One of the key assertions found throughout Scripture is that God is love. This statement transcends mere attributes; it defines who He truly is.
Love can save lives and alter lives forever; that is why Jesus urges us to love our enemies and pray for those who persecute us.
Table of Contents
1. The Righteous
God declares those who have received salvation through Jesus Christ to be righteous before Him and desires that they dwell forever with Him. But this does not imply any less love for those outside Christianity who comprise two-thirds of global population. He has a specific plan and purpose for them all.
Answering the question “Who does God love the most?” starts with considering God’s commitment to righteousness in our fallen world, demonstrated by His relentless pursuit of justice and truth. This love can be seen manifest in various forms: protecting those who make righteous choices while atoning for past sins; He particularly enjoys showing his affection towards faithful individuals such as Moses, Rahab and David or entire nations such as Israel.
He shows special favor to certain individuals or groups, especially those who believe in His Son Jesus Christ. God gave up His Son for them and His hope is that they accept him (John 3:16). This does not equate to favoritism because God values righteousness above everything else and so much so that He sent Jesus Christ as our sacrifice for our sins (Rom 5:18-21).
God shows his affection for humanity in many other ways as well. For instance, before creating the universe he decreed that man will dominate it. Furthermore, He created it beautifully with blessings as an act of love but ultimately judges its rebellion with wrath.
He shows his great love by continuing to provide for its needs – including those of the poorest among us – even as it rebels. Jesus bears witness to this fact as He laid down His judgement upon Him at Calvary. Though God does judge our behavior sometimes, He never abandons it outright as evidenced by pouring out His judgment upon Him at Calvary. Instead He loves this rebellious image-bearer deeply and unshakeably and desires a special relationship despite its rejection of Him; He shows this love by caring for those less fortunate than himself in society. This love continues today by meeting their needs with provisions made available through ministries that aid these particular needs of world communities such as China or Africa.
2. The Unrighteous
God may love the unrighteous, but His love comes with an equal measure of hatred. Scripture indicates this by outlining specific sins which He dislikes and will judge accordingly. God despises sin because it goes against his character and what He stands for; His love of humanity however shows through in that even after they had fallen short, He pursued them until they could find reconciliation through Christ Jesus, His only Son.
Sin is foolishness in God’s eyes; this is because it rejects what the righteous have taught and continues regardless. Furthermore, it denies the reality that there is a higher power at work in this universe and a plan larger than any individual mind can comprehend.
David was one of God’s favorite creations and an example of His incredible love for mankind. While not perfect himself, David showed great courage, passion, and dedication towards his faith despite engaging in sinful behavior such as sleeping with multiple women or murdering people against His will – yet even after such actions the Bible describes him as beloved of the Lord.
God’s unfailing love should move us to worship Him fervently, as evidenced by Psalmist David proclaiming it is better than life itself: It provides protection all day long!
God’s indefatigable devotion to justice and righteousness fuels His fierce dislike for evildoers and his desire for them to repent, as evidenced by sending Jesus Christ, his one and only Son, to die on the Cross for everyone’s sins – righteous as well as unrighteous alike. So the question shouldn’t be whether or not He loves all men equally, but who does He love more.
3. The Enemies of God
God holds mankind in special regard as He created them in His image. For this reason He pursued humanity when Adam fell short of God’s glory and provided a way for all men to be reconciled with Him through Jesus Christ. However, His love does not condone sin – those who continue in their sin remain enemies of the Almighty and therefore need forgiveness through faith alone.
God’s enemies are those who reject His Son, Jesus Christ. Their rejection of Him is deliberate and does not happen by accident – rather it’s by choice. Scripture warns against trying to please or appease Him by doing anything harmful (Romans 1:18; 1 John 2:16) as He cannot be pleased if someone continues in sin such as idolatry (Genesis 1:26). Although He wishes all men and women could come into peace with Him and find salvation, He does not approve of those who use His power for evil or against Him (Genesis 1:26).
“Those who oppose God often fail to recognize this fact until it’s too late. Though it may seem paradoxical, God loves some more than He loves Himself – indeed His love for His Son, Jesus Christ, is unconditional. So it shouldn’t come as any surprise that he also loves those who receive Jesus as they did themselves.”
Of those who oppose God, most understand they are sinners; however, few truly grasp they are His enemies by nature. Many have an inbred distaste for Him due to His perfections – they hear that He is infinitely holy, pure, and righteous and they would rather serve an earthly creature who resembles themselves than worship such a being as themselves – this is why His name cannot be profaned or His Son be insulted or He threatens eternal punishment in hell for their efforts – only Christ’s blood can redeem these enemies of His Father from its power over these adversaries of His Lord!
4. The World
Before there was ever one atom in existence, God loved creation – as He is love and because an attentive Creator values what they create. One of His great achievements was our world and its complexity and beauty which He celebrated with praiseworthy praise by declaring all creation to be “good” (Genesis 1:26-27).
God decreed before man existed that the earth would fall under his dominion and thus serve as an expression of his love for this planet and humanity, whom He created specifically in His image. This declaration can only be understood as evidence of God’s commitment to humankind’s wellbeing and destiny as His image bearers.
God is unconditional in his love for his creation, which means there are no strings attached. The Bible describes this love as unconditional – that He sent His son Jesus Christ to die for our sins so we may live eternally with Him despite what any of us could possibly do to earn it! There’s nothing we could ever do to earn this amazing love from Him – He truly adores you so much He sent his Son Jesus Christ as an act of devotion!
God’s love for the world is also evidenced through his mercy and goodness toward people. He patiently waits for them to repent and turn back toward him – not wanting anyone to perish but punishing those who do not and rewarding those who are righteous.
God’s love for humanity stems from his perfect relationship between Himself and Himself and his ultimate commitment to their highest good. He will never cease loving creation or seeking the salvation of his image-bearers because they reflect him more than any other thing. Therefore we should worship and adore him with reverence as Paul did: “To Him who can keep you from falling and save you and make you stand forever–be glory forever and ever. Amen” (1 Corinthians 1:8-30). God’s unconditional love is unparalleled within this universe, inviting you closer into a closer and more intimate relationship with him than ever before – something all of us should do in response.
