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

First, let me clarify, I'm talking about a subjective and an objective love. God is love, if He did not show His love to the entire world, then He would cease to be God. That "love" was available to all mankind. Would all mankind accept His love? Of course not, we all would have turned away from it apart from God's grace. I see no problem with this, because God is not like man. I believe his hatred is as perfect as His love. For Jacob and Esau, the one would receive His blessings the other wouldn't. Jacob would be the recipient of the covenant promises. Isn't that the same as the elect and the non-elect?

My comment about our being chosen not being a greater love is because you are seeing it differently than I. I see it as His love applied where you see it as a different type or degree of love. I believe the sum total of God's love was revealed in Christ. Electing love isn't a greater love but different in that it is made subjective.

I don't see how you jumped from a universal "objective" love to the subjective love implying universal salvation. I never said that nor do I believe that. Apart from God making the application, nobody would be saved, we would spurn His love. This love is the same in type and degree, and it is offered to all, but only the elect experience it subjectively, the elect are recipients of the spiritual blessings.

I mentioned the potter and the clay to show that if He chooses some to apply the merits of His love and not others, it does not make Him any less a God of love. It is who He is, we are not worthy of the least of His electing (applicatory) love. He bestows His grace on whoever He would choose for His purposes, not because He loved us more.

I am not trying to be difficult or stubborn. It is my belief that God IS love, and His love was revealed from heaven in the person of Jesus Christ to ALL men. Apart from his own good pleasure we would all be hated as Esau. Praise be to God, though, some of us have been loved as Jacob has been loved. He chose us before the foundation of the world to apply His love through election, to experience all the spiritual blessings provided by the objective love seen in the person of Jesus Christ.

My view of the love of God does not make Him any less God, not infringe on any of His attributes. We can bounce around scripture all day, but never come to agreement. As I mentioned earlier, I previously held the same view as you, but now see it in a different light.