There is a difference between God’s creational love, and His covenantal love. We may accurately state, that God loves all of His creation, with a “creational” love; but we are not telling the truth, when we try to convince people that God loves everyone (the same) with regard to His covenantal (saving) love.

If you are like me, you have heard a lot of well-meaning evangelists (especially on the radio or television), say things like this: “God loves you; and the proof is in the fact that Christ died for sinners.”

The problem is not with the last clause, “Christ died for sinners”; but with the first one, “God loves you”—especially when this “love” is based on the proclamation of the gospel.

The remarkable reality is, that the Almighty and Holy God does offer perfect clemency to sinners—who are actually His mortal enemies. This is the astounding part of the glory of the gospel: not that God “loves” anybody—but that Christ has died for undeserving sinners.

One can understand the mistake of unequivocally equating the gospel message with the love of God directed at the recipients of that good news. The reason for this misstep, is because it is an incredibly loving thing that God has Christ’s gospel preached to sinners; and this love is then assumed to be translated into automatic love for the hearers of the good news.

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