God of Love or a Consuming Fire?

Why would a God of love punish anybody?

What is God Like?

Holy, wrathful, just & loving?Contradiction or Paradox?

What does holy mean?How does a Holy God react to sin? Heb 12:29

Is God right to be angry? Miroslav Volf : God isn't wrathful in spite of being love. God is wrathful because God is love

Cf. Nah. 1:2; Ps. 78:38 & Col 3:5-6How do we reconcile these verses?

Does God Love Everyone?

What do we mean by “love”?Seems a silly question?What does the Bible say?Jn 3:16, 36 … I Jn 4:7-8,16 … Rom 5:8Consider Matt 5:43-48 – a form of love?Does God love all people the same?Consider Jacob & Esau … Be very careful – we are not God! I Jn 3:16

What did Jesus say?

Jn 17:9 I pray for them. I do not pray for the world, but for those whom You have given Me, for they are Yours. Jn 16:27 the Father Himself loves you, because you have loved Me and have believed that I came out from God. So what did He mean in Jn 3:16? – Jesus never told sinners “God loves you”Who is “the world”?

What do we mean by Love?Beware a sentimentalised version of

God’s love in which God wouldn’t do anything to cause pain, displeasure or discomfort.C.S. Lewis: “The Four Loves” – which one?Danger of “God loves you” for both atheists & polytheism: which god?Must begin with bad news before good news makes any sense!

Does God hate anyone?

Is this a sacrilegious question? What does Bible say? Ps. 5:4-6; 11:5What about “God hates the sin, but loves the sinner”? You won’t find it in the Bible!So where does it come from?Probably: 1373-93~ Julian of Norwich

God so loved the world … 1.Universe:~ Acts 17:24

2.Earth:~ John 13:1; Eph 1:4,

3.World-system:~ Jn 12:31; Matt 4:8

4.Whole human race:~ Rom 3:19

5.Humanity minus believers:~ Jn 15:18;

6.Gentiles in contrast to Jews:~ Rom 11:12

7.Believers only:~ Jn 1:29; 6:33-36

Did Jesus Die for Everyone?II Cor 5:19 God was in Christ

reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them …impute - “attribute (responsibility or fault) to a cause or source …”A Limited Atonement: either:

a) Limited in its scope (saving only the elect) or

b) Limited in its effectiveness (saving those who accept it & do not resist)

And, your point is …?

“God loves you”: nowhere in the GospelsNo reference in Acts to love of God!God’s love first appears in the Epistles – written to believers!Gospel message wrong way round?Bad news (sin) before Good News (Salvation)

God reveals Himself as a holy God before He is a loving God.

In Summary

In a way, God does love everyone – He is love

Depends on how one defines "love" ~ either :He loves everyone, He loves only the elect, He loves only his covenant community.

Bible uses "love" in a number of ways, so this kind of ambiguity is to be expected.