Do you believe God does NOT love everyone?

[HypnoToad]

PLEASE READ BEFORE POSTING

This is solely for those who believe God does NOT love everyone. (I tried this in a different thread before, but it got closed before I could get more than one response, so I’m gonna try it again with my own thread.)

If you believe God does NOT love everyone, I’d like to ask you to respond to the following:

Jesus tells us, “no one is good but God.” The Psalms state several times, “the Lord is good/for He is good.”

So, we seem to have the Bible teaching us quite simply: God is good. Yes?

Should we take that to mean God is always good, that everything God does is morally good & righteous, everything He does falls within the category of “good”? Is it an absolute, never-changing fact? *OR*, should we instead take that to mean God is usually good but still does immoral & unrighteous things once in a while? Is “God is good” just a general statement and not absolute? Does God do anything that has no good in it?

Please keep your responses brief and limited to what was asked. Don’t overanalyze, these aren’t “trick” questions. There will be follow up questions, but don’t try to jump ahead and bring up things I haven’t asked about. Also please don’t debate with others’ answers, I don’t want this thread getting derailed. Ignoring the guidelines can result in being regarded as off-topic and being reported.

I’m going to try to wait a bit before responding and posting the first follow up, because I want to get as many responses as possible before proceeding.

Thanks ahead of time to those who participate.

PLEASE NOTE:
As of Thursday, June 7, 11:20 am, I have moved on to the first follow-up. If you are someone who feels God does not love everyone AND that God is always good, you can still participate, just post something like "God doesn't love everyone, God is always good," and then answer the first follow-up as well. (See post #78).

I will not, however, provide any more clarification on what is meant by "God loves everyone" or "God is always good", as I feel that has been covered, and I've waited long enough to proceed to the next question. So if you simply post asking for clarification, or do not answer the follow-up question, please note that I may just disregard your post. As I said, it's been long enough, it's time to move on.

 

[St_Worm2]

Hi HT, it might help if you'd explain what 'you' believe the phrase "God is good" means/entails, and perhaps what it doesn't mean to you as well.

I have a couple of questions for you as well. Can someone (incl God) be both "good" and "just" at the same time? If fact, if a person is considered to be "good", does that necessarily mean that he/she is "just" as well?

Also, just and fair are different words with different meanings. Do you believe that it's possible for someone to be "just" who is not also "fair" at the same time?

Thanks!

Yours and His,
David

 

[Dave G.]

I know there is a lot of controversy about this but if we take scripture straight up as written, God hated Esau in Malachi 1:3 ( also referred to in Romans 9:13).

 

[dreadnought]

This is solely for those who believe God does NOT love everyone. (I tried this in a different thread before, but it got closed before I could get more than one response, so I’m gonna try it again with my own thread.)

If you believe God does NOT love everyone, I’d like to ask you to respond to the following:

Jesus tells us, “no one is good but God.” The Psalms state several times, “the Lord is good/for He is good.”

So, we seem to have the Bible teaching us quite simply: God is good. Yes?

Should we take that to mean God is always good, that everything God does is morally good & righteous, everything He does falls within the category of “good”? Is it an absolute, never-changing fact? *OR*, should we instead take that to mean God is usually good but still does immoral & unrighteous things once in a while? Is “God is good” just a general statement and not absolute? Does God do anything that has no good in it?

Please keep your responses brief and limited to what was asked. Don’t overanalyze, these aren’t “trick” questions. There will be follow up questions, but don’t try to jump ahead and bring up things I haven’t asked about. Also please don’t debate with others’ answers, I don’t want this thread getting derailed. Ignoring the guidelines can result in being regarded as off-topic and being reported.

I’m going to try to wait a bit before responding and posting the first follow up, because I want to get as many responses as possible before proceeding.

Thanks ahead of time to those who participate.

First, you have to define love. Love, in the biblical sense, is doing unto others as you'd have them do unto you. I think that's exactly what the Lord does. Sometimes it involves a kick in the shins.

 

[dmmesdale]

This is solely for those who believe God does NOT love everyone. (I tried this in a different thread before, but it got closed before I could get more than one response, so I’m gonna try it again with my own thread.)

If you believe God does NOT love everyone, I’d like to ask you to respond to the following:

Jesus tells us, “no one is good but God.” The Psalms state several times, “the Lord is good/for He is good.”

So, we seem to have the Bible teaching us quite simply: God is good. Yes?

Should we take that to mean God is always good, that everything God does is morally good & righteous, everything He does falls within the category of “good”? Is it an absolute, never-changing fact? *OR*, should we instead take that to mean God is usually good but still does immoral & unrighteous things once in a while? Is “God is good” just a general statement and not absolute? Does God do anything that has no good in it?

Please keep your responses brief and limited to what was asked. Don’t overanalyze, these aren’t “trick” questions. There will be follow up questions, but don’t try to jump ahead and bring up things I haven’t asked about. Also please don’t debate with others’ answers, I don’t want this thread getting derailed. Ignoring the guidelines can result in being regarded as off-topic and being reported.

I’m going to try to wait a bit before responding and posting the first follow up, because I want to get as many responses as possible before proceeding.

Thanks ahead of time to those who participate.

Does God love us all equally then the answer is no IMO. Love Jacob hate Esau is unequal. If love equally then love is removed from morality.
It would seem God is within to love those more who seek Him thru keeping His commandments and habitual prayer etc. As opposed to those who have no regard for God.

 

[Colter]

God has a nature, he cannot do the un-godlike thing. God is Love and love is not secondary to anything in the divine nature.

 

[Dkh587]

God does hate some people. He hated Esau

 

[W2L]

God does hate some people. He hated Esau

The question i have is did Christ die for Esau?

Romans 5:8 But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

 

[St_Worm2]

The question i have is did Christ die for Esau?

Romans 5:8 But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

To answer that question you would have to figure out who St. Paul is talking about, IOW, who the "us" in v8 refers to.

Here is the verse in context. What do you think?

Romans 5
1 Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,
2 through whom also we have obtained our introduction by faith into this grace in which we stand; and we exult in hope of the glory of God.
3 And not only this, but we also exult in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance;
4 and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope;
5 and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.
6 For while we were still helpless, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly.
7 For one will hardly die for a righteous man; though perhaps for the good man someone would dare even to die.
8 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
9 Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from the wrath of God through Him.
10 For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life.
11 And not only this, but we also exult in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received the reconciliation.​

Considering how the chapter begins, as well everything else that's written in the first eleven verses of Chapter 5, it seems to me that v8 was written to believers.

Yours and His,
David

 

[W2L]

To answer that question you would have to figure out who St. Paul is talking about, IOW, who the "us" in v8 refers to.

Perhaps. Who is Paul referring to?

 

[St_Worm2]

Perhaps. Who is Paul referring to?

Sorry, I should have answered that to begin with. I just went back and did so .. "believers" (the context seems to make that clear, yes? .. see post #9 above).

 

[W2L]

Sorry, I should have answered that to begin with. I just went back and did so .. "believers" (the context seems to make that clear, yes?).

Yes, agreed. I guess the question now might be, can someone that God hates become a believer?

 

[St_Worm2]

Yes, agreed. I guess the question now might be, can someone that God hates become a believer?

That's a more difficult question I will say this, until we (the elect) were justified and reconciled to God, we know that He was our "Enemy" .. see Romans 5:10.

It would be interesting to know if Esau, who was eventually reconciled to his brother Jacob, was also reconciled to God somehow? (I'm thinking probably not however .. considering what Romans 9 has to say, as well the fact that he surrendered his birthright for a bowl of soup .. what do you think?)

 

[W2L]

That's a more difficult question I will say this, until we (the elect) were justified and reconciled to God, we know that He was our "Enemy" .. see Romans 5:10.

It would be interesting to know if Esau, who was eventually reconciled to his brother Jacob, was also reconciled to God somehow? (I'm thinking probably not however .. considering what Romans 9 has to say, as well the fact that he surrendered his birthright for a bowl of soup .. what do you think?)

Esau didnt seem to value his birthright. I must confess that i hope everyone, even the most evil of men, will be saved. Is that wrong? I ask myself that question lately.

 

[St_Worm2]

This is solely for those who believe God does NOT love everyone. (I tried this in a different thread before, but it got closed before I could get more than one response, so I’m gonna try it again with my own thread.)

If you believe God does NOT love everyone, I’d like to ask you to respond to the following:

Jesus tells us, “no one is good but God.” The Psalms state several times, “the Lord is good/for He is good.”

So, we seem to have the Bible teaching us quite simply: God is good. Yes?

Should we take that to mean God is always good, that everything God does is morally good & righteous, everything He does falls within the category of “good”? Is it an absolute, never-changing fact? *OR*, should we instead take that to mean God is usually good but still does immoral & unrighteous things once in a while? Is “God is good” just a general statement and not absolute? Does God do anything that has no good in it?

Please keep your responses brief and limited to what was asked. Don’t overanalyze, these aren’t “trick” questions. There will be follow up questions, but don’t try to jump ahead and bring up things I haven’t asked about. Also please don’t debate with others’ answers, I don’t want this thread getting derailed. Ignoring the guidelines can result in being regarded as off-topic and being reported.

I’m going to try to wait a bit before responding and posting the first follow up, because I want to get as many responses as possible before proceeding.

Thanks ahead of time to those who participate.

Hi again HT, in the days of Noah, God saved 8 souls from the Flood while the rest of mankind died. If God loves everyone, in what way do you believe He was He expressing His love to everyone who drowned at that time?

Thanks!

Yours and His,
David

 

[W2L]

If God loves everyone, in what way do you believe He was He expressing His love to everyone who drowned at that time?

We all die, but God loves us.

All is vanity as well.

 

[St_Worm2]

Esau didnt seem to value his birthright. I must confess that i hope everyone, even the most evil of men, will be saved. Is that wrong?

I don't think so. After all, we are called to preach the Gospel to everyone in God's creation with the hope that they will come to faith and be saved, so not wanting to see someone spend eternity in Hell seems perfectly normal to me.

 

[Drought of the Heart]

I just read about King Nebuchadnezzar , I think this is a question that can not be answered because only God knows the heart. His love is not like ours we would never send our only child to the Cross. There are things God hates and hell is very real we need to know what He loves and what He hates. I could not stand King Saul yet look how God used him, so complicated question but we can know the things He hates...

 

[St_Worm2]

We all die, but God loves us.

All is vanity as well.

Hi W2L, in the case of The Flood, God judged and killed all but 8 of us. Do you think the ones who were killed by God believed that He loved them (as they watched the ark sail over the horizon w/o them)? And again, in what specific way(s) do you believe God was expressing His love for them (for those He killed in the waters of The Flood, that is)

Thanks!

Yours and His,
David

 

[W2L]

Hi W2L, in the case of The Flood, God judged and killed all but 8 of us. Do you think the ones who were killed by God believed that He loved them (as they watched the ark sail over the horizon w/o them)? And again, in what specific way(s) do you believe God was expressing His love for them (for those He killed in the waters of The Flood, that is)

Thanks!

Yours and His,
David

Some people die in car crashes. Do you think they feel Gods love? About these folks in the flood, maybe they had a second chance, like we do. I dont know.