Does God love everyone?

Probably too simple an answer, but- God IS love according to 1 John. His very nature is to love. So how could he NOT love everyone?

 

Interesting how you say "too simple an answer" and then simply say "God is love."

Yes, God is love, but He is not "simply" love. He has many more facets to His character than love...including holiness and justice. God both loves and hates as is clear from the Scriptures, when you try to paint Him as only loving you have to excise Scripture to do so (Ps 5:5; Ps 11:5; Hosea 9:15).

Hosea 9:15 is particularly interesting as it shows God has stopped loving a people...

All their evil is at Gilgal; indeed, I came to hate them there! Because of the wickedness of their deeds I will drive them out of My house! I will love them no more; All their princes are rebels.

 

I may be simple-minded, but I am not an idiot. I know those things. The OP simply asked, 'Does God love everybody? Simple answer- Yes, based on 1 John. I didn't say he only loves, loves everybody all the same, all at the same time, or that he never hates. I was simply pointing out that it is characteristic of God to love. (In opposition to many Baptists, BTW :laugh:.)

Now if you wanna complicate things and start discussing all of God's various attributes and characteristics, how much he has of each, or when God's love may turn to hate, so do. I was answering the OP.

(Edit- after re-reading my first post I can see that perhaps you got the idea that I think God never hates from my statement, "So how could he NOT love everyone?" Hopefully this clears that up for you.)