This idea has long been assumed, but I think we need to look closely at what the Bible says exactly, and what it would mean if God actually does love everyone.
For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son...
I suppose I started to question this belief around the time when I realized that God is responsible for our salvation. Three specific questions came to mind:
- If He loves everyone, why doesn't He save everyone?
- If He loves everyone, why does the Bible say God hates some kinds of people?
- How much meaning can love have if it extends to everyone, everywhere?
I believe very strongly that we cannot answer questions about God using only reason. It would be very easy to say God doesn't love everyone because, He cannot feel the same way about His children that He does about those who openly hate Him. That would be reasonable, but it may or may not be scriptural. Our capacity for reason is broken because of sin, and limited because we are not God. So we must use reason and Scripture.
If God loves everyone, why doesn't He save everyone?
There are verses in the New Testament that state plainly that God wants all to be saved. These verses can easily apply to only those whom He has chosen. He wants all of His people to be saved. I believe that these are people who will be saved inevitably because God loves them, He wants them to be saved, and He has chosen them to be saved.
Romans 9 mentions Moses and his ordeal with Pharoah. The passage Paul uses from Exodus says two things: (1) Pharoah hardened his heart against God, and (2) God hardened Pharoah's heart against Himself. The passage in Romans only says that God hardened Pharoah's heart. Paul asks a question regarding why God would harden Pharoah's heart:
What if God, although choosing to show his wrath and make his power known, bore with great patience the objects of his wrath—prepared for destruction? What if he did this to make the riches of his glory known to the objects of his mercy, whom he prepared in advance for glory?
Paul's emphasis in this passage is on God's absolute sovereignty. He is master of the choices we make. This is a very strange and offensive thought, but Paul isn't the only Bible author who believes this way. Solomon with his great wisdom says on more than one occasion in Proverbs that God orders what we decide. I cannot answer how or to what extent this works. Many teachers will say that God only hardened Pharoah's heart after He saw that Pharoah had hardened his heart. This seems strange to me, as if God's only purpose was to validate Pharoah's decision, with the impetus and initiative lying wholly with Pharoah. This does not seem to mesh at all with what Paul is saying, nor with what Solomon had to say.
From this we can conclude that God never had any intention for Pharoah to submit to His will and set the Israelites free. We can also see that God explicitly ensured that Pharoah would make the choices he made. God does not wish to save everyone, and His reasoning is twofold: (1) to show His wrath and make His power known, and (2) to make the riches of His glory known to us. So we should have some comprehension as to why He does not save everyone.
The other part of this question is How can God love someone and condemn them to hell for eternity? We know that because of sin, no one can be saved unless God saves them. We also know that God chooses some specifically to receive wrath. How can we say with a straight face that God loves the same people whom He condemns to eternal punishment? There are mysteries in the Bible that are not explained, but looking at the whole of Scripture I do not believe this is one of them. There are plainly some people that God hates.
Romans 9 mentions Moses and his ordeal with Pharoah. The passage Paul uses from Exodus says two things: (1) Pharoah hardened his heart against God, and (2) God hardened Pharoah's heart against Himself. The passage in Romans only says that God hardened Pharoah's heart. Paul asks a question regarding why God would harden Pharoah's heart:
What if God, although choosing to show his wrath and make his power known, bore with great patience the objects of his wrath—prepared for destruction? What if he did this to make the riches of his glory known to the objects of his mercy, whom he prepared in advance for glory?
Paul's emphasis in this passage is on God's absolute sovereignty. He is master of the choices we make. This is a very strange and offensive thought, but Paul isn't the only Bible author who believes this way. Solomon with his great wisdom says on more than one occasion in Proverbs that God orders what we decide. I cannot answer how or to what extent this works. Many teachers will say that God only hardened Pharoah's heart after He saw that Pharoah had hardened his heart. This seems strange to me, as if God's only purpose was to validate Pharoah's decision, with the impetus and initiative lying wholly with Pharoah. This does not seem to mesh at all with what Paul is saying, nor with what Solomon had to say.
From this we can conclude that God never had any intention for Pharoah to submit to His will and set the Israelites free. We can also see that God explicitly ensured that Pharoah would make the choices he made. God does not wish to save everyone, and His reasoning is twofold: (1) to show His wrath and make His power known, and (2) to make the riches of His glory known to us. So we should have some comprehension as to why He does not save everyone.
The other part of this question is How can God love someone and condemn them to hell for eternity? We know that because of sin, no one can be saved unless God saves them. We also know that God chooses some specifically to receive wrath. How can we say with a straight face that God loves the same people whom He condemns to eternal punishment? There are mysteries in the Bible that are not explained, but looking at the whole of Scripture I do not believe this is one of them. There are plainly some people that God hates.
If He loves everyone, why does the Bible say God hates some kinds of people?
The Lord tests the righteous and the wicked,
And the one who loves violence His soul hates.
Psalm 11.5
There are six things which the Lord hates,
Yes, seven which are an abomination to Him:
Haughty eyes, a lying tongue,
And hands that shed innocent blood,
A heart that devises wicked plans,
Feet that run rapidly to evil,
A false witness who utters lies,
And one who spreads strife among brothers.
Proverbs 6.16-19
I am not going to explain these verses to the point where they mean nothing. I will never do that to any verse or passage. They are in the Bible. They are God's word. We learn who God is when we accept the truth and trust in Him.
I know wonderful people who have not placed their faith in Christ, but who I would not place in any of these above categories. Does God hate them? A better question is, can I in my limited knowledge be sure that they do not fall into these categories? Can we honestly say that someone who has rejected the love of Christ and His sacrifice does not love violence, devise evil plans, or shed innocent blood?
I cannot say why God hates some people, other than His nature is holy and just, and He loves what is holy and just.
How much meaning can love have if it extends to everyone, everywhere?
This is my question to those who believe that God loves everyone.
If I met a woman who immediately and freely offered me her love, and who I saw did the same to every man or woman she came in contact with, how could I take such a person seriously? How genuine could this love be? Granted, God is not a person like us, and we cannot directly apply metaphors or analogies to Him, but I think the point is still a valid one. How can I trust a God who loves cruel and hateful and godless men as much as He loves me? How can I be special and "elect" if God loves the unelect as much as He loves me?
I love my children. I love spending time with them, talking with them, teaching them what I know, and laughing with them, all of that. I do not feel the same way about other children. I can guarantee I would not feel this way about children who made it clear that they hate me. Is God more loving than I? Is He capable of loving those who hate Him? Absolutely, but why would He?
God commanded Hosea to take a prostitute as wife. She was not faithful, yet Hosea loved her nevertheless. This story illustrates God's love for us. Even when we sin and follow after other gods, He still loves us. Can we apply this to unbelievers? I do not believe we can. I believe that to say that God loves God-haters as much as He loves me severely cheapens His love for me. I believe that saying God loves everyone makes His love extremely unappealing to those seeking the true love of a Father.
If I met a woman who immediately and freely offered me her love, and who I saw did the same to every man or woman she came in contact with, how could I take such a person seriously? How genuine could this love be? Granted, God is not a person like us, and we cannot directly apply metaphors or analogies to Him, but I think the point is still a valid one. How can I trust a God who loves cruel and hateful and godless men as much as He loves me? How can I be special and "elect" if God loves the unelect as much as He loves me?
I love my children. I love spending time with them, talking with them, teaching them what I know, and laughing with them, all of that. I do not feel the same way about other children. I can guarantee I would not feel this way about children who made it clear that they hate me. Is God more loving than I? Is He capable of loving those who hate Him? Absolutely, but why would He?
God commanded Hosea to take a prostitute as wife. She was not faithful, yet Hosea loved her nevertheless. This story illustrates God's love for us. Even when we sin and follow after other gods, He still loves us. Can we apply this to unbelievers? I do not believe we can. I believe that to say that God loves God-haters as much as He loves me severely cheapens His love for me. I believe that saying God loves everyone makes His love extremely unappealing to those seeking the true love of a Father.
How can we preach God's love if God doesn't love everyone?
No, I don't believe God loves everyone, everywhere. I do not believe that He loves those who hate Him and who have rejected His Son. I do not believe that He loves those He has not chosen, who will spend eternity in hell. I do however believe that God loves all the people He has placed in my life. I know this because I love them, and I do not love unless God gives me love, because love is from God.
No comments:
Post a Comment