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Writer's pictureBible Brian

God won't ask you to exceed Him in love


One issue I have with Calvinism is that it leads us to conclude that God would command man to be greater in love than He is. During His ministry, Jesus famously taught that Christians are to love our enemies, bless those who curse us, do good to those who hate us, and pray for those who spitefully use and persecute us. This, He says, is so we may be sons of our Father in Heaven, and that this is actually what it means to be perfect, as our Father in Heaven is perfect.


Now, if God commands us to love our enemies, bless those who curse us, do good to those who hate us, and pray for those who spitefully use and persecute us, what does that mean God, whom we are supposed to do these things in order to be like, does for His enemies? Obviously, He loves them, blesses them, and does good to them. In fact, Jesus even prayed for the very people who nailed Him to the cross, meaning God even prays for those who persecute Him. Wow do we serve a perfect God!


Yet, Calvinism would require that, while we are commanded to love our enemies, God does not. There are those who were created with the specific goal of not receiving His love. When Jesus died, He did not die for all of His enemies, but for those who He predetermined He would save. The rest? While they are yet sinners, God does not love them, nor does He express that love by dying for them. Therefore, while we are asked to love our enemies in order to be perfect, Calvinism would suggest that God Himself is not perfect in this way. The alternative is that when God asks us to love our enemies, He is not speaking about all of them.


This is quite the conundrum. As I've said before, it makes me cringe every time I suggest that a worldview leads to a particular conclusion that would diminish the glory of God. Therefore, I wish to state that if, somehow, Calvinism is true, then I made an error in my thinking, and may the Lord rebuke me for it. Sooner rather than later. However, I just do not see a way around this. How is it possible that God, who only loves some people, would command us to love all people in order to be like Him? Let us therefore conclude that Calvinism, at least as far as Limited Atonement goes, is wrong.

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