Does God love some people less than others?

[missmuffet]

17 minutes ago, David1701 said:

The Bible says that God does have favourites; but based on his grace, not on anything good in them.

Deut. 7:6-8 (KJV)

6 For thou art an holy people unto the LORD thy God: the LORD thy God hath chosen thee to be a special people unto himself, above all people that are upon the face of the earth.
7 The LORD did not set his love upon you, nor choose you, because ye were more in number than any people; for ye were the fewest of all people:
8 But because the LORD loved you, and because he would keep the oath which he had sworn unto your fathers, hath the LORD brought you out with a mighty hand, and redeemed you out of the house of bondmen, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt.

Mal. 1:2, 3 (KJV)

2 I have loved you, saith the LORD. Yet ye say, Wherein hast thou loved us? Was not Esau Jacob's brother? saith the LORD: yet I loved Jacob,
3 And I hated Esau, and laid his mountains and his heritage waste for the dragons of the wilderness.

Rom. 9:10-21 (KJV)

10 And not only this; but when Rebecca also had conceived by one, even by our father Isaac;
11 (For the children being not yet born, neither having done any good or evil, that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works, but of him that calleth;)
12  It was said unto her, The elder shall serve the younger.
13 As it is written, Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated. 
14 What shall we say then? Is there unrighteousness with God? God forbid.
15 For he saith to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion.
16 So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy.
17 For the scripture saith unto Pharaoh, Even for this same purpose have I raised thee up, that I might shew my power in thee, and that my name might be declared throughout all the earth.
18 Therefore hath he mercy on whom he will have mercy, and whom he will he hardeneth.
19 Thou wilt say then unto me, Why doth he yet find fault? For who hath resisted his will?
20 Nay but, O man, who art thou that repliest against God? Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it, Why hast thou made me thus?
21  Hath not the potter power over the clay, of the same lump to make one vessel unto honour, and another unto dishonour?

Take a look at this regarding God and favoritisms.

https://www.gotquestions.org/does-God-have-favorites.html

[David1701]

1 hour ago, missmuffet said:

Take a look at this regarding God and favoritisms.

https://www.gotquestions.org/does-God-have-favorites.html

I had a quick look at the article.  It makes some good points, but also a couple of common blunders.

I'll just make one point, so as not to get bogged down in details.

Ever since Adam fell, man's starting point is as a sinner, deserving hell; therefore, for God to be fair, that is where we would all go.  Thankfully, God has other attributes than fairness; he had chosen a people to save, before the foundation of the world, and sent the Lord to die for these people.  These ones get saving grace, the others get fairness.

God loved Jacob and hated Esau, not based on any foreseen works, but only on his own good pleasure.  This is very hard for some people to accept; but it's the truth, as Romans 9 clearly states.

Edited August 4, 2020 by David1701

[Don19]

God does not love any of His children more or less. The Father's love for us is the same as the love with which He has loved His Son.

John 17:23:

I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me.
 

None of us "deserves" the love the Father had for the Son, so the Father's love is not based on our merit whatsoever, just His own election of us. Otherwise, if it were based on merit, then the Father would have loved Jesus more than us. But, no, he loves us even the same as He loved Jesus!

However, He does not love reprobates. He does not love those He will send to hell for all eternity.

Psalm 5:5:

The foolish shall not stand in thy sight: thou hatest all workers of iniquity.

And as David1701 pointed out, God hated Esau but loved Jacob. Why? The purpose of God according to election, as Paul says in Romans 9.

Edited August 4, 2020 by Don19

[LonerAndy]

19 hours ago, WowLookaDuck said:

My life has always been extraordinarily, suicidally difficult. A close friend of mine has the opposite life. Why? Does God love some people more than He loves others? 

My life sucks too.  But the answer is no.   Just because others do better, has nothing to do with love.

I've seen people who their parents gave them absolutely everything they wanted.  To the point they were spoiled, toxic, terrible people.

That isn't love.  Their parents did not show 'love' by spoiling their kids into oblivion.  Love would have been giving them less, honestly.

No I don't know what you are going through, and maybe it's worse than me.  But G-d does not give us everything we want.

Moreover, we live in a sin-cursed world.  Don't assume like I did in the past, that G-d was up there saying "Ok now beat that guy more".

This world is messed up, and bad stuff happens.  It really is that simple.  Bad things in this world. People get cancer.  Car accidents happen.  People fall off a ladder, break their neck, and never walk again.

That simply is....  this world.

I'm looking forward to Heaven, which will not have any of this.   I hope you are too.   In the short term, yeah it sucks.  But someday, we won't be in this world anymore.

That's my hope In Christ Alone.

[WowLookaDuck]

Thank you all for your answers. I deeply appreciate the time you took to do so. 

I'm not sure I understand God's love. Why does it include suffering? When we love someone, don't we desire their happiness?

Should I make a new thread for that? 

[Justin Adams]

4 hours ago, WowLookaDuck said:

Should I make a new thread for that?

Anything NOT of Eden is second class to God. He has made a way for His family to join together in the FINAL EDEN. His heavenly hosts and earthly hosts will run His Cosmos His Way From His Throne and Divine Council in Eden.

Eden is True and real happiness. The rest is 'chaff to the corn'.

[Michael37]

19 hours ago, WowLookaDuck said:

Thank you all for your answers. I deeply appreciate the time you took to do so. 

I'm not sure I understand God's love. Why does it include suffering? When we love someone, don't we desire their happiness?

Should I make a new thread for that? 

Three words come to mind with regard to the theology of suffering, Endurance, Perseverance, and Character.

Rom 5:1-5  Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,  (2)  through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.  (3)  And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance;  (4)  and perseverance, character; and character, hope.  (5)  Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.
 

Heb 12:3-11  For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds.  (4)  Ye have not yet resisted unto blood, striving against sin.  (5)  And ye have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto children, My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him:  (6)  For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth.  (7)  If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not?  (8)  But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons.  (9)  Furthermore we have had fathers of our flesh which corrected us, and we gave them reverence: shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the Father of spirits, and live?  (10)  For they verily for a few days chastened us after their own pleasure; but he for our profit, that we might be partakers of his holiness.  (11)  Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised (trained) thereby.
 

[other one]

the Bible says that God loved Jacob but hated Esau....    so yes he does love some people more than others.

[David1701]

7 hours ago, WowLookaDuck said:

Thank you all for your answers. I deeply appreciate the time you took to do so. 

I'm not sure I understand God's love. Why does it include suffering? When we love someone, don't we desire their happiness?

Should I make a new thread for that? 

What if your temporal happiness would reduce your reward in heaven?  God looks at the eternal, not merely what we see now.

2 Cor. 4:16-18 (VW)

16 Therefore we do not faint. Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day.
17 For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is achieving for us a surpassing and eternal weight of glory,
18 while we do not contemplate the things which are seen, but the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal.

[WowLookaDuck]

Thank you so much! You have all been very helpful.