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We can't compare God to our understanding. We are limited, fallen, feeble, finite, perverted, warped beings who are yet to understand fully the things of God. Using finite analogies brings God down to our level of understanding. We are to reach high and meet his level of understanding and to be honest it doesn't make sense to us and that is a good thing because that means God IS God.
Isaiah 1:18 (New International Version)
18 "Come now, let us reason together,"
says the LORD.
"Though your sins are like scarlet,
they shall be as white as snow;
though they are red as crimson,
they shall be like wool.
God himself gave us our ability to reason, so that we could reason. Not only that, but he suggests, here, that we DO reason. Obviously he figured we could figure what he was trying to tell us through the reasoning which he gave us.
Also, analogies are perfectly acceptable to use. Did Jesus not use analogies with people while he was on Earth? He talked of a shepherd who lost his sheep; of a woman who lost her coin; of a father who waited for his son; and more. He brought His thoughts down to OUR LEVEL many, many times!
Quote:
[i]
"My thoughts are completely different from yours," says the Lord. "And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine. For just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than your thoughts."
Here God is speaking to wicked people, as can be seen from the quotes just prior to the verse that you brought up.
Isaiah 55:6-8 (New International Version)
6 Seek the LORD while he may be found;
call on him while he is near.
7 Let the wicked forsake his way
and the evil man his thoughts.
Let him turn to the LORD, and he will have mercy on him,
and to our God, for he will freely pardon.
8 "For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
neither are your ways my ways,"
declares the LORD.
So, to paraphrase, so as to more accurately convey what the Lord was speaking of:
"For my (holy) thoughts are not your (wicked) thoughts, neither are your (wicked) ways my (holy) ways."
God is contrasting wicked thoughts and ways, ones which bring harm to oneself and others, and comparing it to his holy thoughts and ways, which bring people to life. Here thoughts are not even squarely based on the "reasoning" of the wicked, but more on the wicked nature of the thoughts and dwellings of the wicked, as compared to the righteous intents and thoughts of God. Furthermore, it should be realized that the people, that God asks to reason with him, are a wicked people (Isaiah 1:15-17 shows this right before verse 18). Yet he fully expects them to reason with Him.
Here is the concluding paragraph from the article (by John MacArthur?):
In a similar sense Jesus is called “Savior of the world” (Jn. 4:42; 1 Jn. 4:14). Paul wrote, “We have fixed our hope on the living God, who is the Savior of all men, especially of believers” (1 Tim. 4:10). The point is not that He actually saves the whole world (for that would be universalism, and Scripture clearly teaches that not all will be saved). The point is that He is the only Savior to whom anyone in the world can turn for forgiveness and eternal life—and therefore, all are urged to embrace Him as Savior. Jesus Christ is proffered to the world as Savior. In setting forth His own Son as Savior of the world, God displays the same kind of love to the whole world that was manifest in the Old Testament to the rebellious Israelites. It is a sincere, tender-hearted, compassionate love that offers mercy and forgiveness.
This is another nonsensical conclusion from churchianity.
Jesus is the savior of the world, He just doesn't save the world.
God is the savior of all men, He just doesn't save all men.
God offers mercy and forgiveness to all (from His sincere, tender-hearted, compassionate love), but His love fails.
We can't possibly believe that He would save the the whole world (because that would be universalism )
So I guess God "loves" all, in the sense of giving everyone a nice steak dinner before they are tortured for eternity.
Why do some believe God's love will be such a failure?
Here is the concluding paragraph from the article (by John MacArthur?):
In a similar sense Jesus is called “Savior of the world” (Jn. 4:42; 1 Jn. 4:14). Paul wrote, “We have fixed our hope on the living God, who is the Savior of all men, especially of believers” (1 Tim. 4:10). The point is not that He actually saves the whole world (for that would be universalism, and Scripture clearly teaches that not all will be saved). The point is that He is the only Savior to whom anyone in the world can turn for forgiveness and eternal life—and therefore, all are urged to embrace Him as Savior. Jesus Christ is proffered to the world as Savior. In setting forth His own Son as Savior of the world, God displays the same kind of love to the whole world that was manifest in the Old Testament to the rebellious Israelites. It is a sincere, tender-hearted, compassionate love that offers mercy and forgiveness.
This is another nonsensical conclusion from churchianity.
Jesus is the savior of the world, He just doesn't save the world.
God is the savior of all men, He just doesn't save all men.
God offers mercy and forgiveness to all (from His sincere, tender-hearted, compassionate love), but His love fails.
We can't possibly believe that He would save the the whole world (because that would be universalism )
So I guess God "loves" all, in the sense of giving everyone a nice steak dinner before they are tortured for eternity.
Why do some believe God's love will be such a failure?
It is very goofy Legoman. It says Jesus IS the savior of ALL MEN. NOT that "Jesus offers himself as a savior for all men." He IS their savior, whether everybody realizes it or not.
If Jesus doesn't save certain men, he certainly ISN'T their savior!
It is very goofy Legoman. It says Jesus IS the savior of ALL MEN. NOT that "Jesus offers himself as a savior for all men." He IS their savior, whether everybody realizes it or not.
If Jesus doesn't save certain men, he certainly ISN'T their savior!
Jesus is not the Saviour of the devils children who are men..
Here is the concluding paragraph from the article (by John MacArthur?):
In a similar sense Jesus is called “Savior of the world” (Jn. 4:42; 1 Jn. 4:14). Paul wrote, “We have fixed our hope on the living God, who is the Savior of all men, especially of believers” (1 Tim. 4:10). The point is not that He actually saves the whole world (for that would be universalism, and Scripture clearly teaches that not all will be saved). The point is that He is the only Savior to whom anyone in the world can turn for forgiveness and eternal life—and therefore, all are urged to embrace Him as Savior. Jesus Christ is proffered to the world as Savior. In setting forth His own Son as Savior of the world, God displays the same kind of love to the whole world that was manifest in the Old Testament to the rebellious Israelites. It is a sincere, tender-hearted, compassionate love that offers mercy and forgiveness.
This is another nonsensical conclusion from churchianity.
Jesus is the savior of the world, He just doesn't save the world.
God is the savior of all men, He just doesn't save all men.
God offers mercy and forgiveness to all (from His sincere, tender-hearted, compassionate love), but His love fails.
We can't possibly believe that He would save the the whole world (because that would be universalism )
So I guess God "loves" all, in the sense of giving everyone a nice steak dinner before they are tortured for eternity.
Why do some believe God's love will be such a failure?
Jesus is not the Saviour of the devils children who are men..
1 Timothy 4:10
10With a view to this we toil and strive, [yes and] [a]suffer reproach, because we have [fixed our] hope on the living God, Who is the Savior (Preserver, Maintainer, Deliverer) of all men, especially of those who believe (trust in, rely on, and adhere to Him).
The word "especially" shows that God's salvation is not only for those that believe ("the elect" in your point of view) but ALSO of those that do not believe (the "devil's children" from your point of view).
10With a view to this we toil and strive, [yes and] [a]suffer reproach, because we have [fixed our] hope on the living God, Who is the Savior (Preserver, Maintainer, Deliverer) of all men, especially of those who believe (trust in, rely on, and adhere to Him).
The word "especially" shows that God's salvation is not only for those that believe ("the elect" in your point of view) but ALSO of those that do not believe (the "devil's children" from your point of view).
God is the Saviour of them who do not meet this fate:
matt 25:
41Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:
Here is the concluding paragraph from the article (by John MacArthur?):
In a similar sense Jesus is called “Savior of the world” (Jn. 4:42; 1 Jn. 4:14). Paul wrote, “We have fixed our hope on the living God, who is the Savior of all men, especially of believers” (1 Tim. 4:10). The point is not that He actually saves the whole world (for that would be universalism, and Scripture clearly teaches that not all will be saved). The point is that He is the only Savior to whom anyone in the world can turn for forgiveness and eternal life—and therefore, all are urged to embrace Him as Savior. Jesus Christ is proffered to the world as Savior. In setting forth His own Son as Savior of the world, God displays the same kind of love to the whole world that was manifest in the Old Testament to the rebellious Israelites. It is a sincere, tender-hearted, compassionate love that offers mercy and forgiveness.
This is another nonsensical conclusion from churchianity.
Jesus is the savior of the world, He just doesn't save the world.
God is the savior of all men, He just doesn't save all men.
God offers mercy and forgiveness to all (from His sincere, tender-hearted, compassionate love), but His love fails.
We can't possibly believe that He would save the the whole world (because that would be universalism )
So I guess God "loves" all, in the sense of giving everyone a nice steak dinner before they are tortured for eternity.
Why do some believe God's love will be such a failure?
Great point Lego.
That would be universalism lmao .
In otherwords if it was universalism we would have to admit we have got it wrong .
What an ignorant way to deny scripture and this from the pope of calvinism.
That would be universalism lmao .
In otherwords if it was universalism we would have to admit we have got it wrong .
What an ignorant way to deny scripture and this from the pope of calvinism.
........ ............. he can not take the scriptures for what it says here because the scripture does not support his doctrine so he has to change the scripture to fit the doctrine ......... great and people believe it!! sigh
Edit to add: PCamps and lego agree with you both ...
Last edited by Meerkat2; 07-09-2009 at 05:16 AM..
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............. he can not take the scriptures for what it says here because the scripture does not support his doctrine so he has to change the scripture to fit the doctrine ......... great 
and people believe it!! sigh 
