Does God Love Everybody Or Just Those Who Love Him?
The answer to that question is yes. The scriptures teach that God loves everybody, but the scriptures also say He loves those that love Him.God loves everybody in the sense that He wants what's best for them, especially regarding their spiritual welfare. He loves everybody so much He was willing to send His son to die on the cross so that everybody has the opportunity to be saved from their sins. The most famous verse in the Bible, John 3:16, teaches that. II Pet 3:9 teaches the same when it says God "is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance." That's everybody.But God only loves those who love him - in the sense that He only saves those who love Him. Following is a sampling of the passages that teach such:Prov 8:17 - "I love them that love me; and those that seek me early shall find me."John 14:21 - "He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him."John 14:23 - "Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him."Jude 21 “Keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.”So only if we love God, will God love us in the sense that He fellowships us and gives us eternal life. And loving God is defined by John 14:21 above as keeping God's commandments. Are you keeping God's commandments? You must if you want God to save you from your sins.