い い
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>> It has stood
the test of time,
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God's book, the
Bible, still relevant
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in today's complex
world. "It Is Written,"
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sharing messages of
hope around the world.
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い い
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>> For ages, people
have said, "God is love."
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The Bible says, "God is love,"
but what does that really mean?
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What is this love, and how is it
possible that God loves? To help
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me take a journey in
understanding that question and
answering that question, I have
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today with me special guest Dr.
John Peckham, professor of
theology and Christian
00:02:26.84\00:02:33.38
philosophy at the Theological
Seminary at Andrews University.
Dr. Peckham has authored
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three books and is working on an
additional three books. Dr.
Peckham, I want to welcome
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you to "It Is Written Canada."
Thank you so much for being
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here. >> Thank you, Chris. It's
great to be with you. >> Now,
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John, obviously, you take the
understanding of who God is very
seriously. Talk to me a little
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bit about how that happened
in your life and why it's so
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important to you. >> Yeah.
I grew up as a pastor's kid,
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so as long as I can remember,
I was concerned about who God
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is, what God is
like, and my father
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was a youth pastor. So he
did a lot of youth ministry,
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and that brought us into
situations where we into cities,
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ran soup kitchens, and I
remember being struck at a very
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young age at the evil in the
world, the suffering in the
world, and yet I knew from a
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personal relationship with God
that God was good and God was
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love, and how do you reconcile
those two things? And it's been
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a long journey for me in
wrestling with how to understand
God and the God of the Bible,
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and so I focused my studies on
God's love to try to get at that
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larger question of who God is
and how does He relate to us. >>
Now, I want to step back
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just a little bit because you
and I have had an opportunity to
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talk a little bit. You had this
question as a young child,
really the problem of evil,
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the problem of the character
of God, but when you began your
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university studies, you actually
did not go in the direction of
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theology or pastoral ministry.
What did you study in your
undergraduate studies?
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>> That's right. My
undergraduate studies, I did a
double major in business
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administration and accounting,
and my plan was to go on and do
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a JD/MBA, get into high finance.
It was about my sophomore year
of undergraduate studies
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where I felt a strong call from
God that whatever gifts He had
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given me were to be used for
something other than enriching
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myself, and that's not to say
anything against business. It's
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a wonderful, noble profession,
but I felt strongly that God was
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calling me to do something
different, and that's when I
pursued the question
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of going into ministry, doing
theological studies. I consulted
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the seminary I was going to
attend at Andrews, and they told
me, "Go ahead and finish your
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undergraduate degrees in
business. The church can use
people with that background,"
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and certainly they can
and they do, and I went ahead
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and finished that, and then
I went straight to the seminary
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to prepare for ministry. >> And
you ended up going into pastoral
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ministry but began your doctoral
studies, where you really
explored this question
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of the character of God. In
fact, your dissertation was on
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the concept of divine love, and,
you know, I've enjoyed so much
us being able to talk,
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and now we're going to be
sharing that with the wider
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audience. Now, the event that
led you kind of to make that
decision, kind of that career
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shift, that life shift for you
was September 11, 2001. >> Yes.
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>> Where were you living at the
time? How did that affect you,
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and how did that drive you
toward the direction of really
wanting to understand
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that character of God? >> Yeah.
I was doing my undergraduate
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in Massachusetts at the
time, and I was beginning an
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internship. I'd just done all
of the training, and I was just
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beginning to work with a
supervisor in financial planning
when that hit, and there was a
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number of other events that led
up to that that told me that
maybe I should be doing
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something else with my life
based on what God wanted for me.
But when the plane struck
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the two towers, that was
obviously a massive event in the
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United States and across the
world, and for me personally. I
remember on that day
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my would-be supervisor
was wanting me to cold-call
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potential clients to try to get
them interested in buying
financial products like life
00:06:32.89\00:06:37.09
insurance, and I was thinking,
"There's something wrong here."
And as I thought about it more,
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what occurred that
day was symbolic of where
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I was putting my
treasure, if you will. >> Sure.
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>> And I felt like God really
wanted me to do something else,
and I pursued that path.
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>> Well, we're thankful you
pursued that path. We're
thankful that God led you
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on that path and that you're
here today to talk about it.
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So let's about this character
of God. Really what's at stake
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when we begin this exploration?
Because often we take for
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granted, and I began the show
by saying, "God is love." >>
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Mm-hmm. >> We take for granted
that that is true, and I believe
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that's true, but really, what's
at stake when we study this
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conception of God and the
character of God? >> Yeah.
Really everything is at stake
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because at the center of
theology, of course, is God
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Himself. Theology means the
study of God even though we deal
with many other areas because
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God, if we're correct about who
God is as the Creator of the
world, Sustainer of everything,
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there's nothing that doesn't
relate to God, but God is at the
00:07:49.23\00:07:52.77
center, and how you conceive of
God affects everything else that
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you believe and everything that
you do if what you do is
actually in line with what you
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actually believe. So a famous
theologian once said, "A small
mistake at the beginning
00:08:03.35\00:08:07.05
is a large one at the end," and
when it comes to thinking about
00:08:07.05\00:08:11.59
theology, and really, life,
if you make a mistake about
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understanding God, that's going
to affect everything else that
you think theologically,
00:08:16.22\00:08:20.53
and as a Christian, it's going
to affect your life, the way you
00:08:20.53\00:08:23.40
relate to other people. So I
can't think of anything else
that's more important.
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In fact, I want to take
you to John 17:3... >> Okay.
00:08:26.77\00:08:30.64
>> ...John 17:3 on this, and I
share this with my students all
00:08:30.64\00:08:36.38
the time as I'm introducing them
to one of my introductory
Christian theology courses.
00:08:36.38\00:08:41.58
John 17:3 says, "And this is
eternal life, that they may know
00:08:41.58\00:08:46.65
you, the only true God,
and Jesus Christ whom you have
00:08:46.65\00:08:52.96
sent." Now, those words were
spoken by Jesus Himself, and
He's talking about knowing
00:08:52.96\00:08:57.57
God as central to eternal life.
Now, I don't think He means in
00:08:57.57\00:09:02.90
that text merely theological
beliefs, but in order to know
someone, you have to know
00:09:02.90\00:09:08.28
some things about them. I
mean, it would be really strange
00:09:08.28\00:09:11.11
if I would say to my wife, or
before she was my wife, you
know, as we were dating,
00:09:11.11\00:09:15.55
if I said, you know, "I'd really
like to have a relationship with
00:09:15.55\00:09:18.19
you, but can we just never
talk?" >> Right. >> "I mean,
00:09:18.19\00:09:21.39
please don't ever tell me
anything about you because, you
know, that part is not important
00:09:21.39\00:09:25.13
to me. I just want to have a
relationship with you." That
doesn't make sense.
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>> No. >> So to know
God includes much more
00:09:27.36\00:09:29.93
than knowing theology and
theological beliefs, but not
00:09:29.93\00:09:34.47
less than that. >> And so
this... What is really at stake
here is we talk about having
00:09:34.47\00:09:40.51
a relationship with Jesus.
Christianity is about a
relationship with Jesus,
00:09:40.51\00:09:44.65
a relationship with God, yet
maybe the fundamental problem
00:09:44.65\00:09:49.68
that we're facing is sometimes
who we think God is... >> Yes.
00:09:49.68\00:09:54.26
>> ...is not really who He is,
and so what's really at stake
00:09:54.26\00:09:59.13
here is the very core of
everything that this book
teaches about who God is.
00:09:59.13\00:10:06.20
Any other text that can help us
in kind of beginning this
journey of understanding
00:10:06.20\00:10:11.61
who God is? >>
Yeah. I want to take you
00:10:11.61\00:10:13.94
to 1 John 4:8, and as we're
going there, you're so right
00:10:13.94\00:10:19.25
about people's conception of God
and having a misconception of
00:10:19.25\00:10:22.88
God, affecting their
relationship with Him. A lot of
people don't have a relationship
00:10:22.88\00:10:27.09
with God because the God they
have in mind isn't the true and
00:10:27.09\00:10:31.03
living God, right? So some
people have had negative
experiences with their own
00:10:31.03\00:10:35.40
parents. The Bible uses a lot of
imagery of God as a Father and
00:10:35.40\00:10:39.07
God as a Parent, and they
project onto God maybe the kind
of experiences they've had with
00:10:39.07\00:10:42.54
humans, not realizing that
God is perfect. He's much better
00:10:42.54\00:10:46.47
than anything we've experienced
here. Or they have heard of
theological conceptions
00:10:46.47\00:10:49.94
of God that make God culpable
for evil or other kinds of
00:10:49.94\00:10:56.12
things, and they are not
interested in having a
relationship with that God.
00:10:56.12\00:11:01.89
>> Yes. >> But the God of
the Bible is quite different.
00:11:01.89\00:11:04.06
1 John 4:8 tells us that God is
love, and it says actually more
00:11:04.06\00:11:10.53
than that. The entire verse
says, "He who does not love does
00:11:10.53\00:11:15.77
not know God." That goes back to
what we were just talking about,
right? >> Yes, yes.
00:11:15.77\00:11:18.37
>> That if you claim to
know God, and you don't love
00:11:18.37\00:11:22.81
and don't love other people...
Elsewhere in 1 John, He says,
"You're a liar," right?
00:11:22.81\00:11:27.55
Because if you know God, you
will love others because God is
00:11:27.55\00:11:34.22
love. The question is, as
you mentioned earlier, what does
00:11:34.22\00:11:38.59
that mean? Because if I surveyed
even 10 people and asked them
00:11:38.59\00:11:43.00
what is love, I would probably
get 10 different answers, right?
>> Yes, and this might take our
00:11:43.00\00:11:47.50
conversation a little bit
different direction, but, you
00:11:47.50\00:11:49.80
know, it's an interesting thing.
I've talked about this. I've
used this illustration
00:11:49.80\00:11:52.01
before. In the English language,
there's a weakness in that
00:11:52.01\00:11:56.54
we have this word love...
>> Yes. >> ...that is used in a
00:11:56.54\00:12:00.62
variety of contexts -- "I
love my wife," "I love my mom,"
00:12:00.62\00:12:04.42
"I love my dog"... >>
Right. >> ..."I love this food."
00:12:04.42\00:12:06.99
>> Right. >> And the question
becomes is, what is love?
00:12:06.99\00:12:09.16
>> Yeah. >> Now,
there are other languages
00:12:09.16\00:12:11.39
that use a variety of words
to describe what love is... >>
00:12:11.39\00:12:17.50
Mm-hmm. >> ...Spanish, French,
other of these languages, so
maybe let's just dwell
00:12:17.50\00:12:22.40
a little bit here on this...
>> Sure. >> ..."What is love?"
00:12:22.40\00:12:26.68
and the biblical concept of
love, and I don't want to put
00:12:26.68\00:12:31.38
you on the spot, but how many
different words or, relatively
00:12:31.38\00:12:34.78
speaking, how many words are
used in the Bible to describe
00:12:34.78\00:12:39.42
love? >> Yeah. It depends on
how you would go about answering
00:12:39.42\00:12:41.82
that question... >> Okay. >>
...because just like English,
00:12:41.82\00:12:44.89
the words that are used for
love have that broad variety of
00:12:44.89\00:12:50.00
meanings. So the love for a
parent, the love for a spouse,
the love for a friend,
00:12:50.00\00:12:54.00
those can all be signified by
the same word in Greek, for
instance, the language the
00:12:54.00\00:12:58.97
New Testament was written in. On
the other hand, the Bible does
have a lot more words,
00:12:58.97\00:13:04.88
and so the range of the meaning
of the words is quite broad, but
then there's a lot of words
00:13:04.88\00:13:09.72
that add nuances and shades of
meaning. So the main words for
00:13:09.72\00:13:14.56
love in the Old Testament and
the New Testament are a handful
00:13:14.56\00:13:19.06
of terms. In the New Testament,
the most famous terminology is 
00:13:19.06\00:13:23.37
agape. Then you have philos,
which is the noun form of that
00:13:23.37\00:13:28.74
word, or  phileo is the
verb form of that in the New
00:13:28.74\00:13:31.94
Testament. >> Sure. >> Those
are the two main words that are
00:13:31.94\00:13:35.61
translated love, but it would be
a mistake for us to think that
those are the only two words
00:13:35.61\00:13:38.68
that are dealing with love
because love is such a broad and
00:13:38.68\00:13:42.85
central concept that language in
both the New Testament and the
00:13:42.85\00:13:45.59
Old Testament as dealing with
God's delight, with God's
pleasure, even in some cases
00:13:45.59\00:13:50.39
that's very closely related to
God's choice, that terminology
is all very closely related to
00:13:50.39\00:13:56.43
love, and sometimes actually
referring to love itself. In the
Old Testament, we have
00:13:56.43\00:14:01.50
a similar thing going on.
We have words like ahab, a word
00:14:01.50\00:14:05.37
hesed, which one commentator
said that you need at least a
paragraph to describe what
00:14:05.37\00:14:11.18
the word hesed means.
It's usually translated "Loving
00:14:11.18\00:14:14.52
kindness"... >> Sure. >> ...in
the King James and New King
00:14:14.52\00:14:16.92
James version. Other versions
translate it "Loyal love" or
00:14:16.92\00:14:20.06
"Steadfast love," and those are
all good words to describe it,
but it's that and more,
00:14:20.06\00:14:23.56
mercy, compassion. It's even
related to justice, and there's
00:14:23.56\00:14:29.33
this beautiful, fully orbed
concept of God's love that the
00:14:29.33\00:14:34.04
view that I had of God's love
when I started studying it is
extremely impoverished in
00:14:34.04\00:14:38.71
comparison to what I've found,
and no doubt, there's much more
than what I found of God's love.
00:14:38.71\00:14:43.58
But even what I've been able
to see from Scripture, it's much
00:14:43.58\00:14:47.35
more than I ever imagined. >>
Well, it's just that few moments
00:14:47.35\00:14:52.22
of talking about gives us
opportunity to pause when we
say, "God is love"...
00:14:52.22\00:14:58.79
>> Yes. >> ...and in our
minds say, "Oh, I know what that
00:14:58.79\00:15:02.10
means," just the variety of
words and concepts that you were
00:15:02.10\00:15:06.90
just delving into. You know, one
of my favorite Christian authors
talks about that throughout
00:15:06.90\00:15:12.31
eternity, we will be studying
the science of salvation. >>
00:15:12.31\00:15:14.78
That's right. >> And I think
a part of that science is God's
00:15:14.78\00:15:18.01
love toward us. >> That's right.
>> So it's probably important
right at the outset
00:15:18.01\00:15:22.55
in understanding that love
that when we talk about love, in
00:15:22.55\00:15:28.92
order for love to truly be love,
it gives us the ability to say,
"Yes," or to say, "No."
00:15:28.92\00:15:32.96
>> Mm-hmm. >> It's a response,
a give-and-take situation.
00:15:32.96\00:15:36.67
I think we're going to
expand on that. >> Yes.
00:15:36.67\00:15:39.00
>> But, you know, there
are a number of people who are
00:15:39.00\00:15:41.97
watching, Christian or not, who
have had this conception of God
00:15:41.97\00:15:46.64
as One who predestines or
predetermines everything. >>
00:15:46.64\00:15:53.72
Yes. >> Let's talk about that
a little bit because that is
00:15:53.72\00:15:57.79
a little difficult for me, as
you talk about the grace and the
mercy and the delight
00:15:57.79\00:16:01.99
and the pleasure and the
compassion, to package up with a
00:16:01.99\00:16:07.30
God who simply predestines
everything. Let's talk about
00:16:07.30\00:16:09.90
that debate a little bit that
goes on and probably talk about
that because there are probably
00:16:09.90\00:16:13.97
many viewers who have
heard this... >> Yes. >> ...and
00:16:13.97\00:16:16.67
actually have been turned off to
a relationship with God on what
they might consider
00:16:16.67\00:16:20.51
to be an arbitrary
predestination. Let's talk about
00:16:20.51\00:16:23.61
that a little bit. >>
Yeah. There's a very close
00:16:23.61\00:16:26.78
relationship between
that issue of God predestining
00:16:26.78\00:16:31.12
or determining everything and
the concept of divine love. In
fact, one of the most
00:16:31.12\00:16:35.59
traditional views of God's love
is based on the view that God
doesn't really have
00:16:35.59\00:16:40.33
a reciprocal relationship
with humans but only a one-way
00:16:40.33\00:16:44.13
or unilateral relationship with
humans, which means that if God
00:16:44.13\00:16:48.57
is acting on the world at all,
it's in this predestinarian or
00:16:48.57\00:16:53.68
deterministic way, and so they
take the concept of love, and
they say that love is,
00:16:53.68\00:17:00.32
from God's perspective,
is a choice. It's entirely
00:17:00.32\00:17:04.65
relational, and He chooses to
love some unto salvation and
others not unto salvation.
00:17:04.65\00:17:10.66
He gives grace to everyone
on that particular theological
00:17:10.66\00:17:14.40
strain, but He only loves some
in a way that they actually will
00:17:14.40\00:17:18.47
be saved, and if God loves you
that way, it's technically
called, in some theologies,
00:17:18.47\00:17:23.14
unconditional election, but they
mean by that the same thing as
unconditional love.
00:17:23.14\00:17:30.61
They could substitute the word
love for election. Now, they
00:17:30.61\00:17:34.18
don't mean by that what you and
I would mean if we said
unconditional love, but for
00:17:34.18\00:17:38.65
them, love from God's
perspective just is His choice.
So unconditional election is
00:17:38.65\00:17:42.96
God's unconditional choice of
someone to be saved, and love is
00:17:42.96\00:17:48.50
the same thing. In fact, if you
read, some commentators say,
"For God to love is to choose,
00:17:48.50\00:17:51.87
to choose is to love." You could
put an equals sign between them.
00:17:51.87\00:17:55.40
That view has a long history in
Christian theology, not just on
love but on the way
00:17:55.40\00:18:00.28
God could relate to the world
because there are particular
00:18:00.28\00:18:04.58
conceptions of God based
primarily on some very famous
Greek philosophies about what it
00:18:04.58\00:18:12.02
takes to be a perfect kind of
being that said that a perfect
kind of being couldn't really
00:18:12.02\00:18:18.76
love in any sense of the term
that humans are accustomed to
because that wouldn't
00:18:18.76\00:18:23.06
be perfect -- at least they
thought that was the case. >>
00:18:23.06\00:18:25.77
Sure. >> And therefore, they
had this view of God as very
00:18:25.77\00:18:28.70
transcendent, very removed from
the world, very much not able to
be affected by anything
00:18:28.70\00:18:34.34
that occurs in the world, and
therefore, God's love must be
00:18:34.34\00:18:39.91
this unilateral relationship. >>
You know, let's hit a pause
button there because I want you
00:18:39.91\00:18:44.49
to unpack that a little bit. >>
Yes. >> So what you're saying is
00:18:44.49\00:18:47.12
that there are some teachers
who have taught, some people who
00:18:47.12\00:18:50.73
have believed, that God has had
this attitude toward humanity
that He's close enough
00:18:50.73\00:18:58.83
to choose to love some, that
they will sense that love and
00:18:58.83\00:19:06.37
choose salvation, and He will
love others, but that love will
00:19:06.37\00:19:10.38
be distant enough that they
won't choose salvation and
effectively be lost? And so it's
00:19:10.38\00:19:18.15
almost kind of this arm's-length
relationship of a God who almost
00:19:18.15\00:19:26.46
comes across as arbitrary,
loving some, not loving others,
00:19:26.46\00:19:33.10
and it leaves us really
entrenched in this question.
00:19:33.10\00:19:37.74
Okay. If the Bible says God is
love, that doesn't sound very
loving. That sounds like God has
00:19:37.74\00:19:45.18
a bit of favoritism that is
favoritism that comes across as
00:19:45.18\00:19:51.69
quite arbitrary. Am I
summarizing what you just said
there in a fair way? Let's talk
00:19:51.69\00:19:57.09
about that. Let's probe that
a little deeper. >> Yeah. Yeah.
00:19:57.09\00:19:59.73
Even stronger than that, it's
not just that they won't choose.
00:19:59.73\00:20:04.27
They can't choose to accept
God's grace on that model. >>
00:20:04.27\00:20:09.14
Wow. >> Now, to be fair to those
who believe in that view, it
does sound a bit arbitrary.
00:20:09.14\00:20:14.44
On their view, it's not
arbitrary, they would say,
because God is sovereign.
00:20:14.44\00:20:18.65
No one deserves salvation, so we
should just be happy that He
chooses to save some
00:20:18.65\00:20:23.62
and not worry about the ones
that He chooses not to save, but
it's very troubling from my
00:20:23.62\00:20:29.09
perspective because I believe
that the Bible teaches, and we
may have some opportunity
00:20:29.09\00:20:33.36
to get into this a
little bit later, that God does
00:20:33.36\00:20:37.07
want to save everyone, and He
does everything He can to save
00:20:37.07\00:20:42.04
everyone. But there's a long
trajectory of this in Christian
theology, and every trajectory
00:20:42.04\00:20:46.81
of Christian theology is heavily
debated, even the way things
00:20:46.81\00:20:50.75
originated, but the typical
understanding, which I think is
correct, is that this view was
00:20:50.75\00:20:55.08
introduced into Christian
theology by a theologian by the
00:20:55.08\00:20:58.69
name of Augustine. Augustine
was a late 4th-century, early
00:20:58.69\00:21:02.69
5th-century church father... >>
Yes. >> ...the most influential
00:21:02.69\00:21:05.56
theologian outside of the Bible
in the history of Christianity.
00:21:05.56\00:21:10.00
Many scholars of
Christian history make the claim
00:21:10.00\00:21:14.20
that before Augustine,
the majority of Christian
00:21:14.20\00:21:18.77
theologians, early fathers,
believed in the kind of free
will where you could choose
00:21:18.77\00:21:22.78
to accept God's love. You could
choose to accept His grace and
00:21:22.78\00:21:26.51
be saved, or you could reject
it, and not in a way that you
00:21:26.51\00:21:29.65
could earn it. It's always
unmeritorious. It's always a
gift of grace. >> Yes.
00:21:29.65\00:21:32.89
>> But you have the choice to
accept that and be saved or not.
00:21:32.89\00:21:36.59
Augustine, again here, there's
some dispute because there's
00:21:36.59\00:21:41.03
many people who follow Augustine
in many different trajectories.
00:21:41.03\00:21:43.83
>> Sure. >> And as is usually
the case, people who claim
someone as their forbear often
00:21:43.83\00:21:48.24
interpret that person in a way
that lines up maybe with their
00:21:48.24\00:21:51.64
view. >> Sure. >> But I think
it's safe to say that the
majority, or at least a great
00:21:51.64\00:21:55.91
many, of scholars, believe
that Augustine's view himself
00:21:55.91\00:22:00.62
changed. One of the first books
that he wrote was on free choice
00:22:00.62\00:22:03.75
of the will, and in that book,
he at least appears to be saying
00:22:03.75\00:22:07.46
something very similar to
the kind of free will I just
00:22:07.46\00:22:10.46
described. >> Yes. >> But then
he had an encounter with some
Christians who were saying
00:22:10.46\00:22:16.63
basically that you have the kind
of will that you could basically
00:22:16.63\00:22:22.17
save yourself. You can pull
yourself up by your bootstraps,
right? This is a theology
00:22:22.17\00:22:24.87
called Pelagianism... >> Okay.
>> ...technically by a name
00:22:24.87\00:22:28.21
of a Christian by Pelagius.
>> Sure. >> They got into a
00:22:28.21\00:22:31.28
controversy, and out of that
controversy, as the story is
usually told, Augustine,
00:22:31.28\00:22:37.32
to cut off Pelagianism, move
towards determinism or
predestinarian theology.
00:22:37.32\00:22:42.86
Some people say he didn't move
at all. He always believed that.
00:22:42.86\00:22:44.99
It just wasn't as clear, but the
way I read him, it looks like he
00:22:44.99\00:22:47.96
moved. >> Sure. >> And then
after Augustine, the vast
majority of theologians
00:22:47.96\00:22:54.57
had something of that strain in
their theology all the way
through the Reformation
00:22:54.57\00:22:59.57
and beyond. >> Well,
and this is very helpful.
00:22:59.57\00:23:02.24
You know, as you know, the
title of our program is "It Is
00:23:02.24\00:23:05.61
Written," and our commitment is
not a commitment to a creed or a
statement of faith,
00:23:05.61\00:23:11.15
but our commitment is
to the Word of God. >> Yes.
00:23:11.15\00:23:14.22
>> So what I'm hearing you say
is that originally out of the
00:23:14.22\00:23:17.06
Word, and maybe you could
pull... I'm going to ask you to
read a text in just a moment
00:23:17.06\00:23:20.96
that talks about how God loves
everyone and doing all He can to
00:23:20.96\00:23:26.97
save everyone. >> Yes. >> The
biblical view is this is what
God's love looks like,
00:23:26.97\00:23:31.57
but at some point in the distant
past, around the 4th and 5th
00:23:31.57\00:23:36.04
century, around 300, 400 A.D.,
introduced into the Christian
00:23:36.04\00:23:42.12
church is a bias placed upon the
Bible that now makes God's love
not an equally loving everyone
00:23:42.12\00:23:52.29
and trying to save everyone, but
now, God loves some more than
00:23:52.29\00:23:59.50
others, determining in advance
who will and who will not be
saved. So let's...We have just
00:23:59.50\00:24:05.67
a few minutes left here. So
let's go to a text that talks
about God's love of everyone.
00:24:05.67\00:24:11.98
So what's a text that you would
like to go to in talking about
00:24:11.98\00:24:15.02
that. >> There are many texts.
The first one that we should go
00:24:15.02\00:24:17.75
to, and you'll tell me how
many we can go to, John 3:16. >>
00:24:17.75\00:24:20.72
Okay. >> This is the most famous
text in the Bible, John 3:16. We
00:24:20.72\00:24:25.86
know it by heart. Probably
many who are watching... >> Yes.
00:24:25.86\00:24:28.63
>> ...today know this
text by heart. John 3:16,
00:24:28.63\00:24:34.17
often we know it so well, and
this happens with a lot of text
00:24:34.17\00:24:38.11
in the Bible, we know it so
well, we just read over it and
don't realize the full
00:24:38.11\00:24:42.11
significance of what is being
said there, but John 3:16, "For
God so loved the world
00:24:42.11\00:24:47.32
that He gave his only begotten
Son, that whoever"... What's
00:24:47.32\00:24:54.29
that word? >> Whoever, that's
everybody. Whoever... >> Yes.
00:24:54.29\00:24:57.09
>> ..."whoever believes in
him should not perish but have
00:24:57.09\00:25:02.53
everlasting life." So He loves
the world. That is a statement
of totality, and whoever
00:25:02.53\00:25:08.97
believes in Him will be saved,
and if we were to keep reading
in John 3, you would see that
00:25:08.97\00:25:12.94
the reason in the text that
anyone is lost is because they
have not accepted salvation
00:25:12.94\00:25:18.15
through Christ, not because of
a decision of God, and there are
00:25:18.15\00:25:21.65
many other texts that teach this
view that God wants to save
everyone. >> Well, and it's
00:25:21.65\00:25:25.12
interesting because verse 17,
which is, I often say, everyone
00:25:25.12\00:25:29.29
quotes John 3:16. >> That's
right. That's right. >> But
00:25:29.29\00:25:31.29
verse 17 follows, "For God did
not send his Son into the world
to condemn the world"...
00:25:31.29\00:25:34.46
>> That's right. >> ..."but that
the world through him might be
00:25:34.46\00:25:37.10
saved," and that word saved
there is a real interesting
00:25:37.10\00:25:40.17
Greek word, sozo, that talks
about healing both not
spiritually, just spiritually,
00:25:40.17\00:25:44.37
but physically, mentally,
emotionally, and so this is a
00:25:44.37\00:25:49.48
powerful way in which we can end
this program here that we talk
00:25:49.48\00:25:54.62
about God sent his Son because
He loved everyone, whosoever,
00:25:54.62\00:26:00.06
not to condemn but to save, to
bring healing. So in this last
00:26:00.06\00:26:05.33
minute that we have left, Dr.
Peckham, share with us one
thought that we can leave
00:26:05.33\00:26:10.03
our audience with today. >>
Yeah. It is this thought that
00:26:10.03\00:26:14.60
God really wants to save us. He
wants to have a love
relationship with us.
00:26:14.60\00:26:19.04
2 Peter 3:9 says He's
not willing that anyone would
00:26:19.04\00:26:22.91
perish, but He wants everyone to
come to repentance, and God is
00:26:22.91\00:26:26.68
doing everything He can to save
everyone He can because He loves
00:26:26.68\00:26:31.75
you. He loves me. He loves
everyone watching today, and so
if one even has the
00:26:31.75\00:26:37.06
smallest inkling that they want
a relationship with this God, He
is reaching out to you.
00:26:37.06\00:26:41.00
He's calling to you to have a
relationship of love with Him.
>> Dr. Peckham, thank you
00:26:41.00\00:26:46.50
so much for sharing. We are all
out of time, and so we're going
00:26:46.50\00:26:51.91
to leave folks with a little bit
of a cliff hanger, but next
week, we're going to
00:26:51.91\00:26:55.28
continue this discussion
and probe who this God of love
00:26:55.28\00:27:01.55
really is. Let's close with a
word of prayer. Heavenly Father,
00:27:01.55\00:27:06.45
we are so thankful that You
are love. Even in saying that,
00:27:06.45\00:27:14.00
we don't even understand really
the minutest bit of what or how
00:27:14.00\00:27:21.00
far that love really goes, but,
Lord, as we study Your Word,
00:27:21.00\00:27:26.47
we see that this love is
overflowing toward each of us.
00:27:26.47\00:27:31.81
Today we want to respond to
that love, reach out our hand
00:27:31.81\00:27:35.58
of faith and say, "We
want a relationship with You."
00:27:35.58\00:27:40.49
Please guide us in this journey.
We pray in Jesus' name. Amen.
00:27:40.49\00:27:47.00
>> Amen. >> God is
love. For many of us,
00:27:47.00\00:27:54.00
it's hard to grasp what that
really means. For some of us,
00:27:54.00\00:27:58.01
it's hard to believe that it can
be true, but what we are finding
as we have started this journey
00:27:58.01\00:28:05.71
is that God loves everyone and
desires to be in a relationship
00:28:05.71\00:28:13.89
with everyone. Today, I want to
offer you the book "God's Love
for Man." This study will help
00:28:13.89\00:28:19.69
you as you read to dive deeper
into that love that God has
toward you as an individual.
00:28:19.69\00:28:27.04
It'll lead you to understand
His love, to receive His love
00:28:27.04\00:28:33.11
and to reciprocate that love.
Here's the information you need
to receive today's offer.
00:28:33.11\00:28:40.48
>> To request
today's offer, just log on to
00:28:40.48\00:28:43.59
www.ItIsWrittenCanada.ca.
If you prefer, you may call
00:28:43.59\00:28:49.12
toll free at 1-888-CALL-IIW.
>> Dear friend, I hope that you
00:28:49.12\00:28:55.90
have been blessed by today's
program. Dr. John Peckham, thank
you so much for being a part
00:28:55.90\00:29:00.90
and giving us insight into
this love of God. >> Thank you,
00:29:00.90\00:29:06.44
Chris. >> Friend, I
want to encourage you
00:29:06.44\00:29:07.91
to go to our
website, ItIsWrittenCanada.ca.
00:29:07.91\00:29:11.61
There, you will be
able to find more resources
00:29:11.61\00:29:14.98
to help you in this
journey of understanding
00:29:14.98\00:29:18.72
who this God of love
is and how much He desires
00:29:18.72\00:29:22.42
to have a relationship with you.
I also want to encourage you
00:29:22.42\00:29:26.09
to like our Facebook page.
There, you can keep up with
00:29:26.09\00:29:29.60
what's happening in the ministry
and receive inspirational quotes
00:29:29.60\00:29:34.57
to help you to love God more.
Thank you so much for watching.
I encourage you to watch again
00:29:34.57\00:29:41.24
next week. Until then,
remember, it is written:
00:29:41.24\00:29:45.38
"Man shall not live by bread
alone, but by every word that
00:29:45.38\00:29:50.65
proceeds from
the mouth of God." い
00:29:50.65\00:30:01.20