In John 3:16 the apostle tells us: “For God so loved the world ….” Why does God love every human being ever born? One reason: BECAUSE HE CREATED THEM. God is love. He loves everything He has created. He lovingly named every star in the galaxies (Ps. 147:4). He even loves the creatures He created, so much so that He takes note when a sparrow dies (Lk. 12:7). In verse eight He even mentions His love for birds and His love for man in the same sentence. God loves all human beings with what I call His “common love.” The word “common” means that something is the same in every instance. At birth, each human being receives the same type (level) of love from his/her Creator. Can His love for His most important creation change? Let us find out.

Is God’s love for the humans He created the same for each and every one? Does He love the child molester and the molested child on the same level? Does His love for a sinner change when he changes from sinner to saint? WAS HIS LOVE FOR SAUL, WHO KILLED CHRISTIANS BECAUSE OF THEIR FAITH, THE SAME AFTER HE BECAME PAUL WHO WAS KILLED FOR HAVING THAT SAME FAITH?

An interesting and very telling episode took place as recorded in Mark 10:17-22 when a rich man who had come under conviction went looking for the man known as Jesus of Nazareth who, he believed, could answer the question that had been eating at him for some time. Upon locating Jesus he ran to Him, fell to his knees before Him, called Him “Master” and asked Him what he needed to do in order to inherit eternal life. Jesus told him that he must obey the Ten Commandments, then began to recite them. The man interrupted Him, telling him that he had obeyed all of the commandments since he was young. Now bear in mind that Jesus had watched him as he ran toward him, watched him as he kneeled before him, looked into his face as he asked his question and continued to look at him as He answered him and quoted several of the commandments. Now notice what is written in verse 20: “And Jesus, LOOKING AT HIM, LOVED HIM.”

Several questions come to mind relative to those seven words: Did He not love the man when He saw him running toward Him? when he kneeled before Him? when he called Him Master? and when he asked what he must do to be saved? Jesus had been looking at him all that time. THEN, after hearing that the man obeyed the Law, HE “LOVED HIM.” Did He not love him BEFORE He knew this? Of course He did, just as He loved the people who would later demand His death. Did Christ’s love change when He HEARD THAT THE MAN OBEYED THE LAW? Yes. His attitude toward the man immediately changed when He “beheld him” and heard what He wanted to hear.–that he obeyed the Law. Unfortunately for the man, he had not kept the tenth commandment in the proper way, which disqualified him for eternal life.

In John 15:13,14 Jesus is talking to His disciples, explaining that He would die for His friends. He obviously loved the disciples, including Judas, as He loved all other people. Would His love for His disciples change if they did whatsoever He commanded them for the rest of their lives following His exit from the world? Yes.

Jesus had (has) the same type (level) of love for all of mankind because they are His creation. However, He promised to die ONLY for His friends who would “… DO WHATSOEVER I COMMAND YOU.” He would not die for those who were not His friends, who would not obey Him. Does He love those for whom He died the same as for those for whom He did not die, who refuse to obey Him (His enemies)? No. It is true that He loves every human He and His Father created. But They do not love the obedient and the disobedient on the same level. Socially speaking, I love my neighbor’s wife, but not in the same way as I love my wife. I would not enjoy living with my neighbor, but I do enjoy living with my wife. God is no different. God has different levels of love.

God loved Judas the same as He loved the other disciples. Did that love cause Him to overlook Judas’ sins? John called himself “the disciple whom Jesus loved” (Jn. 13:23), indicating that Jesus had a special type of love for the young disciple. Apparently John and Jesus had a special relationship that transcended the love the Lord had for the other disciples. John’s Gospel is called the “Love Gospel” for a reason. John seemed to elicit from Jesus a deeper level of love than did the others.

In Acts 4:33 through 5:10 we find an episode involving a married couple named Ananias and Sapphira who were members in good standing in the Jerusalem church, each of whom Jesus loved. The church decided that those who wanted to could sell something he/she owned and give the proceeds to help the poor in the church. This couple lied when they brought the money from the sale of some property to the elders. They both died upon voicing their lies. Did God’s love for them change because of their sins? Yes. Did His love for Adam and Eve change when they sinned? Yes. Did both couples retain His common love for them until their deaths? Yes. The Lord’s common love does not save the soul. His exalted love for those who obey Him is what will save their souls. Obedience and disobedience bring forth different types/levels of love from God.

God and Christ’s common (basic) love for man does not change because they are His creations. Christ’s common love extended even to those who beat Him unmercifully and nailed Him to a cross. Christ’s common love for His creation no matter how far from Him they wander is beyond my ability to comprehend. I still occasionally ask Him why He chose me to do this work that I love to do. As Paul said, man cannot comprehend the love of God. But man must comprehend the level/type of love that will welcome him into the Kingdom of God. That love must be EARNED by obeying the Giver of that love. This Godly love is EARNED by what the Apostle James calls “WORKS.” Salvation is indeed free, but one must QUALIFY to receive it through OBEDIENCE to God’s Law which is Biblically called “WORKS.” Read James 2:10,14,17,18,20,24,26. L.J.