He is kind to the unthankful and evil

[Shev]

But love your enemies, do good, and lend, hoping for nothing in return; and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High. For He is kind to the unthankful and evil.  36 Therefore be merciful, just as your Father also is merciful. (Luke 6:35-36)

Indeed, He IS kind to the unthankful and evil. If He is kind, than He was kind, and will be kind, because kindness is part of His nature of Love:

Love suffers long and is kind... (1 Corinthians 13:4)

Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God.  8 He who does not love does not know God, for God is love. (1 John 4:7-8)

Even when God acts severely, it is never said of Him that "God is severity", or "to know severity is to know God". Even the very severity of judgment is ultimately loving, as it is corrective and redemptive. Love IS HIS NATURE, and therefore, anything that He has planned is a loving plan, and Love directs, fills and envelops His thoughts and actions. This nature is fully displayed in Jesus Christ, who demonstrated the fullness of Love in the flesh, and on the cross.

UR declares and harmonizes with this revealed nature of God, showings all things to be done in Love. Can you imagine how odd and bizarre it would sound to say something like "Bob is Bob most of the time, but he is also just, so he can't always be Bob". Yet ET says this very thing about God! He is Love, yet He has a justice - evidently an unloving justice - that runs counter to HIS VERY NATURE. So God is God, except when He isn't...or something.

Ultimately, what we say about God's plan, and about our interpretation of His scriptures, all comes back to what is being said about His nature. His nature is Love, His Love is displayed in Christ, and thus we know that indeed He is the mercy seat not just for our sins, but for the sins of the whole world!

[Dandelion]

Agreed! Love never fails! 1 Corinthians 13:8

D.

[Ross]

 :thumbsup:
History shows where a nation was used to destroy another nation- then were corrected after they had done the job.
Nebuchadnezzar was corrected, then changed his perspective considerably.

Heb 12.11 " All disciplines seems to not be pleasant at the time, but painful, but later yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness
                  to those who have been trained by it."

I.M.O some appear to not be currently corrected/disciplined- which also seems to highlight the concept Paul used in;

1 Cor 15;23 " But each in his own turn."
1 Tim 2;6  "Who gave Himself as a ransom for all, the witness at the proper time."

The unkind and evil will be saved, but treated and corrected as individuals just like we have been and still are treated as children of a living, loving God.

[eaglesway]

God used Jehu to judge Ahab and Jezebel, but then judged Jehu for burning the priests of Baal alive. "Behold both the kindness and the severity of God."

[marie glen]

Amen, doctrines, etc portray God's character!

I think too it is true that love will be indignant and fiercely so over things like offering live babes to the fires of Baal.. what sort of love wouldn't be!?

Yet of course even then, mercy will triumph over judgment.. And personally I lean toward thinking a large part of judgment is ultimately self judgment.. imagine upon conversion /realization of the truth, and your sin included having given your own child, or any child (or children!) alive to fire! Sooner or later, if every individual is to be "like Jesus", then surely to come face to face with such past actions will be quite agonizing and heart rending.

Another percentage of judgment I can't help but think is consequences.. Example, while some believe "Apocalypse" will include things like comets striking the earth and fire coming down from God, I think the fire will be man produced.. The crash of Babylon the disintegration due to corruption, especially moral dissolution.

Not to say He cannot or never does "send" judgment.. And surely, a nation or person who abandons Him, or walks with other 'gods' cannot expect God's protection against enemies or oppressors- things naturally occurring in an imperfect reality. Nor can they expect His blessing.. And being His, as Israel is (and Christians) to abandon God is to leave ones self open to the wrath of God's devouring enemies.. but also, look at how very long He warns of the coming calamity if the course is not changed.. so I think He holds back judgment/consequences for some long while!

This is basically what I think the "iron rule"/measure/ruler Jesus will rule with. Simply that ultimately Gods law cannot be broken, the offender is broken upon God's law. That He is life itself.. And there simply is no life remotely possible apart from Him or apart from His will (100%)..that to turn from Him in any tiny way can only ever end in a self destructive puff of smoke (apocalypse, the collapse or destruction which unveils true from untrue; good from evil; life from death). As I think is evidenced by without His intervention we "all would likewise perish" because of sin ("missing the mark") which the wages/result of is death. Which I believe is an all important and unavoidable lesson we are all learning. :2c: :gsmile:

[eaglesway]

The judgment of love leads to enlightenment, which gives birth to repentance, which opens the door to conversion, transformation, restoration.

The judgment that does not come from love, leads only to condemnation and destruction.

Only the absence of love could allow everlasting torment.

[marie glen]

Only the absence of love could allow everlasting torment.

:thumbsup: :thumbsup: It's inconceivable!