Without free will/the ability to choose there is no love. (As Patriots, we value our freedom highly though not at the expense of all morality.) God is a just God, full of compassion, loving kindness. The cross is evidence of that. Both His justice and His mercy were satisfied. Though we may not always be personally aware of it. He surely gives ample opportunity to people to choose or to reject Him, His goodness, His wisdom as surely as He did in the Garden of Eden. He also provided a way of escape, doing for us what we could not do for ourselves and offering it to us. In this, He is also just and therefore loving. In human speak, what was unfair to Him is beyond fair to us. Is there any greater manifestation of love than this?
If this makes sense to you, pray for your enemies. To borrow the expression, "but for the grace of God", you or I could be one of them.
I could say more. I hope that this is helpful. I have pondered this a great deal myself.
PS-Because it is His will not that NONE should perish, He is long-suffering/patient with us. We determine our final destiny. Where there is life, there is hope.
The Almighty does not force anyone to love Him. He desires all souls to be saved to spend eternity with Him but only by choice. We are not automatons. In His presence there is no paradox and only unity. The dualities of good/evil, light/darkness, our good character/our bad character, only exist in this physical reality and allow us to have free will and the opportunity of choice. He conceals His awesome presence in this world to give us that choice because in His presence there is only unity.
Our entire lives are full of forks in the road - which way we will choose? True love is taking the risk that the one you love may not love you back. This world/reality is not our final destination - it is only the testing ground to prepare us for what He ultimately has in store for us - to live and stand in His presence forever. In order to stand in the presence of a perfect and holy God, the dross must be removed as we pass through the fire. His mercy, justice, and love, will carry us through that fire - but only if we desire it to be so.
Without free will/the ability to choose there is no love. (As Patriots, we value our freedom highly though not at the expense of all morality.) God is a just God, full of compassion, loving kindness. The cross is evidence of that. Both His justice and His mercy were satisfied. Though we may not always be personally aware of it. He surely gives ample opportunity to people to choose or to reject Him, His goodness, His wisdom as surely as He did in the Garden of Eden. He also provided a way of escape, doing for us what we could not do for ourselves and offering it to us. In this, He is also just and therefore loving. In human speak, what was unfair to Him is beyond fair to us. Is there any greater manifestation of love than this? If this makes sense to you, pray for your enemies. To borrow the expression, "but for the grace of God", you or I could be one of them. I could say more. I hope that this is helpful. I have pondered this a great deal myself. PS-Because it is His will not that NONE should perish, He is long-suffering/patient with us. We determine our final destiny. Where there is life, there is hope.
Well said.
The Almighty does not force anyone to love Him. He desires all souls to be saved to spend eternity with Him but only by choice. We are not automatons. In His presence there is no paradox and only unity. The dualities of good/evil, light/darkness, our good character/our bad character, only exist in this physical reality and allow us to have free will and the opportunity of choice. He conceals His awesome presence in this world to give us that choice because in His presence there is only unity.
Our entire lives are full of forks in the road - which way we will choose? True love is taking the risk that the one you love may not love you back. This world/reality is not our final destination - it is only the testing ground to prepare us for what He ultimately has in store for us - to live and stand in His presence forever. In order to stand in the presence of a perfect and holy God, the dross must be removed as we pass through the fire. His mercy, justice, and love, will carry us through that fire - but only if we desire it to be so.
Thank you for the well-thought out response. You sound very knowledgeable on the subject, appreciate you sharing!