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God is most in love with unbelievers

Spiderman

Veteran Member
Luke 15
So Jesus told them this story: 4“If a man has a hundred sheep and one of them gets lost, what will he do? Won’t he leave the ninety-nine others in the wilderness and go to search for the one that is lost until he finds it?

5And when he has found it, he will joyfully carry it home on his shoulders.
6When he arrives, he will call together his friends and neighbors, saying, ‘Rejoice with me because I have found my lost sheep.’ 7In the same way, there is more joy in heaven over one lost sinner who repents and returns to God than over ninety-nine others who are righteous and haven’t strayed away!

“Or suppose a woman has ten silver coins and loses one. Won’t she light a lamp and sweep the entire house and search carefully until she finds it? 9And when she finds it, she will call in her friends and neighbors and say, ‘Rejoice with me because I have found my lost coin.’10 In the same way, there is joy in the presence of God’s angels when even one sinner repents.”

Parable of the Lost Son
11To illustrate the point further, Jesus told them this story: “A man had two sons. 12The younger son told his father, ‘I want my share of your estate now before you die.’ So his father agreed to divide his wealth between his sons.
13“A few days later this younger son packed all his belongings and moved to a distant land, and there he wasted all his money in wild living. 14About the time his money ran out, a great famine swept over the land, and he began to starve. 15He persuaded a local farmer to hire him, and the man sent him into his fields to feed the pigs.16The young man became so hungry that even the pods he was feeding the pigs looked good to him. But no one gave him anything.
17“When he finally came to his senses, he said to himself, ‘At home even the hired servants have food enough to spare, and here I am dying of hunger! 18I will go home to my father and say, “Father, I have sinned against both heaven and you, 19and I am no longer worthy of being called your son. Please take me on as a hired servant.”’
20“So he returned home to his father. And while he was still a long way off, his father saw him coming. Filled with love and compassion, he ran to his son, embraced him, and kissed him. 21His son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against both heaven and you, and I am no longer worthy of being called your son.

22“But his father said to the servants, ‘Quick! Bring the finest robe in the house and put it on him. Get a ring for his finger and sandals for his feet. 23And kill the calf we have been fattening. We must celebrate with a feast,24for this son of mine was dead and has now returned to life. He was lost, but now he is found.’ So the party began.
25“Meanwhile, the older son was in the fields working. When he returned home, he heard music and dancing in the house, 26 and he asked one of the servants what was going on. 27‘Your brother is back,’ he was told, ‘and your father has killed the fattened calf. We are celebrating because of his safe return.’
28“The older brother was angry and wouldn’t go in.

His father came out and begged him, 29 but he replied, ‘All these years I’ve slaved for you and never once refused to do a single thing you told me to. And in all that time you never gave me even one young goat for a feast with my friends. 30 Yet when this son of yours comes back after squandering your money on prostitutes, you celebrate by killing the fattened calf!’
31“His father said to him, ‘Look, dear son, you have always stayed by me, and everything I have is yours.32We had to celebrate this happy day. For your brother was dead and has come back to life! He was lost, but now he is found!’”

For you Atheists, one day God will rejoice more over you than all the righteous people. He will give you the finest robe, put a ring on your finger, slay the fatted calf, and throw a party for you. God is more concerned about you than us. He will reward you more than us! :)
prodigal.jpg
 
Last edited by a moderator:

Stevicus

Veteran Member
Staff member
Premium Member
For you Atheists, one day God will rejoice more over you than all the righteous people. He will give you the finest robe, put a ring on your finger, slay the fatted calf, and throw a party for you. God is more concerned about you than us. He will reward you more than us! :)


These are nice, uplifting stories. Though I'm not sure if they give us much indication of what God is truly concerned about. The shepherd and the woman in the parable actually made an effort to find whatever it was they lost. God doesn't actually do that, does He? And how did the sheep and the coin get lost in the first place? Carelessness.
 

omega2xx

Well-Known Member
Luke 15
So Jesus told them this story: 4“If a man has a hundred sheep and one of them gets lost, what will he do? Won’t he leave the ninety-nine others in the wilderness and go to search for the one that is lost until he finds it?

5And when he has found it, he will joyfully carry it home on his shoulders.
6When he arrives, he will call together his friends and neighbors, saying, ‘Rejoice with me because I have found my lost sheep.’ 7In the same way, there is more joy in heaven over one lost sinner who repents and returns to God than over ninety-nine others who are righteous and haven’t strayed away!

“Or suppose a woman has ten silver coins and loses one. Won’t she light a lamp and sweep the entire house and search carefully until she finds it? 9And when she finds it, she will call in her friends and neighbors and say, ‘Rejoice with me because I have found my lost coin.’10 In the same way, there is joy in the presence of God’s angels when even one sinner repents.”

Parable of the Lost Son
11To illustrate the point further, Jesus told them this story: “A man had two sons. 12The younger son told his father, ‘I want my share of your estate now before you die.’ So his father agreed to divide his wealth between his sons.
13“A few days later this younger son packed all his belongings and moved to a distant land, and there he wasted all his money in wild living. 14About the time his money ran out, a great famine swept over the land, and he began to starve. 15He persuaded a local farmer to hire him, and the man sent him into his fields to feed the pigs.16The young man became so hungry that even the pods he was feeding the pigs looked good to him. But no one gave him anything.
17“When he finally came to his senses, he said to himself, ‘At home even the hired servants have food enough to spare, and here I am dying of hunger! 18I will go home to my father and say, “Father, I have sinned against both heaven and you, 19and I am no longer worthy of being called your son. Please take me on as a hired servant.”’
20“So he returned home to his father. And while he was still a long way off, his father saw him coming. Filled with love and compassion, he ran to his son, embraced him, and kissed him. 21His son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against both heaven and you, and I am no longer worthy of being called your son.

22“But his father said to the servants, ‘Quick! Bring the finest robe in the house and put it on him. Get a ring for his finger and sandals for his feet. 23And kill the calf we have been fattening. We must celebrate with a feast,24for this son of mine was dead and has now returned to life. He was lost, but now he is found.’ So the party began.
25“Meanwhile, the older son was in the fields working. When he returned home, he heard music and dancing in the house, 26 and he asked one of the servants what was going on. 27‘Your brother is back,’ he was told, ‘and your father has killed the fattened calf. We are celebrating because of his safe return.’
28“The older brother was angry and wouldn’t go in.

His father came out and begged him, 29 but he replied, ‘All these years I’ve slaved for you and never once refused to do a single thing you told me to. And in all that time you never gave me even one young goat for a feast with my friends. 30 Yet when this son of yours comes back after squandering your money on prostitutes, you celebrate by killing the fattened calf!’
31“His father said to him, ‘Look, dear son, you have always stayed by me, and everything I have is yours.32We had to celebrate this happy day. For your brother was dead and has come back to life! He was lost, but now he is found!’”

For you Atheists, one day God will rejoice more over you than all the righteous people. He will give you the finest robe, put a ring on your finger, slay the fatted calf, and throw a party for you. God is more concerned about you than us. He will reward you more than us! :)
prodigal.jpg

The problem is that the lost sheep was one of the flock. It b longed to the Good Shepherd, but wandered away. Jesus explained it with the parable of the prodigal son.

Some thoughts on God's love from Richard Halverson, one time chaplain to the U.S. Senate"

God's love can't be multiplied
God's love can't be divided
God's love cant be added to
God's love can't be subtracted from
God doe snot love some more than others
God does not love some less than others.
God's love is unchanging--can't be manipulated or exploited
God's love is universal---infinite--eternal--unlimited
God's love is personal--impartial--unconditional
God's love is forever
One cannot earn God's love---One cannot lose God's love
You can reject God's love---He will not make you, force you coerce you to accept His love
God loves each of us with a perfect love whether we deserve it or not
GOD IS LOVE

Should God cease to love, He would cease to be God

But God commanded His love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us---Rom 5:8

You are loved by God, have a nice day.
 

meghanwaterlillies

Well-Known Member
Wasv
Luke 15
So Jesus told them this story: 4“If a man has a hundred sheep and one of them gets lost, what will he do? Won’t he leave the ninety-nine others in the wilderness and go to search for the one that is lost until he finds it?

5And when he has found it, he will joyfully carry it home on his shoulders.
6When he arrives, he will call together his friends and neighbors, saying, ‘Rejoice with me because I have found my lost sheep.’ 7In the same way, there is more joy in heaven over one lost sinner who repents and returns to God than over ninety-nine others who are righteous and haven’t strayed away!

“Or suppose a woman has ten silver coins and loses one. Won’t she light a lamp and sweep the entire house and search carefully until she finds it? 9And when she finds it, she will call in her friends and neighbors and say, ‘Rejoice with me because I have found my lost coin.’10 In the same way, there is joy in the presence of God’s angels when even one sinner repents.”

Parable of the Lost Son
11To illustrate the point further, Jesus told them this story: “A man had two sons. 12The younger son told his father, ‘I want my share of your estate now before you die.’ So his father agreed to divide his wealth between his sons.
13“A few days later this younger son packed all his belongings and moved to a distant land, and there he wasted all his money in wild living. 14About the time his money ran out, a great famine swept over the land, and he began to starve. 15He persuaded a local farmer to hire him, and the man sent him into his fields to feed the pigs.16The young man became so hungry that even the pods he was feeding the pigs looked good to him. But no one gave him anything.
17“When he finally came to his senses, he said to himself, ‘At home even the hired servants have food enough to spare, and here I am dying of hunger! 18I will go home to my father and say, “Father, I have sinned against both heaven and you, 19and I am no longer worthy of being called your son. Please take me on as a hired servant.”’
20“So he returned home to his father. And while he was still a long way off, his father saw him coming. Filled with love and compassion, he ran to his son, embraced him, and kissed him. 21His son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against both heaven and you, and I am no longer worthy of being called your son.

22“But his father said to the servants, ‘Quick! Bring the finest robe in the house and put it on him. Get a ring for his finger and sandals for his feet. 23And kill the calf we have been fattening. We must celebrate with a feast,24for this son of mine was dead and has now returned to life. He was lost, but now he is found.’ So the party began.
25“Meanwhile, the older son was in the fields working. When he returned home, he heard music and dancing in the house, 26 and he asked one of the servants what was going on. 27‘Your brother is back,’ he was told, ‘and your father has killed the fattened calf. We are celebrating because of his safe return.’
28“The older brother was angry and wouldn’t go in.

His father came out and begged him, 29 but he replied, ‘All these years I’ve slaved for you and never once refused to do a single thing you told me to. And in all that time you never gave me even one young goat for a feast with my friends. 30 Yet when this son of yours comes back after squandering your money on prostitutes, you celebrate by killing the fattened calf!’
31“His father said to him, ‘Look, dear son, you have always stayed by me, and everything I have is yours.32We had to celebrate this happy day. For your brother was dead and has come back to life! He was lost, but now he is found!’”

For you Atheists, one day God will rejoice more over you than all the righteous people. He will give you the finest robe, put a ring on your finger, slay the fatted calf, and throw a party for you. God is more concerned about you than us. He will reward you more than us! :)
prodigal.jpg
Was jesus lost? Because I think they foresoke something. Why did he get called a lamb of god and then say why has thou forsaken me? Did Jesus play the coin back at them?
 

Spiderman

Veteran Member

These are nice, uplifting stories. Though I'm not sure if they give us much indication of what God is truly concerned about. The shepherd and the woman in the parable actually made an effort to find whatever it was they lost. God doesn't actually do that, does He? And how did the sheep and the coin get lost in the first place? Carelessness.
Romans 11:32
English Standard Version
For God has consigned all to disobedience, that he may have mercy on all.

New Living Translation
For God has imprisoned everyone in disobedience so he could have mercy on everyone.

I don't know why God would do that. He may find the story more beautiful if people go astray and quite boring if no one goes astray. God has a purpose for wicked people. The reign of the Antichrist will be God's will. The Antichrist does God's will. Darkness glorifies the light.

The people that crucified Christ were doing God's will, but that was the method God was using to defeat his adversaries.

I don't get it and I wish God would change his mind but it is quite proud of me to think I know better than the creator.

God may be speaking to your heart. Listen to your heart and conscience. Also, God may be speaking to you through other people. Eventually you will know the truth, my friend. I'm sorry God is such a slow-poke and seemingly irresponsible Father. :( I still think that eventually we will realize that He/She had a better plan than had He/she done it our way. God's ways are not our ways.

Scripture says that the person born of the flesh cannot understand the things of God. You have to be born of the Spirit. We will be eventually :)
 

Kilgore Trout

Misanthropic Humanist
I expect if there's actually a god who is somehow testing us for fitness for an afterlife, that it's far more likely that it is filtering out believers in favor of rationally-minded people. Assuming, of course, that this god is a rational being, and values the company of other rational beings. If this god would rather spend eternity with hordes of vapid groupies, then I suppose many religions might have it right.
 

lostwanderingsoul

Well-Known Member
Thatlast line sums up the whole subject of religion. Mortal man CANNOT understand God. Only when one has received God's spirit can he become a new person and begin to understand.
 

jonathan180iq

Well-Known Member
For you Atheists, one day God will rejoice more over you than all the righteous people. He will give you the finest robe, put a ring on your finger, slay the fatted calf, and throw a party for you. God is more concerned about you than us. He will reward you more than us! :)
prodigal.jpg



That's nice. It's cute. It's also an Appeal to emotion - Wikipedia

Church services aimed at garnering new converts are structured the same way, filled with emotional music, charismatic speakers making emotional pleas, and peer pressure, depending on the size of the crowds and the people relationally close to the target demographic. It only ever produces short-term success.

Thanks though...

Demonstrate that God is real and that any of your dogma makes sense outside of your echo-chambers and then we can talk.
 

Kilgore Trout

Misanthropic Humanist
Thatlast line sums up the whole subject of religion. Mortal man CANNOT understand God. Only when one has received God's spirit can he become a new person and begin to understand.

I've never found other people's cognitive biases to be a particularly convincing argument for god's existence. Just the opposite, in fact.
 

Spiderman

Veteran Member
That's nice. It's cute. It's also an Appeal to emotion - Wikipedia

Church services aimed at garnering new converts are structured the same way, filled with emotional music, charismatic speakers making emotional pleas, and peer pressure, depending on the size of the crowds and the people relationally close to the target demographic. It only ever produces short-term success.

Thanks though...

Demonstrate that God is real and that any of your dogma makes sense outside of your echo-chambers and then we can talk.
You are an intelligent person and rational thinker. I like the way you think and so does God. Keep it up lad! :)
 

meghanwaterlillies

Well-Known Member
Actually I think y
I expect if there's actually a god who is somehow testing us for fitness for an afterlife, that it's far more likely that it is filtering out believers in favor of rationally-minded people. Assuming, of course, that this god is a rational being, and values the company of other rational beings. If this god would rather spend eternity with hordes of vapid groupies, then I suppose many religions might have it right.
I think he feels and knows that people feel too. Its like only the rational only the most emotional. Ugh Survival of the fittest again.
 
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