In Calvinism where is the love

Theophilus said:
Luke 6:35
But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return, and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, for he is kind to the ungrateful and the evil

Unfortunately, Calvinists sometimes seem to have a blind spot for the love of God. Consider this question from The Shorter Catechism, which is an abbreviated version of The Westminster Confession of Faith, a classic Calvinist statement of faith. The Catechism asks this most fundamental theological question: “What is God?”

Here is the answer that is given: “God is a Spirit, infinite, eternal, and unchangeable, in his being, wisdom, power, holiness, justice, goodness, and truth.”

Do you notice anything missing from this definition? Where is the love? The definition mentions God’s power, his wisdom, and his justice, along with other attributes, but amazingly enough it leaves out perhaps the most beautiful definition of God in the entire Bible: “God is love”. 1 John 4:8,16
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The problem is that you have a wrong view of love. God's love is found in all of the attributes. Why be repetitive?
Theophilus said:
Calvinist theologian Arthur W. Pink: “When we say that God is sovereign in the exercise of His love, we mean that He loves whom he chooses. God does not love everybody . . . .”
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How dare we say that God is allowed to do as He pleases. We ought to be ashamed. Do you have the list of all the things God must abide by, or He be judged by us and found wanting? Wait a second. You just said all those things, and you don't even have a list?
Theophilus said:
How does that work? The bad news is not really well. Is it not the very heart of the gospel that God loves everyone? Is that not the good news that we joyfully share with all persons? “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whosoever believes in him shall not perish, but have eternal life”. John 3:16
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You see God's love in sending people to hell right? He loves them all the way there, and loves to hear the sound of... but I digress. He apparently likes to watch the rising smoke with His angels. (Revelation.)
Theophilus said:
In the Institutes of the Christian Religion by John Calvin there is not one time in this book does Calvin ever quote “God is love.” Hard to believe that in is massive book that is 1,521 pages long and that discusses thousands of biblical texts and discusses God’s nature extensively, Calvin never one time cited 1 John 4:8 or 1 John 4:16. Not even once! This is a stunning omission.
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I know, to you God is love, forget everything else. If you over emphasize love to the exclusion of everything else, you kill God.
Theophilus said:
I'm still looking for the love in Calvinism.
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If your blind you will be "looking" for a long time. I know, you are upset that God said that He will not lose a single one of His sheep, and that He won't cast any of them out. I mean, so much hatred by God. No love there.
 
Theophilus said:
Out of the 10 words making up the acronym tulip, Four of them (total, depravity, unconditional , and irresistible) are not even found in the Bible, and two of them ( limited and perseverance) are found only once. If you look for the phrases expressed by each letter (total depravity, unconditional election, limited atonement, irresistible Grace, and perseverance of the Saints) you will find that none of them appear anywhere in the Bible... From the beginning of Genesis to the end of Revelation.

That right there should give us good cause to be cautious when approaching these key Calvinist concepts. They would like us to believe in spite of the absence of these concepts from scripture that they are indeed taught there. Calvinism offers their own special definition of these concepts that defy all logic and exclude God's love for his fallen creation.

God’s Love is expressed and experienced in Christ in love for all mankind, God provided a cure, a salvation not only for fallen men but for a fallen creation as well. In love, God sent His Son to die on the cross of Calvary, bearing man’s sins and offering to fallen men the righteousness of God.
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Calvinists speak out of both sides of their mouths in order to avoid the valid charge that Calvinism denies God’s love for all mankind.
 
Theo1689 said:
Name one person that God didn't love enough to let them live past their first sin.
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:love::love::love::love::love::love::love:
Theo1689 said:
God has shown love to EVERY human being, FAR more love than any of us deserve.
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Yup.

They always cry about the poor victim sinner who deserves so much and is owed so much. "Unfair, unfair, unfair!!!!!!"

Nary a word about what Christ suffered, nada about giving God glory. It is all "poor victim sinners deserve a chance."
 
Theophilus said:
Do you love Jesus?
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All born again Christians love the Lord Jesus Christ. I love him, and so does every genuine Christian on this board; however, those who trust in their own will/decision making, as the deciding factor in salvation, and/or works do not love Him. They love themselves and call it "loving Jesus".

Do freewillers stop and think about how much they love themselves for using their will power to make the right decision, when faced with the gospel? Do they keep patting themselves on the back, for being better than those inferiors who made the wrong decision?

Contrast this with the genuine Christian, who has been saved and loves the Lord Jesus for having had mercy upon him, when he was still in unbelief, darkness and sin. He thanks him habitually, for having given saving grace to such a hard-hearted wretch as himself, for having given him a new, soft heart/spirit, for giving him repentance, faith and eternal life in Christ.
 
fltom said:
Some love determining them for eternal destruction before they were ever born
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Some God claiming to love them, able to save them yet chooses rather they suffer for a eternity. Some love claiming to make provision for something that is never going to happen. Throwing a life preserver to someone face down in the water. Your God is a God of deceit. I can play that game.
 
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Reformedguy said:
Some God claiming to love them, able to save them yet chooses rather they suffer for a eternity. Some love claiming to make provision for something that is never going to happen. Throwing a life preserver to someone face down in the water. Your God is a God of deceit. I can play that game.
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But you cannot do so accurately

God did throw them a life preservers he sent his son to die for them

On the other hand in your theology God determined and acted against them to assure their distruction
 
fltom said:
But you cannot do so accurately

God did throw them a life preservers he sent his son to die for them

On the other hand in your theology God determined and acted against them to assure their distruction
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Lol, they were dead never to be made alive. Just as God knowingly and purposely created them to be. But Tom will tell us God is trying to undo His created purposes and save them.

Acted against them? Who teaches God acted against them?
 
fltom said:
But you cannot do so accurately

God did throw them a life preservers he sent his son to die for them
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Nothing but virtue signalling on the part of your god.
If your god TRULY loved everyone, then they would ENSURE they were saved.
But he doesn't.

"What love is THAT?"
 
Theo1689 said:
Nothing but virtue signalling on the part of your god.
If your god TRULY loved everyone, then they would ENSURE they were saved.
But he doesn't.

"What love is THAT?"
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Laughable your god didn't even do that much. He determined men to destruction before they were born and took steps to make it happen

BTW you are not going to cry harassment again are you seeing as you initiated the posting?
 
fltom said:
Laughable your god didn't even do that much. He determined men to destruction before they were born and took steps to make it happen

BTW you are not going to cry harassment again are you seeing as you initiated the posting?
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Is God allowed to do with His creation as He wishes?
 
fltom said:
Laughable your god didn't even do that much. He determined men to destruction before they were born and took steps to make it happen
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You keep conveniently IGNORING (ie. "running away") all the millions upon millions of sinners whom God graciously saved, even though they were undeserving.

THAT is love.

My Saviour SUCCESSFULLY saved every sinner for whom He died.
Your saviour was a colossal failure.
 
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