Probably it is due to the plain fact that is written to those Christ has redeemed, not the world at large. That's the disconnect.
Not sure I agree with you on this point.
Maybe I am misunderstanding what you are trying to convey.
The people I was referring to are belivers that I have spoken to walked with.
For various reasons they do not believe God loves them as much as he loves Jesus.
I was one of them. So are you saying because I didn't genuinely believe that God loves me as much as he loves Jesus, that during that time I was not redeemed?
I actually stumbled across the verse, I say stumble yet I had read that verse many many times but did not believe it true of me.
When I was laid up God asked me to spend time with him. I had been out of church for a long time (never lost my faith in Jesus) but starting to come back.
I was led through the process of what is it I genuinely believe?
I went from Romans concerning faith and access to God, to Ephesians, to the adulteress women and eventually to the verse in John.
I cried out to God "Is this true"
Then bang it was like he took a silver bullet with that verse on it and shot it into my heart.
The head knowledge was replaced with the reality.
The lie in in my head that told me it wasn't true was replaced with the truth.
Not everyone who has been redeemed automatically believes God loves them, so do some don't
Even those that do for some reason start to doubt it.
So my question concerning disconnect was based on those who God has redeemed or claim to be a genuine beliver.
How do we reconcile
John 3:16
16 “For God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.
With what you are saying?
I believe that salvation is available to all, I also know that not everyone will accept it.
I also believe that God knows who will accept that gift and works his will in them.
Those he predestined.
I can't make the call and act accordingly based on outward appearance.
I can only make that call when it's very very evident that they fall foul of Romans 5-6.
So I would like to ask you.
If I came to see you and were to quote to me that God loves me as much as he loves Jesus and I said that is not true I struggle to believe that how would you counsel me?