God’s unconditional love is related to His general call to salvation and what is often called His permissive or perfect will—that aspect of God’s will that reveals His attitude and defines what is pleasing to Him. 1 Corinthians 13:4-7. God wants His creation to love Him for who He is. Five reasons Calvinism is a false doctrine. Within Christian theology, there are different perspectives that deal with the issue of election, predestination, and our free will. God’s Judgment Is Good. Jesus died so that everyone had a chance to be saved. The passage mentions the word “world.”. If we’re angry with a person, that tends to be our only emotion/attitude towards them. In such cases, God's mercy does not override God's purpose nor God's justice, not to mention our own wills. It is divine grace that precedes human decision. 5 It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. God loves you because He loves you. So, based upon those verses, we’re left with the logical conclusion that the individual’s foreseen belief (faith) in Jesus must have been the deciding factor in God choosing the individual to be one of the elect. But you, dear friends, must build each other up in your most holy faith, pray in the power of the Holy Spirit, and await the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ, who will bring you eternal life. This question and others like it often keep people from seeking God further, as they assume that this question is the mountain that cannot be scaled. He is patient. In fact, God’s attributes of omniscience, impartiality, and love provide the basis to conclude that only He would be in a position to determine which world would be the very best. Christ died for the UNGODLY (Romans 4:5). The love and mercy of God has redeemed humanity, but it is the responsibility of the individual to justify their salvation by responding to Christ’s grace in baptism and obeying his words of truth. The people of Nineveh prayed that Nineveh might be spared (Jonah 3:5-10). Now the opponent of the doctrine of hell might admit that given human freedom God cannot guarantee that everyone will be saved. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. If God loves the unbelievers intimately then the sinners does not have to repent, as God loves them anyway, he can continue in his sins. Read Psalm 90 and 91. The answer to the question, “Does God appoint evil leaders to lead nations?” is yes! Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. C. It simply and only teaches that one characteristic of God is that He loves, and He does love. Predestination, in Christian theology, is the doctrine that all events have been willed by God, usually with reference to the eventual fate of the individual soul. It speaks only of the elect, God’s chosen people. Why wouldn't God just create everyone to enjoy the glory of heaven? 1 Thessalonians 1:4-5. knowing, brethren beloved by God, His choice of you; for our gospel did not come to you in word only, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction; just as you know what kind of men we proved to be among you for your sake. The Samaritan first saw the hurting man. The only thing that is going to solve America’s problems is Jesus. However, God can still love (in some sense) those He hates. Everything God does – even his anger and judgments – is driven by love. The family provides a framework for each family member to grow as a person in love and security. More importantly, the disciples themselves once belonged to the world but were drawn out of it (e.g., John 15:19). God doesn’t force his love on us and he does not force us to love him. God has liberty to elect whoever God wants and God knows best who is worthy of seeing his face. 7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Walk through that door, and there is a place set at the table of God. Those who hold this view often go to great lengths to argue that John 3:16 cannot reallymean God loves the whole world. Grace isn’t based on our works. Like. Yes, He can cause and allow bad things to come to us, but always for our good. Saving grace is a gift for his children. We are called to be the light and the difference in our world. electing love of God the Father. The question of predestination vs. free will is a long standing one in the body of Christ. This is the Love of God. God is love and it is our love as Christians that set us apart. The LORD your God has chosen you to be a people for his own possession, above all peoples who are on the face of the earth” ( Deuteronomy 7:6 ). But what I want to discuss in this article is the New Testament’s use of “elect” and “chosen” to identify sinners whom God has saved. 4 Love is patient, love is kind. 5 And hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us. Let me explain. It means that He can’t sweep anything under the rug. The Bible teaches that God chooses which sinners will be saved and that it is an act completed by God alone. And then there is the famous John 3:16. God’s particular, effective, selecting love toward his elect people The elect may be the entire nation of Israel or the church as a body or individuals. He gives them life, food to eat, air to breathe, family, etc. One of the first steps in being a good neighbor and loving others as yourself is noticing others. God’s wrath is already on some. 2:1–3 said that prayers for “all people” were good and pleasing in the sight of “God our Savior.”. God is working all things together for their good. In John 17:9, Jesus is praying, and he says, “I am praying for them. I am not praying for the world but for those whom you have given me, for they are yours.” So there’s a unique, praying love that he performs for them and not for others. 1. To be the elect, as you said, all you have to do is come to Christ, believing. This contrasts with the doctrine of reprobation. However, God’s decision not to save all people has to do with his character or nature. But these words do not prove (1) God is only love, (2) God loves all men, (3) God loves any man, (4) God loves you, (5) how long God loves, or (6) just about any thing else you imagine. No elect person can ever be blotted out of the book. You may have heard that “God hates sin but loves the sinner.”. Answer. Arminians differ on whether a person can lose their salvation or not. Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love.”. Love is the favorite subject of artists and poets throughout the ages. If God’s love is only understood as his electing love, we’ll too see easily say God hates all sorts of people, when that truth requires a good deal more nuance. 7 Beloved, j let us love one another, for love is from God, and k whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. Read Romans 1. Does the election of Israel imply rejection of other nations? Answer. God does not force. Satan whispers to us that God is rejecting us, that he prefers another, that someone else is getting better treatment and that we are losing out. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. “Grace can only be received when one is living a life of repentance and holiness unto the LORD.” Eph 2:8-9 states we are saved by grace through faith, or when we believe. Why is the doctrine of election essential if we want to glorify God? But You Yourself have not let me know whom You will send with me. Jesus commands us to love not only our friends but even our enemies—everyone. So these OT texts do not indicate that an elect person can be blotted out. In fact, God’s attributes of omniscience, impartiality, and love provide the basis to conclude that only He would be in a position to determine which world would be the very best. In other words, God will start showing love to that individual at a certain point in his lifetime. Christ's saving activity in his life, death and resurrection was thus potentially effective for all. God works to create belief in us. For there is no authority except from God, and those which exist are established by God. The Calvinist objects when we say, “for no reason at all.”. God's people will not suffer the wrath of God. It is God’s grace that allows anyone to be elected, because we are all imperfect sinners deserving of judgement, therefore, it is fair that every person be damned to hell, but by God’s grace not all are. Paul, a servant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ, for the sake … But anyone who does not love does not know God, for God is love. That is very much against the teaching of Jesus himself. With that said, it would be impossible for the human heart to love God without God the Holy Spirit empowering it. And thus no inconsistency has been demonstrated between God and hell. God’s love for the world cannot be collapsed into his love for the elect. There are several verses where the word eklektos is used. Therefore, God cannot hate people. He created us with free will. If we’re angry with a person, that tends to be our only emotion/attitude towards them. D. There is clear distinction between the elect and the reprobate, with God loving the one and hating the other. Electing process I would compare to receiving grades at school. On the extent of who will be saved, the Bible makes two clear points: God desires that all sinners be saved ( 1 Timothy 2:4; 2 Peter 3:9; Ezekiel 18:23; Matthew 23:37 ). Therefore, God does not love the non-elect. Without it, love is meaningless. God knows what humanity must have. Every person is to be in subjection to the governing authorities. God answered this prayer and did not destroy the city of Nineveh as He had threatened. This isn’t because God does not love them enough to let them into heaven. In affect, many groups teach that God does not love the world, but only his elect, or only those who love him. Exodus reads Pharoah hardened his heart and God hardened his heart. But God's people will not love their life even … Verse Concepts. because student's GPA was 100% so student's reward is scholarship because this student clearly was committed to education. God Loves Everyone! God Loves Sinners, even the vilest of offenders. God wants His creation to love Him for who He is. So what does this mean? Same answer as above. Perhaps the best-known argument for this view is found the unabridged edition of an otherwise excellent book, The Sovereignty of God, by A. W. Pink. This doctrine over the choice is called election because the Bible often refers to believers as “the Elect”, or eklektos. Unfortunately, my experience is that people who usually proclaim this, often when you first meet them, do so is a bragging sense and quickly reveal by what they say that they are a theological mess. Divine election is the source or origin of every Christian’s salvation. In other words, they infer that since he loves all, he must love all in the same way — that he cannot choose to love some in a more focused, electing, redeeming, adopting, eternal way. 2. God knows what is coming over the horizon. The Bible says in Luke 19:10 that Jesus came to seek and to save that which was lost. There are few concepts in religion that are more emotionally loaded and more misunderstood. And the basic answer--and I hope you can understand this--the basic answer is: because He got more glory for his own name by doing it the way He did it. Warn them before God against quarreling about words; it is of no value, and only ruins those who listen. “In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. Justice requires only judgment, not grace. But consider this. Not all people are saved or receive God’s steadfast love. Pay attention to the first six words—“For God so loved the world.” The entire world. If God needs to give the same grace to everyone then it isn’t grace anymore… it’s obligation. God’s love for the world cannot be collapsed into his love for the elect. Without it, love is meaningless. Those verses I listed earlier are irrefutable. If God loves everyone, why are not all people saved? Some people use it in the concept of saying that God chose them to do some sort of special thing. We need faith to believe in God’s goodness to the whole world, and every individual in it. John: The fact that some sinners are not elected to salvation is no proof that God's attitude toward them is utterly devoid of sincere love. The most well known verse is John 3:16, " For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. " Prevenient grace (or enabling grace) is a Christian theological concept rooted in Arminian theology, though it appeared earlier in Catholic theologies. Less than half of non-white Protestants (47%) and fewer than a quarter of white mainline Protestants (21%) and Catholics (22%) say God played a major role in the 2016 election… We cannot fathom God's purposes or know for certain what God knows about what is to be. He is calling only the “elect” to be “firstfruits” now — the small, first batch to salvation prior to His second coming (James 1:18). 1. God initiates our love for him ( John 6:44 ), God give us the desire to love him ( Philippians 2:13 ), and God gives us the power to love him ( Galatians 5:22 ). He does not turn a blind eye to our sin or draw everyone, willing or unwilling, into a saved state. Pink. However, even here there is a distinction between the elect and the non-elect: God is only near to those who call upon him in truth, those that fear him (v18-19). Satan whispers to us that God is rejecting us, that he prefers another, that someone else is getting better treatment and that we are losing out. Mosts Calvinists believe that God loves people other than the elect. Walls discusses how Calvinists, like D. A. Carson, say that God loves everyone but only in the sense of his providential care for all people and a general salvific stance toward the creation. When times are scary, relationships broken, and emotions on edge, we can turn to Scripture for inspiration. If God loves everybody unconditionally, then you can do whatever you want and believe whatever you think. If God’s love is only understood as his electing love, we’ll too see easily say God hates all sorts of people, when that truth requires a good deal more nuance. But first, the person must choose to accept salvation. ― A.W. God is defined as love. 1 John 4:17–19 (NLT) - And as we live in God, our love grows more perfect. Divine Favour. 29 When it comes to describing God’s unfathomable love, even the Bible admits defeat. Is it biblically accurate to say, “God hates the SIN, but loves the SINNER”? The elder, To the lady chosen by God and to her children, whom I love in the truth--and not I only, but also all who know the truth--New Living Translation This letter is from John, the elder. But these too are lies. Exodus reads Pharoah hardened his heart and God hardened his heart. Those who hold this view often go to great lengths to argue that John 3:16 cannot really mean God loves the whole world. 14 Keep reminding God's people of these things. This approach, named after its … That promise is to every living soul ever born. Puritans believed that God had already determined who would go to heaven and who to hell, and that a small percentage of individuals among the population were the Elect, those predestined for heaven. Here’s a radical statement. In John 3:16, It is written that “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”. Please comment. God deliberately chooses persecuted characters such as Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, David -- and Israel. 24 For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect. ― A.W. Now, the problem arises when folks go beyond Scripture and infer from those statements that God, because of his love for all people, cannot and does not elect some to everlasting life, but all. 15 Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth. Only God can do this, and God does so unconditionally, and for all, not just a limited number of the pre-selected. He’s placed an absolute condition by which He requires—He doesn’t just invite people to come to His Son—He commands all men everywhere to repent of their sins and to come to Christ. As Jesus says in Matthew 5:45: For He [the Father] makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. Pink. Man has free will and thus can resist the call of God. So what is the mark of the beast? Some Christians say that we should avoid doctrines such as election, because they are so controversial. 7 The Lord did not set his love upon you, nor choose you, because ye were more in number than any people; for ye … The elect may be the entire nation of Israel or the church as a body or individuals. It seems reasonable to assume that if God loved everyone, He would have chosen everyone unto salvation. Less than half of non-white Protestants (47%) and fewer than a quarter of white mainline Protestants (21%) and Catholics (22%) say God played a major role in the 2016 election… “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. God is very clear in his commandment to us to love others without any judgement. It is in this latter sense that God** foreknew* those whom He predestined, called, and … (The Gospel According to John, Wm B. Erdman’s Publishing Company, Grand Rapids, MI: 1991. And somehow, in some way, God is glorified in what He did, and that's why He did it. God not only protected Ishmael, God blessed him exceedingly. God elected us in Christ. This word is frequently avoided or redefined in evangelical churches because if God’s love isn’t about us; it’s about him. However, God is also perfectly true, righteous, and holy; therefore, He must hate evil, which is the opposite of everything God is. Read Romans 1. God definitely chooses us, but we also choose him. God’s election. Finally, love is the one thing that will last forever. It is also clear that not everyone is elect. Depending on how one defines "love," the answer can be either that he loves everyone, or that he loves only the elect, or even that he loves only his covenant community. is God Himself. But that God does not love everyone with his “selective love toward his elect.” (pp 38-9). The teaching of predestination to salvation is based on this doctrine, as well as their interpretation of Romans 13 and submission to government. The believer that is most pleasing to God is the one that proves their love of God and love of others by seeking to be as Christ like as we can be. First and foremost, God IS love. However, God can still love (in some sense) those He hates. Faith believes in God's love so does not desperately seek exact terms for everything but can repose and rest in faith. He created us with free will. The only one who can love perfectly….patiently, selflessly, kindly, etc. Wearing a mask is a practical way to show that you love your neighbor, to lift the burden of someone who is afraid instead of adding to it.”. Knowing God’s love for you. There are … So, does God love everybody? Not only are baptism, repentance, faith, and obeying the commandments necessary for justification, but also good works for love of God and neighbors. The reason why the United States became a great nation in the first place is because we were a Christian nation, and the only way we would ever have a chance of being a great nation again would be if we were to turn back to God … Of course, this stands in contrast with the typical view that God does love everybody. “Now, will not God bring about justice for His elect who cry to Him day … I have written for almost two decades now on how the medical system is a system of idolatry, whereby man trusts in the “medicines” that in the Bible are usually referred to as “sorceries” or “witchcraft,” instead of trusting God. In this way, you will keep yourselves safe in God’s love. “Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering; bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do. That is the message of Romans 13:1, but Hosea 8:4 seems to contradict. Skeptics might claim that God, in knowing all the choices a person would make, would not need to create all the people who would end up in hell. 2 This can only be done when we truly believe that God really loves us. And in fact, Moses asked God to blot him out for the sake of the Israelites who had sinned, and God said no; he would not blot Moses out (Exod. Not all are saved, therefore, not all are loved, at least … “Dear friends, let’s love each other, because love is from God, and everyone who loves is born from God and knows God. No doubt this statement causes an emotional response. God is a Savior “who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.”. The best evidence of God’s love for the world would be Jesus Christ. 4. God created humanity to be perfect and sinless, to live in joyful submission to him, to offer him pure worship. It is unconditional (not based upon meeting certain conditions). It sound to me that He does love everyone. John 6:37-40. I am writing to the chosen lady and to her children, whom I love in the truth—as does everyone else who knows the truth— English Standard Version Not only are baptism, repentance, faith, and obeying the commandments necessary for justification, but also good works for love of God and neighbors. The Lord is not a God of hate, as Scripture tells us that “ God is love ” ( 1 John 4:8, 16 ). God hates the wicked because their wickedness is first a mark of the deepest rebellion against him and against his rule. 32:32-33). Grace isn’t based on our works. Divine Favour. “It is not the absence of sin but the grieving over it which distinguishes the child of God from empty professors”. ... God is calling only a few to salvation at this present time. To the contrary, not only does God want everyone to get saved, He provides them with all they need to have legitimate chance to do so. By distinguishing between (1) God’s providential love for creation, (2) his salvific stance toward fallen humanity (God’s general call), and (3) his particular and effective love toward the elect (God’s effectual call), God can be said to truly love the non-elect because he loves them in … This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. Strang was in New York for the Trump campaign’s victory party on November 8, 2016, and as he describes the euphoria of the evening, he shows just enough of his hand to … But you don’t even have to look at the bad things which happen to know that God is not controlling everything or everyone. God does no evil. 10 Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. He believes that Christ died only for the elect.] 16 Avoid godless chatter, because those who indulge in it will become more and more ungodly. Then Moses said to the Lord, “See, You say to me, ‘Bring up this people!’. God forces His will upon no one. And if God’s love is bound up entirely in warnings like “keep yourselves in the love of God” (Jude 21), we’ll fall into legalism and lots of unwarranted self-doubt. One day everything else will fade away…there will be no more prophecy or teaching or anything else because God’s people will be in God’s presence forever…but there will always be love. In other words, God has the ability to meticulously control everything, but in His wisdom and love for mankind, He has chosen not to determine everything yet. tags: repentance , sin. “Grace can only be received when one is living a life of repentance and holiness unto the LORD.” Eph 2:8-9 states we are saved by grace through faith, or when we believe. One camp (Arminianism) says that people have complete free will, whereas the other (Calvinism) says that God predestines everything. For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish ,but Have everlasting life. That is, logic of men cannot be used to derive the answer, only God’s Word. That’s who He is. As we have seen throughout this study, Scripture clearly says that God is love. 2. 2:4. Brown quoted John 3:16, "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life." What does the Bible say about loving everyone? God does not have to elect anybody. Proverbs 12:22 ESV / 18 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful Lying lips are an abomination to the Lord , but those who act faithfully are his delight. John 3:36. Chosen by God: a look at the doctrine of predestination. This can only be done when we truly believe that God really loves us. An examination of Scripture reveals differently though, specifically in the case of Jacob and Esau. God does not elect everyone to salvation, and it is completely fair. Although God knew about all men before the world began, He did not know all men in the sense that the Bible sometimes uses the word “know,” i.e., with intimate personal awareness and love. And if God’s love is bound up entirely in warnings like “keep yourselves in the love of God” (Jude 21), we’ll fall into legalism and lots of unwarranted self-doubt. The latter was the result of the former. We need faith to believe in God’s goodness to the whole world, and every individual in it. LOVE "Whoever does not love does not know God, for God is love." Yet God’s chosen people disobeyed His commandments and profaned His weekly Sabbath and annual Sabbaths (2 Kings 17:13-18; Ezekiel 20:12-13). When anyone causes harm to another in this world, God’s perfect love and justice demand punishment. We know from Scripture that God is compassionate, kind, generous, and good even to the most stubborn sinners. Moreover, You have said, ‘I have known you by name, and you have also found favor in My sight.’. 3. And it’s just not true that God loves us unconditionally. 11 Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another." As Jesus says in Matthew 5:45: For He [the Father] makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. Everyone. Christian thought on the role of free will and predestination often permeates discussions of Christian theology. We look at another salvation verse of Paul’s writings. 1. Behind his every action beats a tender heart that longs to forgive and bless. God’s love for you extends far beyond the bounds of human comprehension. Your response? But He didn’t do this for everyone, nor must He. God, All knowing. The term, "the world," is clearly defined in John's Gospel, and it cannot mean the elect, argued Brown, director of the Coalition of Conscience. God provided a sacrifice in His Son, a true payment in full for the sins of all who would ever believe. Only faith, which is an exercise of our will, under the influence of divine grace, is required of us. But You Yourself have not let me know whom You will send with me. At the end of grade 12 out of 100 students lets say only 1 will get SCHOLARSHIP, why? Pope Francis likely agrees. Does God Offer Forgiveness of Sin to All People or Just Believers by Rich Deem Introduction. This idea is that GOD only loves an elect. The Bible itself uses "love" in a number of ways, so this kind of ambiguity is to be expected. God does not force. 28. Only with wicked. God does not have an intimate love for everyone. And consider how God can turn the bad things into good for those who love God (Romans 8:28). 4. 1 John 4:7-8 says, “Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. It says nothing of any people whom God did not choose, but who chose Him. They do, however, believe that God has a special love for the elect that is different from his love for others. So he does the next best thing that he can do: deceive the nations and make them fear him, instead of God. B. T he phrase “chosen by God” is used in a variety of ways. Actually, this is not the general agreement of Calvinists. Mosts Calvinists believe that God loves people other than the elect. They do, however, believe that God has a special love for the elect that is different from his love for others. How does the denial of it detract from His glory? But to be elected means to be chosen by God (Ephesians 1:4-5; 2 Thessalonians 2:13). God’s great love for us flows out of His character. The latter was the result of the former. 6 For while we were still helpless, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. That on this side of the Cross HE gives everyone an opportunity to turn to HIM and accept HIS gift of salvation. For God so loved the world… 3. God gave His laws and Sabbaths to be a benefit to all people (Deuteronomy 10:13; Mark 2:27). 8 l Anyone who does not love does not know God, because m God is love. The context is God’s grace that provides salvation to us in Jesus Christ. In an effort to still use phrases like “God loves the world” and “God loves you” while understanding that God does not love everyone like he loves his elect, people have suggested that God loves the non-elect in the same way he loves all of the created order. Moreover, You have said, ‘I have known you by name, and you have also found favor in My sight.’. One of the growing trends in popular Christianity is the theological approach better known as Calvinism. Anyone who loves is a child of God and knows God. Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love. When God chooses to save a sinner, He puts forth an action to save that person. … The fact that some sinners are not elected to salvation is no proof that God’s attitude toward them is …
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