Does God love the world?

One of the most common views about God among believers and unbelievers alike is that "God loves everybody." Even if unbelievers don't believe, they see it as a given, a standard claim of the believer. And any attempt to question it is met with serious backlash. You don't want to argue that God doesn't love everybody. That will certainly put you outside the door.

On one hand it must be argued biblically that God indeed loves everyone. Jesus said, "I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust" (Matt 5:44-45). We are to be like our Father in heaven, you see. We are to love our enemies just as our Father in heaven gives good things to the just and the unjust. God loves everyone.

On the other hand, it is not right to argue that God loves everyone the same. Now, I know ... that claim might make you squirm a little. Here, look at it this way. The Church is described in Scripture as the Bride of Christ, and we know that Christ loves His Bride. In human terms, we are commanded to love our neighbor (including our enemies). At the same time, you know that the love you have for your neighbor doesn't compare to the love you have for your spouse. It's not the same. In fact, if it was the same, it would be evil. We are not to love our neighbors in the same way that we love our spouses. Neither does God love the unjust in the same way that He loves the just.

The best place to find this distinction is in what you would probably consider the least likely place. It is in the most popular argument for the universal love of God, John 3:16. Come on ... quote it with me. You all know it.

For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

"Come on!" you might be saying. "Can it be any clearer? Doesn't it say, 'God loved the world so much that He gave His only begotten Son?'" No, I'm sorry to say, it does not. What it does say is this: "God loved the world in this manner ..." That "so" isn't quantity, but quality. We use "so" that way when we use a phrase like "You have to do the task just so." The word "so" can be a quantity, but the word here is not that term; it's a qualitative term. "God loved the world ... this way." What way? Well, He sent His Son. But don't stop there. There are limitations placed here. He displays a special love for a special group. What group? "Whosoever believes in Him." And what is that special love? They receive everlasting life. You see, it's "in this manner".

It is undeniable that God has a general love for the people of the world. That's why He sent His Son to die. However, God's love is not infinite. We must not forget that there is a particular love that God has for His own people -- those who believe in His Son -- and a particular love of Christ for His Bride -- those who are the Church. Don't be confused. God doesn't love everyone equally. Christ isn't an adulterer loving everyone in the world in the same way. For those of you who are believers, there is a special love. And that's a good thing. Cherish that.