Yes, God is LOVE in the purest most complete form that exists! He is the one who showed us what love is. He has even showed us that love is not without limits. We say, God can do everything,but no, such a statement isn't entirely true. He can only do all his holy will; he cannot do evil! In the same way, His love is specifically toward a world that sits in condemnation; he has paid the price to remove that condemnation, but not all people accept His love and gift of eternal life. The Bible says some want to be thieves and robbers, stealing their way into eternal life by their own means. God will not accept that. God's love came through Jesus, his death on the cross & resurrection. The cross is not a pretty picture. It is a picture of severe abuse. Why would a God of love abuse his own Son? You see, it doesn't make sense to our feel-good mentality! But we accept that this is the way God had to pay the price, for "without the shedding of blood, the Bible says, there is no remission of sin.' Eternal punishment is not a pretty consequence of sin, but no matter how we feel about it, eternal punishment of the wicked is exists and we must believe God's word on that. Just because we don't feel good about it, doesn't mean God won't do things that way.
Look at the familiar John 3 verses:
John 3:16 "For God so loved the world," What did God's
love produce? this Action-- "that he gave his only begotten
Son," Why did he give his Son? For who? "that whosoever
believeth in Him" Is that everybody?..no, only those who
choose to believe in Him to be their Savior. What are the consequences
to the one who believes in Him as Savior?-- "should not perish,"
means, only those who believe in Him as Savior will not perish.
"but have everlasting life." Therefore, only those who
believe on him will have eternal life. OK so far?
See the following verses:
17-18 "For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn
the world; but that the world through him might be saved. He that
believeth on him is not condemned but he that believeth not is
condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of
the only begotten Son of God...." You see clearly, that all
unbelievers are already in a state of condemnation. "For
ALL have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God" Romans
3:23 YOu cannot become a born-again child of God if you didn't
first believe you were condemned already!! All people in the whole
world, living past, present, and future are condemned to sin and
eternal torment without Jesus as Savior. The GOOD NEWS is that
we don't have to suffer eternal consequences because Jesus paid
the price through his redemption on the cross! Jesus is the door!
There are no other doors to a restored relationship with God,
to salvation, saved from the consequences of sin-- condemnation,
hell, Lake of Fire. If you don't believe punishment is eternal,
then you didn't believe you were condemned forever already and
in need of a Savior!! You have to believe in punishment being
forever in order to become a Christian.
Salvation is offered to all but not all receive it and become
born again. Jesus said "...few there be that find it."
So how can you say ALL will find it?! Maybe the reason you cannot
see this truth and the truth of eschatology is because an unbeliever
cannot correctly interpret the scripture and perceive the truth.
If that is so, you need to go back to step one and believe that
you are lost, condemned, deserving of permanent Lake of Fire forever
and ever. Then see Jesus, the perfect Sacrifice who alone can
rescue you!
God does have a purpose for every life he creates, but many prefer
to live their own way and reject God's purpose for them. That
is not God's fault, because He has provided in great love and
sacrifice, the free gift of Salvation. God doesn't want them to
perish, but they choose to reject His love and offer and will
perish of their own free will. The scripture is clear that only
the "elect" of God will have eternal life.
I pray you see the truth.
D.R.