First Warning: Do NOT conflate verses in the Bible about man's love and God's love. God's love is NOT the same as man's love. God's love and man's love are
analogous, but not
univocal (meaning the same for him as it does for us) .
.....Since God is
impassable -- his mind cannot be emotionally disturbed -- this means that divine love is not moody and not the effect of any cause; rather, God’s love is
not an changing emotion, but an impartial, uninfluenced volition to favor. His love is not moody for He is immutable; His love is impartial as all of each individuals traits originate with God. God's
love is
holy, man's is not; God's love is
uninfluenced, man's is not; God's love is
never capricious, man's is not; God's love is eternal, man's is not; God’s love is selfless, man’s is not, God’s love is
free to choose,
man’s is not ... so measure verses referring to man's love carefully in regard to applying them to God's love.
Second Warning: Beware of posts that do not define what God's love actually means. Specifically, agape love.
Definition #1: “Agape” is one of several Greek words for love. When the word “agape” is used in the Bible, it refers to a pure, willful, sacrificial love that intentionally desires another’s highest good."
Another source's definition: Agape - the Greek word agape means goodwill, benevolence, and willful delight in the object of love. Agape love involves faithfulness, commitment, and an act of the will. It is distinguished from the other types of love by its lofty moral nature and strong character.
So when someone says, God loves this or that person ... makes sure it passes the "smell test". God favors and takes delight in those He loves. If that person is not loved he is not favored and not delightful to God which is simple to test for that person is or will be in hell for eternity. If a person is loved, favored and delightful to God he is or will be in heaven for eternity. Break this rule and one is not talking about God's love; rather, a distorted view of what that person thinks God's love should be.
.... God does not love (favor) those He hates (disfavors); God does not hate (disfavor) those He loves (favors). Either of these statement would be contradictory if untrue and God is rational and non contradictory. (Jacob I loved, and Esau I hated).
God does not love those who will be separated from Him in hell.
- When God loves a man, it is impossible for that man to be separated from Him (Romans 8:38 - 39). Those that love God, God loved first. 1 John 4:19 We love, because He first loved us.
- Many will be separated from God in the last day by the words, “Depart from me” (Matthew 7:23).
- Since the wicked in hell will be separated from God, it is sure that He never loved them at all.
- It is idiocy to say God loves those in hell just as much and in the same way as those in heaven. If you say He stopped loving them at some point, this would contradict His immutability.
God is angry at the wicked every day, unbelievers cannot please God.
- The Bible declares rather plainly that God is angry at the wicked every day (Psalm 7:11).
- He burned in His wrath toward men, when He drowned the entire planet in a Flood of water.
- And He will be angry again toward men, when He burns up the planet with fire in the last day.
- God’s anger toward His elect brings kind chastening; His anger toward the wicked brings hell.