In 1 John, the Apostle John is writing to clarify the true gospel from the false gospels spreading through the early church. His first point is God is holy and you are not (1 John 1:5-10).
If modern scholars were writing such a letter today, I suspect their first point would be “God is love.”
Yet it is misleading to teach a gospel that implies “God loves you just the way you are.” It is more accurate to say, “God loves you in spite of who you are.”
While it is true God loves you, the message of the gospel is God loved you even though you are sinful. God loves you enough to die for you while you are in rebellion to Him, and deserving of His judgment (Romans 5:6-10). To teach that God loves you without also teaching God is holy and you are not is a misleading gospel. The problem of our sinfulness must be solved.
The message of the gospel is not “love wins”. The message of the gospel is “Jesus saves.”
Any gospel which minimizes our sinfulness before a holy God is not the true gospel.
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