the institution of marriage is paralleled throughout scripture with Christ relationship with the Church. in marriage, the bridegroom loves his wife with an exclusive love (a type of love that a husband has only for his wife). he is not promiscuous, spreading his love to everybody, but loves his wife alone. its the same with Christ and his Church. He loves his church with an exclusive love. but he is not promiscuous with his love. if Christ loves all equally then he has no special love for us. Christs love is what saves us from our sin. if he loves all then all would be saved from sin. then all would go to heaven. but this is not the case

I suppose it is in how you look at it.

Rom 5:8 But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

1Jn 2:2 And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.

Eze 18:32 For I have no pleasure in the death of him that dieth, saith the Lord GOD: wherefore turn yourselves, and live ye.

Rom 2:11 For there is no respect of persons with God.

Luk 14:23 And the lord said unto the servant, Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled.

Joh 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

Act 2:21 And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved.

Rom 10:13 For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.




Christ died for the sins of the whole world . God wishes all to come to repentance, He takes no pleasure in the death of a sinner, He is no respecter of persons.
He has sent in His servants into the highways and byways inviting all who would come.
He so loved the world that He sent His only begotten Son to die for them. That sounds like love to me.
All who would hear and all who would come are welcome.

cman, as a teenager, you might relate to this story: When I was in high school there was that one certain girl that I was "in love" with. She was drop-dead gorgeous and popular. I knew the odds were against me, but, I asked her to go to the Senior Prom with me and, to my surprise, she accepted. But, when we arrived at the dance, she disappeared and I didn't see her for the rest of the night.She had used me to get to the dance to get back at her ex-boyfriend. I had offered her my love and she had rejected it. I didn't try to punish her for dumpng me. She had chosen to not have a relationship with me despite my best efforts.

In the same way, God woos all people to Himself. But, as you've been shown in other posts, people use their freedom of choice to say "no". I mourn for those who choose "no". In rejecting God, they are choosing eternal death (separation from Him). But, their rejection does not stop God's love for them. As Scripture says in 1 Jn 4:8, "God IS love."

"He came to His own, but His own did not receive Him. Yet to all who received Him, to those who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God." (Jn 1:11-12 NIV)


SLE

so god has no special love for his church?

God loves each person.
God loves the church uniquely in this;
We are found in Christ (once we are born again and not before) and when He looks at us He sees the righteousness of His Son which is how we are able to stand in His presence. When He sees us in Christ He loves us with the same love He has for His Son. Before we are born again we are outside of that.

Col 1:19&20 For God in all his fullness was pleased to live in Christ, and by him God reconciled everything to himself. He made peace with everything in heaven and on earth by means of his blood on the cross.

Cman: Boanerges has given you the answer to your question. For Scripture to back it up, study Ro 3:19-24 NIV. The citation is too long to post here, but, its important for you to study it a bit in order to understand the answer.

SLE

The adoption of children is our engagement to Christ, but the marriage is when He returns. Now in this present time He shall see who is faithful and who is not; because only the faithful should be married, not the unfaithful. We may believe in marriage, but are we faithful to the marriage? They that endure to the end shall be saved, not they that did not endure in sincerity toward Christ.