The Highway Forums General Discussion Theology Discussion Forum "Love your enemies" and "Does God love all"

hisalone,

I believe that "I" was the one who brought to the fore Titus 3:4 and thought I clearly explained that the word "love" which appears in several translations is misleading, I believe due to the universalism which currently exists among Evangelicals and others. The word in the Greek is philanthropia, which is where our word philanthropy originates. The Bible uses two other specific words for "love" however; phileo and agape, the latter having different meanings determined by its immediate context. That is why in Titus 3:4 the word should be correctly translated as "benevolence" rather than "love".

Oh contrare!! Electing love is far different than any general benevolence shown by God to all mankind for it accomplishes that which was purposed; the salvation of those whom were chosen in Christ.

Ephesians 1:3-11 (ASV) "Blessed [be] the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly [places] in Christ: even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blemish before him in love: having foreordained us unto adoption as sons through Jesus Christ unto himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, to the praise of the glory of his grace, which he freely bestowed on us in the Beloved: in whom we have our redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, which he made to abound toward us in all wisdom and prudence, making known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he purposed in him unto a dispensation of the fulness of the times, to sum up all things in Christ, the things in the heavens, and the things upon the earth; in him, [I say,] in whom also we were made a heritage, having been foreordained according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his will;"

Hardly can it be said that this eternal, sovereign bestowal of love, i.e., saving grace, is universal in scope. Objectively speaking, if it were, then de facto, all men would be saved. For a little more on this subject, see my article here: Do You REALLY Believe that Salvation is by Grace Alone?.

I don't see where this serves your proposition that God loves all indiscriminately, but rather it goes to show clearly that God does, in fact, discriminate among the fallen race of Adam. In fact, there are salient passages in Scripture to show that God does not love all men, e.g.:

Psalms 5:5-6 (ASV) "The arrogant shall not stand in thy sight: Thou hatest all workers of iniquity. Thou wilt destroy them that speak lies: Jehovah abhorreth the blood-thirsty and deceitful man."

Psalms 11:5-7 (ASV) "Jehovah trieth the righteous; But the wicked and him that loveth violence his soul hateth. Upon the wicked he will rain snares; Fire and brimstone and burning wind shall be the portion of their cup. For Jehovah is righteous; he loveth righteousness: The upright shall behold his face."

Proverbs 6:16-19 (ASV) "There are six things which Jehovah hateth; Yea, seven which are an abomination unto him: Haughty eyes, a lying tongue, And hands that shed innocent blood; A heart that deviseth wicked purposes, Feet that are swift in running to mischief, A false witness that uttereth lies, And he that soweth discord among brethren."

Romans 9:6-13 (ASV) "But [it is] not as though the word of God hath come to nought. For they are not all Israel, that are of Israel: neither, because they are Abraham's seed, are they all children: but, In Isaac shall thy seed be called. That is, it is not the children of the flesh that are children of God; but the children of the promise are reckoned for a seed. For this is a word of promise, According to this season will I come, and Sarah shall have a son. And not only so; but Rebecca also having conceived by one, [even] by our father Isaac-- for [the children] being not yet born, neither having done anything good or bad, that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works, but of him that calleth, it was said unto her, The elder shall serve the younger. Even as it is written, Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated."

Ephesians 2:1-9 (ASV) "And you [did he make alive,] when ye were dead through your trespasses and sins, wherein ye once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the powers of the air, of the spirit that now worketh in the sons of disobedience; among whom we also all once lived in the lust of our flesh, doing the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, even as the rest:-- but God, being rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, even when we were dead through our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace have ye been saved), and raised us up with him, and made us to sit with him in the heavenly [places], in Christ Jesus: that in the ages to come he might show the exceeding riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus: for by grace have ye been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, [it is] the gift of God; not of works, that no man should glory."

Should you or anyone else desire to offer John 3:16 as proof that God loves all men without exception and in an identical way, I would recommend you read the following articles:

- THE 'WORLD' OF JOHN 3:16 DOES NOT MEAN 'All Men Without Exception', by Rev. David Engelsma
- An Exposition of John 3:16, by John Owen
- God's Election in John 3:16, by L.R. Shelton, Sr.
- For God So Love the World, by Homer C. Hoeksema

In His grace,