Does God Love Everyone, "Unconditionally"?

[jimmyjimmy]

That is love and in the scriptures that love is offered to every sinner.

Even the billions who lived and died never hearing the gospel?

 

[RisenInJesus]

The gospel call is shouted from rooftops, but only the elect respond to it. His sheep hear His voice.

A farmer went out to sow his seed. 4 As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. 5 Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. 6 But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. 7 Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants. 8 Still other seed fell on good soil, where it produced a crop—a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown. 9 Whoever has ears, let them hear.

Who says "only the elect" respond? Augustine, Calvin, Sproul. Piper, etc. The scriptures don't say that. Have you ever done a study on the word elect or election? Israel was elect and chosen by God, did all in Israel respond?

 

[Hammster]

Can you explain your thoughts here further?

Simple. Start with Romans 8:1. There's no condemnation for those in Christ.

We've all sinned equally. Only some of us have had our sins atoned for.

 

[RisenInJesus]

Even the billions who lived and died never hearing the gospel?

Yes, because creation itself speaks of God so that no one is without excuse. The children of Israel did not hear the gospel, yet those who believed God looked forward to the Messiah. I think the scriptures give enough information to show that people are held accountable for their attitude toward God relative to the amount of information which has been revealed to them. God certainly knows whether or not each one of the billions who have lived and died would believe the gospel had they heard.

 

[meconstant3402]

Yes, God starts out with an absolutely equal love for us as He has for the Virgin Mary. But it is up to us to receive that love. And the more we do, the closer we come to Him. Obviously Mary received it to the extent that she conceived of Him as Her Son. But He has said that we can do the same.

 

[Hammster]

What do you mean?

That God loves His people enough to save them.

 

[LadyCrosstalk]

We hear it often. Many of us say it often, but is it true?

Can we rightly tell any person: God loves *you* unconditionally?

Yes--He does love us unconditionally--the way that every good father loves his child. However, God is not only love. He is righteousness itself and His wrath is kindled by wrongdoing. His justice requires punishment for sin (remember that His wrath was exercised infinitely on Jesus for those sinners who would claim the Lord Jesus' blood over their lives of sin). Jesus took the Father's wrath upon Himself in our stead. The Bible tells us that God the Father loves His Son with an infinite love.

 

[RRK93]

God does not love everyone. He loves only His children. Nowhere in the Bible does it say He loves everyone unconditionally.Tell me one verse in the Bible that says that.

 

[Hammster]

Do you have something you want to say about that verse....Matthew 9:13?

“But when he heard it, he said, "Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. Go and learn what this means: 'I desire mercy, and not sacrifice.' For I came not to call the righteous, but sinners."”
‭‭Matthew‬ ‭9:12-13‬ ‭ESV‬‬

He was rebuking the Pharisees. They thought they were righteous. He wasn't calling them.

 

[Hammster]

According to the scriptures, although Jesus came to His own, it is only those who receive Jesus who are given the right to become children of God.

He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him. But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. John 1:11-13

Yep. Those born of the will of God.

 

[Hammster]

That is love and in the scriptures that love is offered to every sinner.

Then everyone has there sins atoned for and Hell will be empty.

 

[RisenInJesus]

Yep. Those born of the will of God.

And why were they born of the will of God?
He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him. But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. John 1:11-13

 

[Hammster]

And why were they born of the will of God?
He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him. But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. John 1:11-13

They were born of the will of God because it was His will. They weren't born of Him, as it appears you are insinuating, because they did something good.

 

[LadyCrosstalk]

God does not love everyone. He loves only His children. Nowhere in the Bible does it say He loves everyone unconditionally.Tell me one verse in the Bible that says that.

The Bible says that He loved us "...while we were yet sinners..." (Romans 5:8)

 

[Hammster]

The Bible says that He loved us "...while we were yet sinners..."

That's written to the church.

 

[RisenInJesus]

Simple. Start with Romans 8:1. There's no condemnation for those in Christ.

We've all sinned equally. Only some of us have had our sins atoned for.

That is not what that verse says. Paul is speaking to believers and it says there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ. Show me anywhere in the chapter where it says such forgiveness is only offered and available for some sinners.

 

[Hammster]

That is not what that verse says. Paul is speaking to believers and it says there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ. Show me anywhere in the chapter where it says such forgiveness is only offered and available for some sinners.

I don't think I mentioned anything about an offer.

 

[RisenInJesus]

Then everyone has there sins atoned for and Hell will be empty.

How many verses should I post to show that the work of Jesus on the cross to pay for the sins of the world is only applied personally to one's life when they believe the gospel, place faith in Jesus, and trust Him for forgiveness of their sins?

 

[Hammster]

How many verses should I post to show that the work of Jesus on the cross to pay for the sins of the world is only applied personally to one's life when they believe the gospel, place faith in Jesus, and trust Him for forgiveness of their sins?

So you do, then, hold to a form of limited atonement.

 

[yeshuaslavejeff]

How many verses should I post to show that the work of Jesus on the cross to pay for the sins of the world is only applied personally to one's life when they believe the gospel, place faith in Jesus, and trust Him for forgiveness of their sins?

It only takes one verse, in context, to show this idea wrong;

subject to clarification....