God loves everyone – even you!

Submitted by Oliver (United States), Jul 2, 2009 at 13:00

Does God love everyone – even you?

My friend - God loves everyone - even you - that is the basic premise for the coming of Jesus - God loves us and sent His Son to save us from the penalty of our sins - let's begin our 'discussion' in the Gospel of John [ESV] …

John 1:9 The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world.

John 1:10 He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world did not know him.

The Greek word translated 'world' in these verses and elsewhere is kosmos – by implication the world (in a wide or narrow sense, including its inhabitants, literally or figuratively) – Strong.

Note the claim that the 'true light' enlightens 'everyone' – no distinction or differentiation based of belief or reception – in the following verses the 'true light' is identified as Jesus (the only Son) Christ.

John 1:29 The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, "Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!"

Here, John the Baptist introduces the purpose for the coming of the 'true light' – to remove the sin of the world.

Joh 3:16 "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.

Joh 3:17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.

Joh 3:18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.

Joh 3:19 And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil."

The arrival of the 'true light' preceded the belief of those who were 'saved through Him' – the only Son. Therefore 'God so loved the world' before anyone believed or received of the 'true light'.

Rom 5:6 For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly.

Rom 5:7 For one will scarcely die for a righteous person--though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die--

Rom 5:8 but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

1Ti 1:15 The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost.

It is clear that the apostle Paul understood that God's love was expressed toward all sinners through the death of the only Son – Jesus Christ.

1Jn 2:1 My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.

1Jn 2:2 He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world.

1Jn 4:7 Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God.

1Jn 4:8 Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love.

1Jn 4:9 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.

1Jn 4:10 In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.

1Jn 4:14 And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world.

So there you have it – God demonstrated His love for 'sinners' by sending His only Son to deliver His life as payment (propitiation) for the sin(s) – not only of those who believed – of the whole world.

For God so loved the (whole) world – that means you – too!

Peace & Love

---

Note: Opinions expressed in comments are those of the authors alone and not necessarily those of Daniel Pipes. Original writing only, please. Comments are screened and in some cases edited before posting. Reasoned disagreement is welcome but not comments that are scurrilous, off-topic, commercial, disparaging religions, or otherwise inappropriate. For complete regulations, see the "Guidelines for Reader Comments".