Question concerning God's Agape love

Does God have Agape love for all people?

Please explain why he does or please explain why not?

Thank you.

I am just replying to keep this topic active. I would appreciate your responses.

Thank you.

No, God sais He hates the wicked.

Psalm 11:4-6 (ESV)

4The LORD is in his holy temple;
the LORD's throne is in heaven;
his eyes see, his eyelids test, the children of man.
5The LORD tests the righteous,
but his soul hates the wicked and the one who loves violence.
6Let him rain coals on the wicked;
fire and sulfur and a scorching wind shall be the portion of their cup.

That is what I was thinking as well.

But how does this impact John 3:16?
John 3:16 (ESV)

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.

No, God sais He hates the wicked.

So, who is wicked?

JaySaved wrote:
But how does this impact John 3:16?
John 3:16 (ESV)

daniel- wrote:
So, who is wicked?

Logic,

So you are saying that God has Agape love for all people, but hates what has become of them?

Please explain in more detail.

It is scriptual that God hates the unbeliever:

Rom 9:13 As it is written, Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated.

Psa 5:5 The boastful shall not stand before Your eyes; You hate all who do iniquity.

Psa 11:5 The LORD trieth the righteous: but the wicked and him that loveth violence his soul hateth.

But at the same time the Bible teaches that God loves all men:

Joh 3:16 "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.

Rom 5:8 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

I personally believe this Love God has towards mankind is compared to the common and effectual call of men:

Mat 22:14 "For many are called, but few are chosen."

I believe that God loves the wicked, unbeliever in a different way that He loves His elect. If He truly hated the unbeliever why would He grant anything to them in the way of common grace. God is sovereign over all things. Us humans, our finite minds cannot conprehend His love and hatred towards mankind, we cannot discern and define what His divine love and hatred is.

Isa 55:8 For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD.
[email]jwent@sbcglobal.net[/email]

JWENT,

So you say that God has Agape Love towards some people but not all people?

Does God have Agape love for all people?

Please explain why he does or please explain why not?

God IS agape. He cannot be NOT-agape. God can love and hate at the same time. There is no temper in God's attitudes toward his creation but settled states.

God IS agape. He cannot be NOT-agape. God can love and hate at the same time. There is no temper in God's attitudes toward his creation but settled states.

Can the Agape God have mercy on one person but not have mercy on another and still be Agape?

I say this in the context of God rightfully casting an unbeliever in Hell:

God is Agape Love. Does God show (or exhibit) this Agape Love to all men equally?

I am sorry. I can't let this die. I am honestly curious and seeking an answer to this question.

I keep hearing from pastor's and author's that Agape love is an unconditional love that in essence says, 'I will love you regardless of whether or not you love me in return. My love for you is unconditional.'

I then here the statement, 'God has Agape love for all people.' To which I respond, 'Then how can he cast them into hell?'

This is not a 'straw man' argument I really hear these statements and I have yet to find an answer.

Please, give me your thoughts.

Thank you.

I have prayerfully asked God about his very thing myself because I have had a number of people use that as a reason for not believing in a personal loving God.

Hell was not made for people but for the devil and his fallen angels who are not heirs of salvation. Human beings choose to join that number by refusing to accept so great of a salvation.

It became clear to me when I thought about the times there was a rift in a relationship I had with a person, maybe my spouse. Maybe I said some words I shouldn't have. I could not look that person in the eye because there was a wall between us. It caused me to avoid that person until I made the situation right. How much more God. It is sin that separates. If we can't look into the eyes of a person that we have wronged on earth without asking forgiveness, how will stand before a Holy God and live? God's love is never diminished, in fact it is burning, but our lack of repentence causes us to hide our faces, even as Adam did. We can't recieve the love, Heaven, eternal life, joy and peace extended until we fall on our faces, acknowledge our sin and ask for forgiveness. At that point we can stand up and know we are free and accepted in the Beloved. Enter into the joy of the Lord! Then we will be able to see Him face to face and look deep into His eyes without fear.

I certainly am no theologian, but this way of viewing how a good God could send someone to hell has helped me to understand God's heart just a bit. It is not His will that any should perish but that all should come to repentence. That is why we need to tell them the good news.

Goldminer,

Thank you for your thoughts on this topic. I for one know that God is a personal and loving God.

You bring up an interesting point though.
If it is not God's will that any should perish but all should come to repentance, then in his agape love why does he then cast those who do not respond to him correctly into an everlasting lake of fire?

Something seems to be missing in that statement. This is why some people become Universalists, this is why some people reject Christianity all together. This doesn't make sense.

If Agape love is a love that loves unconditionally despite what someone else does or does not do, then what part of Agape is it that cast the person into hell?

Jay Saved asked:

"If Agape love is a love that loves unconditionally despite what someone else does or does not do, then what part of Agape is it that cast the person into hell?"

An excellent question: God's love; in order to be love; grants man a free choice to respond to the redemption found in Jesus Christ. People are made aware of their need for God and their plight with out God. They are allowed to receive or reject that offer.

God sending someone to Hell does not violate; nor cancel out; nor compromise His love.

God merely ratifies the choice of the person who chooses to reject God's love and remain in a self centered and self ruled lifestyle. Heaven is a place for those who desire to be there living under the Rule of Christ's love.

God never stops loving those who have rejected Him forever. They choose not to live under His love.

God still remains a Just and holy God as well. Through Jesus Christ the Love of God allows us to be transformed by God's holiness, rather than consumed and judged eternally by it. In love, Christ lived the perfect life on our behalf and satisfied the justice of God on behalf of our sin.

Jeremiah 9:23-24
Rejoice that you and I know Him.

Blessings,

Doug

God sending someone to Hell does not violate; nor cancel out; nor compromise His love.

Suppose a man has Agape love for his wife. Let's also suppose that this wife leaves her husband and lives with another man. If the ex-husband shot and killed his wife, would he violate, cancel out, or compromise his agape love?

God never stops loving those who have rejected Him forever.

Explain that to the person who is suffering eternal damnation.

I say all of that to say this, 'I struggle with the idea that God's shows Agape love to those whom He casts into hell.'

A few points:
- I am not saying He isn't right to cast them into Hell.
- I am not saying He does not have the right to cast them into Hell.
- I am saying that He is perfectly justified in casting them into Hell.
- I just struggle with the idea that God does not violate; nor cancel out; nor compromise His Agape love.

Either we need to rethink the meaning of Agape or we need to rethink to whom Agape is bestowed upon.

Dear JaySaved,

Quote:

If Agape love is a love that loves unconditionally despite what someone else does or does not do, then what part of Agape is it that cast the person into hell?

Before I anwer any more questions, I want to ask some.

Why are your asking these questions?

Are you trying to come to a greater understanding yourself?

Are you trying to talk to someone and overcome their confusion over the goodness and severity of God?

Or are you asking this to generate conversation over a controversial doctrine?

Just wondering the heart behind the question.

Why are your asking these questions?
Are you trying to come to a greater understanding yourself? Yes.
Are you trying to talk to someone and overcome their confusion over the goodness and severity of God? No.
Or are you asking this to generate conversation over a controversial doctrine? Yes.

Regardless of my motive, what do you make out of the questions being posed? This is a question that many lost people ask. What answer to we give?

I am loaded down the next few days, will answer when I can. :-)