shown sinners more conclusively that He desires their good than by imputing their sins to Christ and telling them that He is not imputing their trespasses unto them? Their trespasses will be imputed to them, of course, if they reject Godβs provision of salvation through Christ, but for the present it is a wonderful fact that we can go to any sinner and say on the authority of Godβs written Word: βYour sins have been paid for; God is not holding them against you. Will you accept His love and receive Christ as your Savior?β
No, unsaved friend, God is not against you. He loves you and provided abundantly for your salvation by paying for your sins Himself at Calvary. This is the essence of βthe gospel of the grace of Godβ (See I Tim. 2:4-7). Will you believe it? Will you trust Christ now, acknowledging Him as your Lord and Savior? source
