Does God love everyone?

[B-A-C]

I think God loves almost everyone, but does He love everyone?
I'm not so sure.

Prov 8:17; - God says I love those.. "who love me" so what about those who don't love Him?

God says he will punish even the children (to the 3rd and 4th generation) those who hate Him. ( Deut 5:9; )

Romans 1:30; talks about "haters of God" - it goes on to say "those who practice such things are worthy of death" (Rom 1:32; )

In Malachi 1:3; and Rom 9:13; it says God hated Esau... why did he hate Esau?
Heb 12:16; says he was immoral and godless. He sold his own birthright for a single meal.

In a way, we have a birthright also. We have an "inheritance" (Acts 20:32; Acts 26:18; Eph 1:11; etc.. )
John 1:12; says we have the "right" to be called the sons of God - to those who "receive Him" but
what about those who do not receive Him or give away their inheritance? Give away their birthright
so to speak. When we are "born again" (birthed again) we have a new birthright. But if we give it
away like Esau.. does God still love us?

I think God loves sinners... those who are ignorant about Him, but seeking Him.
Rom 5:8; says while we were "still sinners" God demonstrated His love for us. (Sending Jesus to die for us)

But what about those who are not ignorant, what about those who have heard of God/Jesus and know
the Bible and reject it? Does God still love them?

Is there any verse in the Bible that says God loves everyone, all the time, unconditionally?
I have not found it yet.

John 14:21; Jesus says.. "the one who keeps my commandments is the one who loves me"
"He who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will will love him"

But what those who don't keep his commandments? Does Jesus still love them? ( Prov 8:17; )

1 Jn 5:3; For this is the love of God. that we keep His commandments....

Now keeping the commandments may not be required to get to heaven ( often debated )
but it seems keeping the commandments is a requirement for God to love you.

John 15:10; says "If you keep my commandments, you will remain in my love"...

This goes both ways... we can say we love God/Jesus, and that's all fine and good but...

John 14:15; Joh 14:21; John 15:10; 1 Jn 5:2-3; 2 Jn 1:6; .. the proof is in the pudding so to speak.

 

[amadeus2]

Perhaps very simply God loves life and hates death. Everyone born of woman has a little bit of life [John 1:9] and so God loves them while hating all of the death in them [the second part being by far the largest. If and when a person increases the Life that he has by embracing the Son [Jesus] then God will love him all the more: "He must increase, but I must decrease." John 3:30

On the other hand, when a person puts out that little bit of light [the candle of the Lord or the spirit of man] with which he started as Esau did when he rejected that which was his as the 1st born son. So then what would be left to love?

"For whosoever hath, to him shall be given, and he shall have more abundance: but whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken away even that he hath." Matt 13:12 [What is taken away is that little bit of light as per John 1:9 that not enough for salvation, but is necessary to see where salvation is.]

That little light from natural birth is also seen here:

"The spirit of man is the candle of the LORD, searching all the inward parts of the belly." Prov 20:27

And here we see how it may be put out by wickedness:

"For there shall be no reward to the evil man; the candle of the wicked shall be put out." Prov 24:20

But a virtuous person, one who loves God should keep their light lit:

"She perceiveth that her merchandise is good: her candle goeth not out by night." Prov 31:1

Before we meet Jesus our light is too little to do anything but find the greater Light...

"As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world." John 9:5

But the time may come for someone who works while it is day so that Jesus may say of us and to us:

"Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid." Matt 5:14

So then does not God love every one who still has at least that little light, the candle of the Lord with which each of us begins before we even know God and His Son?

 

[HisFollower]

[for me anyway] not according to the Lord Jesus Christ as you have mentioned in (John 14:21): for Christ tells us plain and clear whom the Father "shall" love, and whom Christ Himself "will" love, is the one that submit to and rely's upon His Word, because according to the Lord Jesus that is the person that actually loves Him. It is a matter of who does actually make the sincere effort to do the things which He says, and not with feelings: if we actually do believe, then we will indeed make the sincere effort to do the things which He says; but if we actually believe not, we will not make the sincere effort. It is a matter of who is truly listening to what Christ is actually saying, just as was with Moses and the rock, who did not listen the second time to exactly what the instruction was that God told him, which is exactly why he could not enter into the promise land. Again Christ is telling us exactly when His Father and He Himself will love a person, and we ought not to think that it is any other way than what He says.

 

[B-A-C]

Mal 1:3; but I have hated Esau, and I have made his mountains a desolation and appointed his inheritance for the jackals of the wilderness."
Rom 9:13; Just as it is written, "JACOB I LOVED, BUT ESAU I HATED."

There are a few verses in the Bible that says God hated Esau. But why? Did He just randomly pick Esau as someone to hate, or did Esau do something to cause it?

Heb 12:16; that there be no immoral or godless person like Esau, who sold his own birthright for a single meal.

No one ever seems to want to talk about this, but if we are "joint-heirs" with Jesus, ( Rom 8:17; Jas 2:5; ) and we decide to sell our inheritance, will God still love us?

 

[Dave M]

telling the people what they need to here is never as popular as telling the people what they want to here. Seems God words warns us about that also

 

[KingJ]

Does God love everyone?

Yes he does. He can only love as He is love 1 John 4:8 Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love. Please meditate on this verse.

I utterly disagree with your OP.

We know God is love because He is kind, patient, caring, long-suffering, good, righteous, just. Because He tells us to love even our enemies Matt 5:44.

Now in our vocabulary we know someone is hateful because they show the signs of hate. Which are harassment, unkind words, bully, torture, racist, partial. God is NONE of these!

We have the word wrong. Hate in scripture only means ''displeased''.

You leave the door wide open for the reader to assume the absolute worst about God. Please don't do that.

If I said Mother Theresa hated someone, everyone would conclude she was merely very displeased with said person. Not that she would now as Sadam Hussein did when he hated the Kurds, gas the woman and children and watch them die slowly over a week.

Please better clarify yourself and stop painting God as the devil or a mix of good and evil. God has not got a dark side. He is light with NO darkness in Him at all 1 John 1:5. Hate as we know it, is wicked.

 

[Brother-Paul]

I think God loves almost everyone, but does He love everyone?
I'm not so sure.

Prov 8:17; - God says I love those.. "who love me" so what about those who don't love Him?

God is our Father in Heaven, He is a caring and loving father, but children, as we know, can be disobedient and have to be punished.

So God gave us a set of rules to show His Love and how we should live.

Now back to Proverbs 8:17, I have five children, two love me and I love them. Due to by faith the others have gone their way, they reject me, does that mean I only love those who love me, No.

The Word tells us clearly of the prodigal son, all who have rejected God the Father are prodigals, He loves them, He loves all His lost children, not just the ones that love Him. The scripture is not wrong, it is right, but I feel the statement is incomplete, though no doubt in context in Proverbs 8.

Bless you.

 

[Brother-Paul]

I think God loves sinners... those who are ignorant about Him, but seeking Him.
Rom 5:8; says while we were "still sinners" God demonstrated His love for us. (Sending Jesus to die for us)

But what about those who are not ignorant, what about those who have heard of God/Jesus and know
the Bible and reject it? Does God still love them?

Is there any verse in the Bible that says God loves everyone, all the time, unconditionally?
I have not found it yet.

We are all God's children, but only the saved are children of God.

The Word refers to lost souls as belonging to sin, 'the world' and the devil

The world therefore being the lost souls, God's children, the prodigals, the lost, the sinners.

John 3:16-17 (NKJV)
16 For God so loved the world (the people he created) that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.
17 For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.

Matthew 18:14 (NKJV)
14 Even so it is not the will of your Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones should perish.

God loves the world, He loves everyone, but He doesn't want any to perish, but He knows many will be, because they refuse to accept His one and only son who died for their sins.

Bless you

 

[Brother-Paul]

Now keeping the commandments may not be required to get to heaven ( often debated )
but it seems keeping the commandments is a requirement for God to love you.

John 15:10; says "If you keep my commandments, you will remain in my love"...

This goes both ways... we can say we love God/Jesus, and that's all fine and good but...

John 14:15; Joh 14:21; John 15:10; 1 Jn 5:2-3; 2 Jn 1:6; .. the proof is in the pudding so to speak.

How can we be saved? we can say with our lips we love God/Jesus, and that's all fine and good but...

Romans 10:8-13 (NKJV)
8 But what does it say? "The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart" (that is, the word of faith which we preach):
9 that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.
10 For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.
11 For the Scripture says, "Whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame."
12 For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, for the same Lord over all is rich to all who call upon Him.
13 For "whoever calls on the name of the LORD shall be saved."

The proof is in the pudding, is from the lips and the heart as we speak.

 

[Dave M]

You leave the door wide open for the reader to assume the absolute worst about God. Please don't do that.

Actually you are very confused about what it means to be a righteous and perfect God. You seem to want a God that will let you do anything you want and not have to pay the consequences for your actions. You seem not to understand the God gives us his word, and those that follow his word and believe will have eternal life, and those that do not will have eternal punishment. we are in a eternal game here on earth.

Wrath of God is what you seem to want to sweep under the rug that is so so very wrong. we have to warn those that do not obey they will suffer eternally.

The OT is full of examples of this, God punishes Isreal time and time again for there disobedience, Jesus tellls us what hell will be like for those that dont obey him, yet you want people to believe they will not suffer, that is wrong wrong and wrong.............. we have given you scripture over and over again and you deny it. I pray you eyes will be open.

 

[Dave M]

Romans 1:18
For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth.

John 3:36
Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him.

Romans 12:17-21
Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all. If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.” To the contrary, “if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.” Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

Ezekiel 25:17
I will execute great vengeance on them with wrathful rebukes. Then they will know that I am the Lord, when I lay my vengeance upon them.”

Isaiah 26:21
For behold, the Lord is coming out from his place to punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity, and the earth will disclose the blood shed on it, and will no more cover its slain.

Nahum 1:2-6
The Lord is a jealous and avenging God; the Lord is avenging and wrathful; the Lord takes vengeance on his adversaries and keeps wrath for his enemies. The Lord is slow to anger and great in power, and the Lord will by no means clear the guilty. His way is in whirlwind and storm, and the clouds are the dust of his feet. He rebukes the sea and makes it dry; he dries up all the rivers; Bashan and Carmel wither; the bloom of Lebanon withers. The mountains quake before him; the hills melt; the earth heaves before him, the world and all who dwell in it. Who can stand before his indignation? Who can endure the heat of his anger? His wrath is poured out like fire, and the rocks are broken into pieces by him.

 

[Dave M]

Because He tells us to love even our enemies

you clearly dont understand and are blind and deceived and should not be on here trying to teach but to learn, just because he tells us something does not mean it applies to himself

Romans 12:17-21
Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all. If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.” To the contrary, “if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.” Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

 

[KingJ]

you clearly dont understand and are blind and deceived and should not be on here trying to teach but to learn, just because he tells us something does not mean it applies to himself

Romans 12:17-21
Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all. If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.” To the contrary, “if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.” Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

I am up for learning and believe I am teachable. But on this topic you and BAC are simply out of line and seemingly clueless on who God is.

God is not a hypocrite that would tell us to love our enemies when He hates His.....
The fact that we are to leave vengeance to God is .....a separate matter. Are you truly suggesting that when God gets vengeance He is now ''hateful''?

 

[KingJ]

Actually you are very confused about what it means to be a righteous and perfect God. You seem to want a God that will let you do anything you want and not have to pay the consequences for your actions.

Not true. Please quote me.

Wrath of God is what you seem to want to sweep under the rug that is so so very wrong. we have to warn those that do not obey they will suffer eternally.

I don't want to sweep the wrath of God under the rug. I teach His wrath, we cannot miss it. So many scriptures on it. What I do want to do though is to ''''properly''''' represent Him in those scriptures that do speak to His wrath as you and BAC are NOT doing!

The OT is full of examples of this, God punishes Isreal time and time again for there disobedience, Jesus tellls us what hell will be like for those that dont obey him, yet you want people to believe they will not suffer, that is wrong wrong and wrong.............. we have given you scripture over and over again and you deny it. I pray you eyes will be open.

Simply not true. Again, please quote me. I have replied to all your posts in this thread What to expect in Hell. Dealt with all your posts. You have not with mine. You keep to your view of ''God is a mix of good and evil''. You seem unable to grasp that torture is wicked, when I can guarantee you that outside of a few Christians blindly defending God, the entire world knows this. Literally every person on the planet would associate torture with evil. It is ignorance and miss-representation of God at the highest level!

If I were a mod here I would ask you and BAC to better explain the controversial verses and not espouse God as one who hates. Of course there is vengeance and wrath of God. But wrath from a good God. God is not a chameleon who turns into the devil. He is righteous in all His ways Psalm 145:17.

 

[Brother-Paul]

God is not a hypocrite that would tell us to love our enemies when He hates His.....

Matthew 5:43-48 (NKJV)
43 "You have heard that it was said, 'You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.'
44 But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you,
45 that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.
46 For if you love those who love you, what reward have you? Do not even the tax collectors do the same?
47 And if you greet your brethren only, what do you do more than others? Do not even the tax collectors do so?
48 Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect.

Luke 6:27-31 (NKJV)
27 "But I say to you who hear: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you,
28 bless those who curse you, and pray for those who spitefully use you.
29 To him who strikes you on the one cheek, offer the other also. And from him who takes away your cloak, do not withhold your tunic either.
30 Give to everyone who asks of you. And from him who takes away your goods do not ask them back.
31 And just as you want men to do to you, you also do to them likewise.

 

[B-A-C]

God is not a hypocrite that would tell us to love our enemies when He hates His.....

You are not God. The Bible tells us to worship God. Does it tell us to worship you?
The Bible says God will judge the unrighteous. Does it says you will judge them?
God died in the cross for our sins. Did you die on the cross?
Jesus was sinless, all His life. Are you sinless?

Everything that God is or does, doesn't necessarily apply to you.

Heb 10:27; but a terrifying expectation of judgment and THE FURY OF A FIRE WHICH WILL CONSUME THE ADVERSARIES.
Heb 10:31; It is a terrifying thing to fall into the hands of the living God.

Rom 12:19; Never take your own revenge, beloved, but leave room for the wrath of God, for it is written, "VENGEANCE IS MINE, I WILL REPAY," says the Lord.

Gen 6:13; Then God said to Noah, "The end of all flesh has come before Me; for the earth is filled with violence because of them; and behold, I am about to destroy them with the earth.

1 Sam 15:3; 'Now go and strike Amalek and utterly destroy all that he has, and do not spare him; but put to death both man and woman, child and infant, ox and sheep, camel and donkey.'"

Psa 145:20; The LORD keeps all who love Him, But all the wicked He will destroy.

There are literally over a hundred verses like the one above.

People who thik God is a namby pamby, marshmallow god are going to be in for a surprise.

 

[Brother-Paul]

The OT is full of examples of this, God punishes Isreal time and time again for there disobedience, Jesus tellls us what hell will be like for those that dont obey him, yet you want people to believe they will not suffer, that is wrong wrong and wrong.............. we have given you scripture over and over again and you deny it. I pray you eyes will be open.

Your reply

Simply not true. Again, please quote me. I have replied to all your posts in this thread What to expect in Hell. Dealt with all your posts. You have not with mine. You keep to your view of ''God is a mix of good and evil''. You seem unable to grasp that torture is wicked, when I can guarantee you that outside of a few Christians blindly defending God, the entire world knows this. Literally every person on the planet would associate torture with evil. It is ignorance and miss-representation of God at the highest level!

If I were a mod here I would ask you and BAC to better explain why you are espousing a God who HATES and a God who is wicked plus. Of course there is vengeance and wrath of God. But wrath from a good God. God is not a chameleon who turns into the devil in the hereafter. He is righteous in all His ways Psalm 145:17.

I have replied to a statement you previously made regarding God punishing humans. I agree with brother @Dave M, the OT is full of examples of God punishing the Jews, but as mention previously He also punished others, Pharaoh's army was wiped out in the Red Sea, look at what happened at Sodom and Gomorrah, we also have the Great flood when the only ones Saved were Noah and seven members of his family. God has given the warnings, we are to take Him at His Word. The wicked have been punished, the wicked will be punished. God is a loving God, a loving Father, there is nothing wicked in Him. He doesn't want any to be lost, but those who are wicked and reject Him will pay the price, there is no reason for any to be lost, we are given the same chance, but if we don't accept Him, accept Jesus, if we don't repent and are not born again, we will pay the price for our sins.

 

[KingJ]

You are not God. The Bible tells us to worship God. Does it tell us to worship you?
The Bible says God will judge the unrighteous. Does it says you will judge them?
God died in the cross for our sins. Did you die on the cross?
Jesus was sinless, all His life. Are you sinless?

Everything that God is or does, doesn't necessarily apply to you.

Heb 10:27; but a terrifying expectation of judgment and THE FURY OF A FIRE WHICH WILL CONSUME THE ADVERSARIES.
Heb 10:31; It is a terrifying thing to fall into the hands of the living God.

Rom 12:19; Never take your own revenge, beloved, but leave room for the wrath of God, for it is written, "VENGEANCE IS MINE, I WILL REPAY," says the Lord.

Gen 6:13; Then God said to Noah, "The end of all flesh has come before Me; for the earth is filled with violence because of them; and behold, I am about to destroy them with the earth.

1 Sam 15:3; 'Now go and strike Amalek and utterly destroy all that he has, and do not spare him; but put to death both man and woman, child and infant, ox and sheep, camel and donkey.'"

Psa 145:20; The LORD keeps all who love Him, But all the wicked He will destroy.

There are literally over a hundred verses like the one above.

People who thik God is a namby pamby, marshmallow god are going to be in for a surprise.

Vengeance is God's because only God can dish out truly just and righteous punishment.

We....know......He......destroys.....the......wicked. It was what any good God would do. It is what you and I would do. We sentence rapists and serial killers to death or life imprisonment. Exactly..... the same as God....is going to do.

What will be terrifying is that His judgment will be final. Official.

Not....that.....He.....is....going.....to....be hateful and wicked.

 

[KingJ]

You are not God. The Bible tells us to worship God. Does it tell us to worship you?
The Bible says God will judge the unrighteous. Does it says you will judge them?
God died in the cross for our sins. Did you die on the cross?
Jesus was sinless, all His life. Are you sinless?

A Christian has the mind of Christ 1 Cor 2:16 For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ.
We are new creations 2 Cor 5:17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation.2 The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.
We are born of God John 1:13 who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.
We are created after the likeness of God Eph 4:24 and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.
We can judge all matters 1 Cor 2:15 But he that is spiritual judgeth all things.
Paul urges as to ''be'' Christians and judge matters ''better'' then the unsaved. He even says we will judge angels 1 Cor 6:1-9 Dare any of you, having a matter against another, go to law before the unjust, and not before the saints?
2 Do ye not know that the saints shall judge the world? and if the world shall be judged by you, are ye unworthy to judge the smallest matters? 3 Know ye not that we shall judge angels? how much more things that pertain to this life?

God is not ''secretly wicked'' or some messed up idea of ''holy''. Just shocking that you speak as though you are not an ambassador of God. Ambassadors '''know''' God. That is why we are His ambassadors! The Holy Spirit is here to teach us about God / the truth John 16:13 Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come.

Being hateful is unrighteous! Fact

Psalm 145:17

NIV The Lord is righteous in all his ways
KJV The Lord is righteous in all his ways
NKJV The Lord is righteous in all His ways
NLT The Lord is righteous in everything he does
GNT The Lord is righteous in all he does

 

[KingJ]

I have replied to a statement you previously made regarding God punishing humans. I agree with brother @Dave M, the OT is full of examples of God punishing the Jews, but as mention previously He also punished others, Pharaoh's army was wiped out in the Red Sea, look at what happened at Sodom and Gomorrah, we also have the Great flood when the only ones Saved were Noah and seven members of his family. God has given the warnings, we are to take Him at His Word. The wicked have been punished, the wicked will be punished. God is a loving God, a loving Father, there is nothing wicked in Him. He doesn't want any to be lost, but those who are wicked and reject Him will pay the price, there is no reason for any to be lost, we are given the same chance, but if we don't accept Him, accept Jesus, if we don't repent and are not born again, we will pay the price for our sins.

So lets look closely at God's punishment. You mentioned:

Pharaoh's army was wiped out in the Red Sea
Sodom and Gomorrah
Great flood

Drowning is a quick death. As to is being burnt alive. God gave the wicked ample time to repent and only when they were clearly sold out to wickedness, did His '''terrifying'' wrath of a quick death come upon them.

Don't get me wrong, it is terrifying to die. But it would more terrifying to be handed over to someone like Nero, as opposed to God. Nero is hateful. He would put Christians on pikes and set them on fire to provide light for his banquets. They would burn slowly over a few hours. Pretty much like a brazen bull. IE torture! Nero is not righteous in all his ways. God is! Psalm 145:17.