From Eliyahu
Does God love everyone? A lot of people believe that He does.
Here are some examples:
- Mother Teresa: "God loves each
of us as if there were only one
of us."
- Martin Luther King Jr.: "God's
love is too great to be confined
to any one side of a conflict or
to any one religion."
- Desmond Tutu: "God's love is
too great to be confined to any
one religion or creed."
- C.S. Lewis: "Though our
feelings come and go, God’s love
for us does not."
- Henri Nouwen: "God loves us
without conditions, as we
are, not as we should be."
These quotes reflect the common belief of many that God’s love is
unconditional. God's love is
unconditional, if what we mean
by that is that God’s love is
offered to all people without
prejudice. This perspective
emphasizes that God's love is
constantly available to all
people. It is Scriptural to
believe that God wishes none to
perish, wanting the best for
everyone. Peter put it like
this:
“The Lord is not slow concerning his promise, as some count
slowness; but is patient with
us, not wishing that any
should perish, but that
all should come to repentance.”
(2 Peter 3:9)
As we look a bit closer at this verse, though, it is not saying that
God has no conditions, since the
corollary to not perishing is to
“come to repentance.”
In other words, there are conditions to entering into the full love
of God to be saved from
perishing, and that includes
repentance. Repentance means
turning away from behaviors that
offend God. Acts shows clearly
that repentance is a condition
required to be saved. The verse
says:
“Peter said to them, Repent, and be immersed, every one of
you, in the name of Yeshua the
Messiah for the forgiveness of
sins, and you will receive the
gift of the Holy Spirit.” (Acts 2:38)
In that verse Peter pointed out another condition. Namely, taking up
a new life in Yeshua Messiah as
demonstrated through immersion.
Thereby receiving forgiveness of
sins. This is according to the
principle stated by Messiah
Himself:
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his one and only Son, that
whoever believes in him should
not perish, but have eternal
life.”
(John 3:16)
When any person meets these two conditions, namely, to repent, and
to accept new life in Messiah as
their Lord, they are forgiven of
their sins, receive the Holy
Spirit, and are saved out of
this world into the family of
the Father and His
self-sacrificing Son. There is
no other way to enter into the
full love of God and the favor
of God that comes with that.
Forever after that it is the
duty of each one to walk out the
will of God in their life. The
Scripture puts it like this:
“Therefore I urge you, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present
your bodies a living sacrifice,
holy, acceptable to God, which
is your spiritual service. Don’t
be conformed to this world, but
be transformed by the renewing
of your mind, so that you may
prove what is the good,
well-pleasing, and perfect will
of God.” (Romans 12:1-2)
Growing in our life in Messiah must be the life-long goal of each of
us, as we grow ever-closer in
our walk with Him. To help us do
that He freely gives us grace in
His Son to take us from where we
start out to full maturity in
the faith. By His grace we have
forgiveness for our sins as we
keep moving forward in His ways.
Truly, His love is precious. If you truly appreciate that gift you
will follow Yeshua and will do
as He has done. He put it like
this:
“In this is my Father glorified, that you bear much fruit; and so
you will be my disciples. Even
as the Father has loved me, I
also have loved you. Remain in
my love. If you keep my
commandments, you will remain in
my love; even as I have kept my
Father’s commandments, and
remain in his love. I have
spoken these things to you, that
my joy may remain in you, and
that your joy may be made full.”
(John 15:8-11)
