[Dr. Horton explains the doctrine of election and how it reveals the beautifully unmerited and endless depths of God's love and mercy. The first section explains the difference between the compassion of God towards all his creation and the salvific, particular, specific, and intimate love of God towards his elect. Then, the last section explains why this is important and applicable to evangelism and how we share the Gospel to nonbelievers. A good quick read for those who are curious about the amazing grace of God.]
...I have found no evidence in Scripture to support the conclusion that God loves every person in the same way. It is often said, "God loves the sinner, but hates his sin." Actually, however, the psalmist says of God, "you hate all who do wrong" (Psalm 5:5). It took the reconciliation of Christ's death to turn away God's hatred.
If I asked you, "Do you love everybody in the world?" You would probably say yes. But I can make a reasonable guess that if you were to describe for me your love for your spouse or closest relative, the meaning of that word love would deepen. If you love people you don't even know as much as you love your spouse, I can foresee some problems for your marriage. Only the elect were known and loved by God before creation (Romans 8:29). God "sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous" (Matthew 5:45), but "bring[s] about justice for His elect" (Luke 18:7). As Creator, God cares for the temporal lives of his creatures, but as Husband, Jesus Christ favors only his bride with sacrificial, eternal love (Ephesians 5:25). A father might care about all the children of the world, but that care does not even compare with his concern and love for his own children. So too, Christ died for "the scattered children of God" (John 11:52).
But doesn't this limit God's love? On the contrary! This view intensifies God's love, by announcing it as a discriminate, special, saving love that truly reaches its target. That sure beats the indiscriminate, general benevolence we seem to be hearing much about today...
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...What the fallen, alienated sinner needs to hear is not "God loves everybody, so if you're a 'body' then God loves you." No, the sinner needs more than that. He or she needs that intense love from all eternity that would mark him or her out. The sinner needs a passionate love, a committed love, a compelling love, which only comes in a discriminate, particular, selective relationship. Unconditional love is not based on the creature but the Creator.
(Putting Amazing Back into Grace)
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