All false doctrines use a twist when it comes to backing them up with scripture, and the “Love God, love people” doctrine is no exception to that same pattern.
Oh sure there are verses that are used today to support false doctrines, but it’s mainly the verses that are never mentioned that prove them false. Therefore, the only people who can be tricked by a man’s doctrine are those who do not know what their Bible really says.
Let’s take 1 John 4:20-21 (below) as an example.
1 John 4:20-21 If someone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen, how can he love God whom he has not seen? 21 And this commandment we have from Him: that he who loves God must love his brother also. NKJV
Whoever loves God, must also love his brother. Okay, but where is the twist?
The twist is in the redefining of who a Christian brother is. If you have been taught that everyone who walks into a church building claiming to be a Christ follower is your brother, then you have been duped.
Jesus Christ explains in detail who His brothers and sisters are in Mark 3:31-35 (below).
Mark 3:31-35 Then His brothers and His mother came, and standing outside they sent to Him, calling Him. 32 And a multitude was sitting around Him; and they said to Him, “Look, Your mother and Your brothers are outside seeking You.”
33 But He answered them, saying, “Who is My mother, or My brothers?” 34 And He looked around in a circle at those who sat about Him, and said, “Here are My mother and My brothers! 35 For whoever does the will of God is My brother and My sister and mother.” NKJV
This is one of the many passages of scripture that you will not hear preached today because everyone who attends a church service does not “do the will of God,” but every paying customer is needed to pay the bills. So, what do the unrighteous do? They suppress the truth (Romans 1:18).
Jesus clearly explains who His brothers and sisters are. So, when He commands us to love one another, which is a new commandment (John 13:34-35), He is talking about one disciples loving another disciple.
How can we be sure? Well, we would have to read another passage of scripture that false teachers never preach.
1 Corinthians 5:9-13 I wrote to you in my epistle not to keep company with sexually immoral people. 10 Yet I certainly did not mean with the sexually immoral people of this world, or with the covetous, or extortioners, or idolaters, since then you would need to go out of the world. 11 But now I have written to you not to keep company with anyone named a brother, who is sexually immoral, or covetous, or an idolater, or a reviler, or a drunkard, or an extortioner — not even to eat with such a person.
Is there one church left in this country that obeys God Word in that passage of scripture? I don’t believe there is, but all have turned away from the whole truth as predicted by 2 Timothy 4:3-4.
Part of God’s will is for us to avoid sexual immorality (1 Thessalonians 4:3-5), and in the passage above we are instructed by God, not to even eat with anyone who calls himself a brother that is caught up in such sins.
Think of it this way. If what Jesus declared in Matthew 7:21 comes to pass, then the only brothers and sisters we will have in Heaven are the ones who do the will of God on earth.
Matthew 7:21 “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. NKJV
If the passages of scripture above were preached, as well as many others that are ignored in this country, then Christians would know that the phrase “love people” could not possibly mean that we can ignore how our Christian brothers live. That’s deception.
2 Thessalonians 3:6 But we command you, brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you withdraw from every brother who walks disorderly and not according to the tradition which he received from us. NKJV
2 Thessalonians 3:14 And if anyone does not obey our word in this epistle, note that person and do not keep company with him, that he may be ashamed. NKJV
Those who remain under sin’s control will quickly say things like, “He who is without sin, cast the first stone!” However, get this and let it sink in.
It’s not the person who turns a sinner back to the truth, that is casting a stone (James 5:19-20, below). No, it’s the false teachers who suppress the truth, and make Christians believe a lie that are killing millions today all for the sake of dishonest gain.
James 5:19-20 Brethren, if anyone among you wanders from the truth, and someone turns him back, 20 let him know that he who turns a sinner from the error of his way will save a soul from death and cover a multitude of sins. NKJV
Notice that passage of scripture reveals that a brother can indeed wander away from the truth to the point of losing his soul, if someone doesn’t turn him back. That one passage alone should reveal to you that “once saved, always saved” is also deception that millions of Christians have swallowed hook, line, and sinker.
Many who have been sucked in by false teachers say, “Don’t judge me!” They have no idea that the church is supposed to judge the church (1 Cor 5:12-13, below). Why? Again, the whole truth is never preached in this country, and millions don’t know that the truth is being suppressed because they don’t know the truth for themselves.
1 Corinthians 5:12 For what have I to do with judging those also who are outside? Do you not judge those who are inside? 13 But those who are outside God judges. Therefore “put away from yourselves the evil person.” NKJV
Even if we decided to just “Love God, and love people” there are scriptures that explain how to do that.
1 John 5:2-3 By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and keep His commandments. 3 For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome. NKJV
Loving God is not a matter of loving yourself or feeling warm and fuzzy about yourself. Loving God has to do with keeping His commands, and not making a fuss about it; not burdensome (troublesome).
When I am teaching this, so many people ask questions about themselves, and say things like, “I can’t love other people until I love myself.” That’s what they have been taught, but that’s wrong.
Anyone who feeds himself, loves himself enough to do what God is asking him to do.
Ephesians 5:29 For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as the Lord does the church. NKJV
Imagine if Noah had received the instructions that God has given us instead of having to build the ark. Do you think he would have obeyed God if God told him to “put away the evil person” (1 Cor 5:13 above)? What about Abraham, David, or Daniel? God expects us to live by His Word too.
Matthew 4:4 But He answered and said, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.'” NKJV
Our instructions are not to do nothing until we feel like we love ourselves, or to do nothing until we feel that God loves us. Our instructions have nothing to do with feelings.
We love because He first loved us, and He has already proven that He loves us by sending His Son our Lord Jesus Christ. So, what are we waiting on?
Our instructions are to deny ourself. Is that going to make us “feel” loved? Nope! Our instructions are to pick up our cross and follow Jesus! Is that going to make us “feel” loved? Nope!
Matthew 16:24-25 Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. 25 For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it. NKJV
Listen to what Jesus said according to John 12:25-26 (below), and just accept it, and believe it like it is written. After you know the truth for yourself, then you will be able to recognize false teachers (Ephesians 4:13-14).
John 12:25-26 He who loves his life will lose it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. 26 If anyone serves Me, let him follow Me; and where I am, there My servant will be also. If anyone serves Me, him My Father will honor. NKJV
Our problem is that we’re trying to keep our flesh alive and serve God at the same time, but that’s not going to work, and it was never intended to be that way. We can’t love this world and keep the love of God in our hearts.
1 John 2:15 Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. NKJV
That’s the reason why most Christians cannot love their brother. They love this world, and they welcome the world’s ways right into the church. In doing so, they never learn to deny themselves.
God placed His love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit.
Romans 5:5 Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us. NKJV
The love of God in our hearts is what makes us love our brothers.
1 John 3:16-19 By this we know love, because He laid down His life for us. And we also ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. 17 But whoever has this world’s goods, and sees his brother in need, and shuts up his heart from him, how does the love of God abide in him? 18 My little children, let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed and in truth. 19 And by this we know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts before Him. NKJV
Notice that verse 17 above is worded in such a way as to say that if the love of God was in us, we would help our brother, who is in need. That’s how we know that we belong to the truth according to verse 19 above.
It’s not a matter of trying to love, but “if” the love of God was in our hearts, and we saw “our brother” in need, we would help him, point, blank, period. We’ve got to learn how to keep ourselves in the love of God (Jude 1:21), or abide in His love by obeying Him (John 15:9-10).
When God saved us, He poured out His Spirit upon us (Titus 3:6-7), and the Holy Spirit poured God’s love in our hearts (Romans 5:5). The love of God in us made us love our brothers, and it also makes us distance ourselves from the things of this world (1 John 2:15).
God, Himself gave us exactly what we needed to live the Christian life. So, what happened? We turned away from God’s Word and embraced well-trained men, who told us what we wanted to hear in keeping with 2 Timothy 4:3-4.
The solution; Repent and return to the Lord our God in keeping with His Word. Let us deny ourselves and obey Jesus, so that we will have the God-given ability to do what He has commanded us to do.
Those who teach the “love God, love people” doctrine without mentioning these verses are surely deceivers. Repent and return to the Lord!
I’m alan ballou; a servant
Thank you for your thoughts. I struggle with sexual sin and, whilst I am better now than I was in the past, it still lingers. Despite my inadequate attempts to stay pure, it seems I am going to hell. Other areas in which I struggle include; getting angry when I am driving and someone does something to annoy me, finding it difficult to forgive, myself and others. At other times it feels difficult to get into the Word. I also am inconsistent when it comes to treating my body as a temple. In short, I fail on so many levels. After reading your thoughts, it seems that the God who started a good work in me is not going to see it through to completion and that my efforts are insufficient. How depressing. Tell me, what’s it like to be pure and never sin? How did you attain this level of consistent belief and action? If indeed you do sin, like Paul said, then why are you not going to hell as well?
What’s a solution? Should I seek to live a perfect life for a week and then end my life? At least then I would avoid losing my salvation and die perfect. Or should I go and live in a monastery and avoid the world? Or, if my heart is the thing that makes me sin, should I cut it out and exist via a machine?
I would sincerely like to know what you think. Thank you.
Hey Gary. You asked what’s it like to be pure? I get that type of question a lot here lately, but I have never said that I am pure, or sinless, or perfect yet. By the grace of God, I don’t have a habit of sinning, and by the grace of God I have been delivered from the things you mentioned, plus many more, but I don’t consider myself perfect yet, because I know I can fall any day. The biggest difference I have noticed between me and many of the people that I have ministered to is that I simply believe every Word of God, and I don’t fill my mind with anything but scripture. When we mix the wisdom of words, or worldly wisdom with the Gospel, it makes the cross of Christ of no effect (1 Corinthians 1:17). So, there is no power. Most of the people I minister to, know what to do, but they do not have the power, or the ability to carry it out. That’s the main reason. They have filled their minds with worldly wisdom from someone a well trained preacher, but they don’t know the actual Word of God. The power to sanctify us in conduct is already in the Word! You shall know the truth, and the truth shall set you free from being a slave to sin (John 8:31-36). Sanctify them by Your truth, Your Word is truth (John 17:17). We’ve been in church for years, and yet we still don’t know scripture, but somebody’s worldly explanation of scripture. Our instructions are to shun profane (worldly, fleshly) babblings (sayings) because they will increase to more ungodliness (2 Timothy 2:16), but we refuse todo that. By the grace of God, I have been delivered from all the things you have mentioned, and I gained access to grace, through faith (Romans 5:1-2), and faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God (Romans 10:17), and that’s what I do every day. I simply listen to the Word of God all day, every day, and it’s working for me just like it is written in my NKJV Bible. Therefore, I totally refuse to fill my mind with what a well trained preacher thinks regardless of how wise he may seem. Try that. I ran into a guy last week who used to know me 40 years ago. He walked into the homeless shelter to donate something while I was teaching, and he said, “Wow, if God can use you, He can use anybody!” I didn’t really look at myself like that, but he was right. If God will do this for me, I don’t see a reason why He wouldn’t do it for you, or the worst sinner in your town.
The most disappointing part of this article is how you twisted the text yourself. You misrepresented 1 Corinthians 5. The point was that there was open sin IN THE CHURCH! That should be unacceptable. However, Jesus regularly ate with publicans and sinners and typically the pharisees responded much like you did. Even the passage you used in I Corinthians seems to echo this thought in verse 13. “But them that are without, God judgeth.” Jesus also summarized the law and prophets by saying that there were 2 commandments of loving God and loving our neighbor. Like you said, Luke 10 describes this transaction, and your response echos the priest’s and Levite’s.
You said “The point was that there was open sin in the church,” and that should be unacceptable. Is that not what I have said, and what 1 Corinthians chapter 5 says? So how have I misrepresented it? Jesus ate with sinners to call sinners to repentance (Luke 5:32), and He told them that what they were doing is wrong (John 7:7). So in what way does the term “Jesus ate with sinners” change 1 Corinthians 5:13, “Put away the evil person from among you,” and 1 Corinthians 5:11, “Do not keep company with a brother who is sexually immoral, covetous, an idolater, a reviler, or a drunk,” or 1 Corinthians 5:7, “purge out the old leaven?” You obviously do not know the scriptures. Jesus came to destroy the work of the devil in us (1 John 3:8), and to redeem us from every lawless deed (Titus 2:14). He came to bless us in turning us away from our sins (Acts 3:26), and He ate with sinners to do just that. We eat with sinners so that we can add to the number of paying customers, and never mention anything about turning from sin. Let us repent and return to the Lord our God!
You said that “Jesus summarized the law” in Luke 10 by saying that there are two commandments, and indeed you are correct. However, the law is not made for the righteous (1 Timothy 1:9) and it is not the Gospel (1 Timothy 1:9-11). Jesus covenant is a new covenant (Luke 22:20), and it was placed into effect after His death (Hebrews 9:15-17). Jesus is the end of the law for those who believe (Romans 10:4), since righteousness cannot be obtained through the laws of Moses (Galatians 2:16-21), without obeying the whole law (Romans 2:13), which none of us can do (Romans 3:10). Therefore, those who remain under the law will not make it into the Kingdom of Heaven (Matthew 5:20) because the inheritance depends on the righteousness of faith (Romans 4:13-15). This means that if you continue the path that you are on, then you too will be among the millions of Christians today that are hell bound and don’t know it because you rely on the teachings of men rather than the Word of God. Test the scriptures and know that I have spoken in accordance with what is written. If you would ask a question, I would answer you without rebuke, but since you say that you can see, and yet you are blind, your sin remains (John 9:39-41). Farewell
Wow, great job taking a ridiculous amount of time debunking the horrible “Love God, love people” suggestion. I feel many will be drawn to Jesus because of this. smh
And what is the definition of neighbor? We are to love God and to love our neighbor as ourself.
The definition of neighbor and “how” we are supposed to love our neighbor is found in Luke 10:29-37 and it does not change what I have written in this article. Many Christians follow the verses they like to hear and ignore the ones they don’t. Believing God in Luke 10:29-37 does not mean that it is OK to ignore God in 2 Thessalonians 3:6, 14, or 1 Corinthians 5:9-13. Doing so is called “straining out a gnat and swallowing a camel,” which all of the hypocrites do. Farewell