Is God's love for the sinner identical to His love for His children? My head is tied in knots: His children WERE His enemies - while we were still sinners, far off, He died for us that we might become His children. But not all sinners become His children. So is the love God shows to sinners and sinners-now-children displayed identically?
Jesus loved all sinners; but to some He spoke in parables, and their hearts were hardened, and to others He would explain to help them understand, and ultimately to some He would pour out His Spirit as the greatest gift of all.
And then, for us: is the way we love our enemies meant to look the same as the way we love our friends? We're told to lay down our life for our friends; we're told to love and pray for our enemies. Proverbs is full of calls to wariness about evil people, and to not trust ourselves with our foes. In fact, in John we're told that Jesus did not entrust Himself to the people because He knew the hearts of men.
In dealing with people who have done evil things to you, I do not believe that we are to love them in the same way we love our friends. But is that just a reluctant, stubborn heart speaking? Didn't Jesus lay down His life in love (and obedience) for those who had done evil things to Him?
Tangles in my head.
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