Discussion Does God love us more after we become His own...?

[GoldenKingGaze]

We are taught that God loves us and that nothing can separate us from that love in Romans 8. For sure God loves us and holds us dear, before and after sin and salvation. But, God loves His own. Surely that means in addition to the love He had for us when we were lost sinners and idolaters... And Jesus taught, "remain in my love."

And God loves Himself, so when He gifts us with Christ in our hearts and seals us with the Holy Spirit, and that is combined into us, then are we worth a bit more, are a bit more dear, and perhaps God loves us more? When the fruit of the Spirit from Gal 5:22 becomes our way and even our character, God loves or likes us for that as well?

If we are filled with living water, Jesus' blood and the anointing, are we worth and loved more like a van that is full is heavier and worth more?

Then the sound believer is safe on a hill, in view, and the shepherd of our souls goes out after the lost one.

 

[Dave L]

We are taught that God loves us and that nothing can separate us from that love in Romans 8. For sure God loves us and holds us dear, before and after sin and salvation. But, God loves His own. Surely that means in addition to the love He had for us when we were lost sinners and idolaters... And Jesus taught, "remain in my love."

And God loves Himself, so when He gifts us with Christ in our hearts and seals us with the Holy Spirit, and that is combined into us, then are we worth a bit more, are a bit more dear, and perhaps God loves us more? When the fruit of the Spirit from Gal 5:22 becomes our way and even our character, God loves or likes us for that as well?

If we are filled with living water, Jesus' blood and the anointing, are we worth and loved more like a van that is full is heavier and worth more?

Then the sound believer is safe on a hill, in view, and the shepherd of our souls goes out after the lost one.

I believe God's love is the greatest and most glorious when he sets his love on those He hates. But then He changes those He hates into people who He instills qualities He can love.

 

[Aussie Pete]

We are taught that God loves us and that nothing can separate us from that love in Romans 8. For sure God loves us and holds us dear, before and after sin and salvation. But, God loves His own. Surely that means in addition to the love He had for us when we were lost sinners and idolaters... And Jesus taught, "remain in my love."

And God loves Himself, so when He gifts us with Christ in our hearts and seals us with the Holy Spirit, and that is combined into us, then are we worth a bit more, are a bit more dear, and perhaps God loves us more? When the fruit of the Spirit from Gal 5:22 becomes our way and even our character, God loves or likes us for that as well?

If we are filled with living water, Jesus' blood and the anointing, are we worth and loved more like a van that is full is heavier and worth more?

Then the sound believer is safe on a hill, in view, and the shepherd of our souls goes out after the lost one.

No. God is love. Jesus showed His love by dying for sinners. There is no greater love.

 

[com7fy8]

"Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us." (Romans 5:5)

So, if God is sharing His own love with us, "in our hearts", we are being loved in a better way, than if a person does not have God's love living in one's heart.

"For to this end we both labor and suffer reproach, because we trust in the living God, who is the Savior of all men, especially of those who believe." (1 Timothy 4:10)

So, God loves all people, but this is beneficial "especially" for "those who believe". The same Jesus died for all, but not all benefit from how God's own Son came here on earth and died for us.

Jesus Himself in prayer claims that our Father loves us "as You have loved Me," He says in John 17:23. So, our Heavenly Father does not only love us "more" than sinners, but even as He has loved His own Son Jesus.

So, this is not only a theoretical thing, of how much God loves people from some distance; but in us He is so tenderly sharing with us.

And His correction is included in His love for us > Hebrews 12:4-14 > God is not loving sinners by deeply correcting them to become and to love like Jesus. But this correction in us is included in our scriptural proof of how He loves us His children >

“My son, do not despise the chastening of the Lord,
Nor be discouraged when you are rebuked by Him;
For whom the Lord loves He chastens,
And scourges every son whom He receives.”

This is in Hebrews 12:4-14, showing that our Father loves us by correcting us; plus God's word here shows how we become blessed because of this correction, which I understand is in our character changing us to become like Jesus so we are pleasing to our Father like Jesus is and benefiting with Jesus from how our Father loves us.

 

[pdudgeon]

Yes, God loves us. And God is Perfect Love, and that love never changes.
So It's just my opinion that the phenomenon that we perceive as Him loving us more as we become His children, is in reality just a perfecting of our perception of how deep and wide His love really is.
Before, we saw His love in part.
But as His children, now we perceive Him and His love in all it's magnificence.
So no, God doesn't change. We change, and our perception of Him also changes as we get to truly know Him.
Before ,we see Him from a distance, and perceive only a picture of His love and His Holy magnificence.
But when we accept Him into our hearts, we change and our perspective changes as well.

 

[Dave L]

Yes, God loves us. And God is Perfect Love, and that love never changes.
So It's just my opinion that the phenomenon that we perceive as Him loving us more as we become His children, is in reality just a perfecting of our perception of how deep and wide His love really is.
Before, we saw His love in part.
But as His children, now we perceive Him and His love in all it's magnificence.
So no, God doesn't change. We change, and our perception of Him also changes as we get to truly know Him.
Before ,we see Him from a distance, and perceive only a picture of His love and His Holy magnificence.
But when we accept Him into our hearts, we change and our perspective changes as well.

I think it's just the opposite. God hates sin and sinners. It's easy to love those you like so in that sense we would share in his glory. But as sinners He hates, He receives full glory in saving the elect. And also more glory as He turns us into lovable people.

 

[RaymondG]

God's love is like 1 million dollars that we do not know we have. The Million doesnt love us more or desire to help us less because just because we dont know it is there. But we, personally, feel more joy and love and help after discovering it... Yet the Million remained unchanged.

God loves us all the same....yet those who unveil it, experiences the benefits more.

 

[Maria Billingsley]

And God loves Himself, so

Your comment does not sit well with me. Here is why....
"“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”

 

[spiritfilledjm]

I would say He's happier with us which some can take to mean He loves us more when we come to faith in Him.

 

[GoldenKingGaze]

Your comment does not sit well with me. Here is why....
"“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”

I do not understand. God loves Himself, and from there, He loves us, creating us in love for us, the world, who becomes His, He loves before and after.

 

[andreha]

I would say He's happier with us which some can take to mean He loves us more when we come to faith in Him.

^^^ That makes sense. Like when you have 2 children, one is a rebellious brat, and the other one is a sweet, gentle and obedient child. The brat will experience a very different kind of love from the parent when compared to the obedient one.

 

[Maria Billingsley]

I do not understand. God loves Himself, and from there, He loves us, creating us in love for us, the world, who becomes His, He loves before and after.

If you can find scripture specifically addressing God's love for Himself, I will look into it. But for now I understand Him to "BE LOVE". I AM is love .
We are made in His image therefore we have the capacity to love Him and love others. If we delude this fact we begin to degrade His purity and bring Him down to our level. We also create a selfish god that opens doors for skeptics.
When He walked the earth, Jesus Christ of Nazareth, He was the only example of selflessness and humbleness with no sign of " self love". Jesus Christ of Nazareth IS LOVE. You must understand the difference ?

 

[GoldenKingGaze]

If you can find scripture specifically addressing God's love for Himself, I will look into it. But for now I understand Him to "BE LOVE". I AM is love .
We are made in His image therefore we have the capacity to love Him and love others. If we delude this fact we begin to degrade His purity and bring Him down to our level. We also create a selfish god that opens doors for skeptics.
When He walked the earth, Jesus Christ of Nazareth, He was the only example of selflessness and humbleness with no sign of " self love". Jesus Christ of Nazareth IS LOVE. You must understand the difference ?

For the joy set before Him He endured the cross, Hebrews. And in Genesis, He created the Earth and it's life for His pleasure. And it was good.

Between the three persons there is love, God is love, therefore He loves Himself. Jesus loved Himself commanded us to be like Him, be as the Father, perfect, holy, to practice what we preach and to love one another as He loved us. Love your neighbour as you love yourself. That means self love is essential for righteousness. Jesus had a human like nature and did this command among us and He preached we should. Selflessness is not actually right. It could lead to suicide.

I think God wants us to have healthy self love and this is on His level, His likeness. But we can be selfish.

The greatness of the cross was in part His love for any one person, like Peter or the soldier He asked God to forgive, that compared to His love for Himself. And the Father for the Son, and the Son leaving His Father for us, was sacrifice, for they loved and love each other. Before all creation, God, they loved each other. And they had self love in each person. We are made in His likeness. He denied Himself and carried His cross as an example to us, who in His likeness love ourselves but must sacrifice and suffer to be disciples and learn unselfishness.

 

[Maria Billingsley]

For the joy set before Him He endured the cross, Hebrews. And in Genesis, He created the Earth and it's life for His pleasure. And it was good.

Between the three persons there is love, God is love, therefore He loves Himself. Jesus loved Himself commanded us to be like Him, be as the Father, perfect, holy, to practice what we preach and to love one another as He loved us. Love your neighbour as you love yourself. That means self love is essential for righteousness. Jesus had a human like nature and did this command among us and He preached we should. Selflessness is not actually right. It could lead to suicide.

I think God wants us to have healthy self love and this is on His level, His likeness. But we can be selfish.

The greatness of the cross was in part His love for any one person, like Peter or the soldier He asked God to forgive, that compared to His love for Himself. And the Father for the Son, and the Son leaving His Father for us, was sacrifice, for they loved and love each other. Before all creation, God, they loved each other. And they had self love in each person. We are made in His likeness. He denied Himself and carried His cross as an example to us, who in His likeness love ourselves but must sacrifice and suffer to be disciples and learn unselfishness.

Jesus Christ of Nazareth is the ultimate example of selflessness.
Thanks for engaging.
Blessings.

 

[RaymondG]

You have to love yourself before you can love others. If you deem yourself worthy of nothing, you will feel the same for others.

We are lights of the world, the salts of the Earth....and should not be hid in a bush. We have to believe this before it is realized. When realized in us....we will see it in others as well.

 

[Maria Billingsley]

You have to love yourself before you can love others. If you deem yourself worthy of nothing, you will feel the same for others.

We are lights of the world, the salts of the Earth....and should not be hid in a bush. We have to believe this before it is realized. When realized in us....we will see it in others as well.

If your replying to my comment, I was talking about God, not His creation.

 

[TedT]

GOD loved us before HE chose us to be HIS own:

Romans 8:29 For whom HE did foreknow, HE also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of HIS Son.
From this verse we can see that the predestination of the elect is based on the foreknowledge of GOD. Now everyone admits that in this verse, the word “fore” means before life.

GOD obviously does not before life know everybody since not everyone will become like Jesus, as Rom 8:29 just said predestination means and as per Matthew 7:21–23 Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’ which tells us what knowing means, emphasising the idea that loving is knowing and knowing about has no love.

Jesus obviously knew about these miracle workers but this knowing contained no love as it is plain, He never knew them as HE did not know the five false virgins, Matt 25:12.

This means that foreknow must carry the idea of approval. As one commentator stated it, “Whom HE foreknew” is virtually equivalent to “whom HE foreloved”.

Now this question comes to mind: on what basis does GOD "before life" love some and not the rest?

 

[RaymondG]

If your replying to my comment, I was talking about God, not His creation.

Are we not to be like Jesus? If Jesus didnt love himself, why are we supposed to love ourselves?

"26 At that day ye shall ask in my name: and I say not unto you, that I will pray the Father for you:
27 For the Father himself loveth you, because ye have loved me, and have believed that I came out from God."

"For the Father loveth the Son, and sheweth him all things that himself doeth: and he will shew him greater works than these, that ye may marvel."

"I and my Father are one."

 

[Maria Billingsley]

Are we not to be like Jesus? If Jesus didnt love himself, why are we supposed to love ourselves?

"26 At that day ye shall ask in my name: and I say not unto you, that I will pray the Father for you:
27 For the Father himself loveth you, because ye have loved me, and have believed that I came out from God."

"For the Father loveth the Son, and sheweth him all things that himself doeth: and he will shew him greater works than these, that ye may marvel."

"I and my Father are one."

Like I said in a past post, find me scripture where God says He" loves Himself". It does not exist because God IS LOVE.
Thanks for engaging.

 

[GoldenKingGaze]

Like I said in a past post, find me scripture where God says He" loves Himself". It does not exist because God IS LOVE.
Thanks for engaging.

That is why I mentioned that Jesus endured the cross for the joy set before Him. And Creation was for His pleasure. From Hebrews and Genesis. He wanted joy and pleasure for Himself.

It is like a bow, we see the strength of God's love because He sacrificed from self love for love of us.

Jesus laying down His life for His friends, did so caring for His own life.

Jesus made us in His likeness so He made us to have self love, this self love did not come after the fall.