Originally Posted by
Brother Mark
Yes, "even" the loved the Pharisees. Here are a couple of verses.
1. The Pharisees and lawyers rejected the purpose that God had for them, which was to repent and be baptized by John's baptism. They tried to do so without repenting.
Luke 7:30
30 But the Pharisees and the lawyers rejected God's purpose for themselves, not having been baptized by John.
NASU
2. Jesus longed for Jerusalem, who kills the prophets, to repent. We know that it is the religious crowd, i.e. the Pharisees, the lawyers, Saducees, etc. that killed the prophets so they are included in the longing Jesus had for them.
Matt 23:37-39
37 " Jerusalem, Jerusalem, who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, the way a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were unwilling. 38 "Behold, your house is being left to you desolate! 39 "For I say to you, from now on you will not see Me until you say, 'BLESSED IS HE WHO COMES IN THE NAME OF THE LORD!'"
NASU
3. John 3:16 was written in the broadest terms that the writer could write it. So much so, that the writer, as God inspired, used the word world. I see no room for the word "world" to exclude any human being, for everyone is part of and in the world at some point.
John 3:16-17
16 "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.
NASU
4. We know that it is love that will cause a man to lay down his life as John 3:16 tells us. 1 John 2 tells us that Jesus paid for our sins and the sins of the "whole" world. As mentioned earlier, the Apostle thought it important to say "whole" when speaking of the world, thereby leaving no one out of the meaning of the word.
1 John 2:1-2
2 My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous; 2 and He Himself is the propitiation for our sins; and not for ours only, but also for those of the whole world.
NASU
If he planned it, he authored it. No getting around that, IMO. Now, if he planned "for" sin, instead of planning sin, that's different. It would be the difference between me planning for what to do when a terrorist attack occurs storm and planning the terrorist attack.
We are told his love never fails and that we are never separated from His love. We are not told he loves differently. His love doesn't fail, even the lost person. His love sent Jesus to die for the ungodly, even if that ungodly man goes to hell. We can come short of the grace of God. That doesn't mean the love failed or that grace failed. Even a saved man can come short of the grace of God.
Heb 12:15
15 See to it that no one comes short of the grace of God; that no root of bitterness springing up causes trouble, and by it many be defiled;
NASU
I appreciate you candor... it is hard and yet I struggle with it still myself... I still see the conflict between the seed of the woman and the seed of the serpent and all the scripture that declare warning and cautions and learnings and find that Love is through Jesus Christ... If those without Jesus, do they have this love? again, I say I am persuaded to say no they do not.
And what is His glory? When God showed Moses his glory, he showed him his goodness! His character! God's character is revealed in His love. It is also revealed in his judgment. However, mercy is greater than judgment and preferable to God. He is not self seeking as that is the opposite of love. (I Cor. 13.)
When we don't modify John 3:16, but take it as written, and when we don't compromise on what it says, then we can believe that God loves the world. Faith doesn't condition the word "world" in John 3:16. The gift is offered for those that don't believe, in order that they might believe. Love comes before faith. Therefor, it is not conditional upon faith.
Grace to you,
Mark
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