The logical conclusion of the popular, “God loves all men” doctrine is that God sincerely loves those who will spend eternity in Hell. In other words, all those in hell are truly loved by God with a love which is displayed by eternal conscious torment that will never end. For all time these objects of God’s love will experience the full wrath of His hatred for sin being eternally separated from Him while enduring the same punishment as devils and demons. But take comfort you damned, because god is sad that you are in the place He sent you, experiencing the everlasting torments He is lavishing upon you.
The love of God is therefore logically reduced to a sort of pathetic wishing that somehow things could be different. While the Sovereign God is reduced to a helpless victim of circumstance who desires one thing but is forced to live with another. The God of the Bible, however, is in complete control over all things whatsoever comes to pass. When the modern church says God would save all if He could, the God of the Bible says, “’My counsel shall stand, And I will do all My pleasure,” (Isaiah 46:10).
The Bible does not teach the man made “God loves all men” doctrine. The Bible says we love Him because He first loved us (1 John 4:19). Those who do not love God lack the evidence that God loves them. Further, the Bible says that God loves the Righteous but hates the wicked (Psalm 5:4-6; 11:5). And that God created the wicked for destruction (Proverbs 16:4; Romans 9:22).
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I would suggest that the man made, “God loves all men doctrine”, is creating a culture of hard-hearted people who have no fear of God or Hell (Romans 3:18; Ezekiel 33:1-6). Like the Jews in the first century who rejected their own Messiah (John 8:30-47), the men of our generation are convinced that they are the apple of God’s eye (Matthew 7:21-23; 1John 1:5-7). They cannot hear God’s command to repent because it makes no sense. Why repent, why change, when God already loves me just as I am.
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God does not love those who will spend eternity in Hell (Psalm 1:6; 5:4-6; 11:5; 37:20; 112:10; Proverbs 15:9; 2 Peter 2:12). Yes while they are granted the gift of this passing life God provides for them as He does all living things, the rain falls on the just and the unjust (Matthew 5:45; Psalm 145:9; Acts 14:16-17). But it is not right to call this common providential care love. This kindness of God will only add to the suffering of those in hell (Luke 16:31), for in these acts of providence God clearly reveals to all men both His eternal power and Godhead leaving them without excuse (Romans 1:18-32).
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It is my hope that we will be granted to repent of promising the love of God to all men. That we will be more careful, to be honest about the love of God. And that we will preach faithfully the gospel, the only message able to truly bring people into the love of God (Romans 1:16; 1 Corinthians 1:18)
Justin Hoke, Pulpit and Pen, Does God Love All Men?, February 28, 2017
Note
Justin Hoke is the pastor of Lake Shastina Community Bible Church in Weed, California.
