Who Does God Love?

We established in last week’s article that God certainly does not love everyone. Well then, who does He love?

In John 13:1 we are told that Jesus loved His own. That is, He loves those who were given to Him by the Father in the covenant of grace before the world began (John 17:9, 11, Ephesians 1). They are described as His sheep (John 10).

To whom, then, can we properly declare God’s love? In John 14:21, Jesus said, "He that loveth me shall be loved of my Father." I am not suggesting at all that His love is in response to our love, for I John 4:19 plainly asserts just the opposite.

I am saying that God’s love is only declared to those who manifest a love for Jesus. That is why the most evangelical book in the Bible (Acts) speaks nowhere of the love of God, but the letters to the believers in the churches speak everywhere of the love of God.

Why is it that some believe? Acts 13:48 tells us that they were predestinated unto faith and love. Why is it that some do not believe? John 10:26 tells us that it is because they do not belong to God. He never knew them.

The modern "gospel" begins with the love of God, but may I suggest that we take another look!

John 13:1 Now before the feast of the passover, when Jesus knew that his hour was come that he should depart out of this world unto the Father, having loved his own which were in the world, he loved them unto the end.