May I ask for a clarification? I'm curious as to what "of God" means. I've heard this phrase used quite often. Most recently I heard a person on my college campus retort to a campus preacher that humans are made "of God," and God is love, therefore God condones homosexuality (it didn't make any more logical sense in context). I'm guessing that the words themselves are taken from 1 John, which speaks of being born of God. Unfortunately the intended meaning today is far from that of the Apostle. Perhaps you can help me understand what you mean.
"of God"... Bnei Adam... all the sons of men. We are all of God... we are all loved by God, we are all desired by God... we just do not all "choose" to return this in relationship.
I agree in part. But I have a couple points here. First, respect and love are not the same thing. I'm sure most people can think of others whom they respect but do not love (and the opposite is also true). Secondly, while I agree that God loves people and not actions, I disagree that this love comes by default. I would point to the Scriptures:
And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience-- among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. (Ephesians 2:1-3)
The passage goes on to say that God loved his church while we were still dead in sin, and saved us by faith in Jesus Christ. But notice that this applies only to
the church (i.e. those people from all nations and ethnicities who believe in Jesus Christ), and
not to the rest of mankind. If there were ever any doubt about Paul's words, John clarifies:
But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God. (John 1:12-13)
Here we see that not everyone is a child of God, but only those who believe in Jesus Christ. John also taught against the doctrine of universalism in his first letter:
Who is the liar but he who denies that Jesus is the Christ? This is the antichrist, he who denies the Father and the Son. No one who denies the Son has the Father. Whoever confesses the Son has the Father also. (1 John 2:22-23)
These words would be quite offensive were they not in the Bible. They teach that not everyone knows God, but only Christians.
Does God hate the liar or the lie? Does God hate the sinner or the sin? Again, you're stuck in this "doing" ideation rather than a being ideation. He loves ALL, though I am 100% sure he is not happy with all and our choice to go with Him or against Him will determine our eternal fate.
I would like to reference Christ's parable, placing an emphasis on the last verse:
"What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he has lost one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the open country, and go after the one that is lost, until he finds it? And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing. And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and his neighbors, saying to them, 'Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep that was lost.' Just so, I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance. (Luke 15:4-7)
Clearly, the non-Christian in question is only the lost sheep
if he repents and turns away from his non-Christian religion to serve Jesus Christ.
nope, don't see it that way. it is not clear. what is clear is that this person was referred to as a lost sheep, not that this ONLY is used to refer to a repenting non-Christian.
So then I ask: how do you know that God loves non-Christians who do not leave their false religions? One's beliefs about God must be consistent with what God has revealed to us through his prophets and apostles.
Good luck wtih that one dude. Not one place I've been have they had a clear revelation of God because there is no clear interpretation of scripture. LOL. Revelation of God is a personal thing and cannot be measured with a stick.
Just because I say "God loves everyone and comes to people of all religions" doesn't make it true.
So God will not send word of His Son to all? That's weird. I was under the impression he DID come to all with this offer. Obviously we don't know the same God.
We cannot put words in God's mouth. That's how evil people justify their deeds. The African slave-traders of old justified their industry by claiming "it was the will of God that these people should be subjugated." Despots have committed genocide only to claim "God commanded me to do his will." Some well-known murderers in our own time have claimed at their trials that God commanded them to kill. All these people have one thing in common: they attributed their own words to God instead of consulting him directly. When people attribute heinous acts to God it's very easy to see them for the liars they are. How much harder it is when we attribute seemingly innocuous words like "I approve of other religions" to God. But this is not some harmless doctrine. Because of it, millions of people who are dead in their sins are lead to believe that their souls can be delivered without the blood of Jesus Christ. This doctrine is most contemptible, and ultimately we ought not to ever believe it. Again you must ask yourself: if it's not in Scripture, then how do you know that God said it?
