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crossnote

Senior Member
Nov 24, 2012
30,770
3,679
113
#1
Where do we find in preaching the Gospel in the Book of Acts the apostles saying to a crowd, “Jesus loves you”?
 

p_rehbein

Senior Member
Sep 4, 2013
30,747
6,913
113
#2
Simple answer?

Every time the Disciples preached about Jesus sacrificing Himself on the cross to pay the price for the remission of our sins.

Jesus didn't take upon Himself the form of man and come to earth to preach His Gosple, and pay the ultimate price for the sins of all mankind because He "kinda LIKED us."

An in depth reading of the Book of Acts will prove this IMO.

Now, IF you are using the argument that some use to argue against the Truth of the Holy Trinity; that being that the exact words "Holy Trinity" do not appear in Scripture, makes The Holy Trinity TRUTH.

The love God/Jesus has for His people is revealed in His work on the cross, and preached by the Disciples.
 
Nov 26, 2021
1,125
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India
#3
Jesus Himself preaches the Gospel speaking of God the Father's Love for us in Jn 3:16: "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." So the love of God is a legitimate topic. :)

God Bless.
 

Live4Him3

Jesus is Lord
May 19, 2022
1,383
640
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#4
Where do we find in preaching the Gospel in the Book of Acts the apostles saying to a crowd, “Jesus loves you”?
The correct answer is NOWHERE.

In fact, the words "love", "loves", and "loved" don't appear a single time in the book of Acts.

You'll find words like "repent" there, though.

Anyhow, I'm assuming (I could be mistaken) that you're asking to counter this whole "gospel' approach of "Smile, Jesus loves you."

If so, then God's wrath presently abides upon those who have not Christ, and they need to repent or perish.

Of course, God's not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance, and those who do turn to Christ are subsequently accepted in the beloved or accepted in Christ who is God's beloved Son.

"He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him." (John 3:36)
 

ResidentAlien

Well-known member
Apr 21, 2021
8,434
3,684
113
#5
Jesus is holy first and foremost, and love after that. That's why the first thing He preached when He started His ministry was repentance.

So many have put love on an all-important pedestal and forgotten the holiness part. That's what itching ears like to hear I guess.
 

GaryA

Truth, Honesty, Love, Courage
Aug 10, 2019
9,883
4,345
113
mywebsite.us
#6
In fact, the words "love", "loves", and "loved" don't appear a single time in the book of Acts.
'beloved' appears once in Acts 15:25

That is it.

The only other 'love' in Acts is part of the word 'cloven' in Acts 2:3 - which "doesn't count" in this context.
 

Beckie

Well-known member
Feb 15, 2022
2,516
939
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#7
About 30 years ago my first computer.. I looked up the words Jesus loves you the phrase in not there I checked Jesus loves me same thing. The whole of HIs Word teaches He does love us.
Looked up
Heavenly language
Do unto others
 

Pilgrimshope

Well-known member
Sep 2, 2020
14,661
5,908
113
#9
Simple answer?

Every time the Disciples preached about Jesus sacrificing Himself on the cross to pay the price for the remission of our sins.

Jesus didn't take upon Himself the form of man and come to earth to preach His Gosple, and pay the ultimate price for the sins of all mankind because He "kinda LIKED us."

An in depth reading of the Book of Acts will prove this IMO.

Now, IF you are using the argument that some use to argue against the Truth of the Holy Trinity; that being that the exact words "Holy Trinity" do not appear in Scripture, makes The Holy Trinity TRUTH.

The love God/Jesus has for His people is revealed in His work on the cross, and preached by the Disciples.
amen what a wonderful answer

Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us:

and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.”
‭‭1 John‬ ‭3:16‬ ‭KJV‬‬
 

Pilgrimshope

Well-known member
Sep 2, 2020
14,661
5,908
113
#10
Jesus is holy first and foremost, and love after that. That's why the first thing He preached when He started His ministry was repentance.

So many have put love on an all-important pedestal and forgotten the holiness part. That's what itching ears like to hear I guess.
your aware that perfect love is holy right ? And love is what you actually do ?

“For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.”
‭‭Galatians‬ ‭5:14‬ ‭KJV‬‬

“If ye fulfil the royal law according to the scripture, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself, ye do well:”
‭‭James‬ ‭2:8‬ ‭KJV‬‬

Owe no man any thing, but to love one another: for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law.

For this, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not kill, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness, Thou shalt not covet; and if there be any other commandment, it is briefly comprehended in this saying, namely, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.

Love worketh no ill to his neighbour: therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.”
‭‭Romans‬ ‭13:8-10‬ ‭KJV‬‬

the commandments are about love and what we do working good or evil to others

Think of what Paul’s saying there the commandments are all about love if you cheat and steal and commit violence and murder like the commandments forbid it’s not love your acting in but rather sin

just as you see love is a fulfillment of the law sin is to break that law

“Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law.”
‭‭1 John‬ ‭3:4‬ ‭KJV‬‬

The frivolous carnal commands like how to wash your body and be annointed with oil that made men right before God are gone . The food laws gone , the special days and seasons laws gone

how we treat other people is what becomes righteous or sinful if we love other in deed and in truth we’re righteous and holy , if we treat others less than our own self with contempt and refuse to help anyone it’s sin

the New Testament is entirely about how a Christian treats other people in Jesus name that’s all that matters anymore. Eating certain Foods doesn’t make us sinners now like the ot

treating people with less than love makes us less than perfect

If we were sinless we would love everyone perfectly and that would be holiness to the lord
 
Sep 6, 2014
7,034
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#11
Where do we find in preaching the Gospel in the Book of Acts the apostles saying to a crowd, “Jesus loves you”?
We don't, but rather we hear Repent!.......

Acts 2:36-38
Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made that same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ.

37Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do? 38Then Peter said unto them, Repent,.......

Yes, repentance is Gospel that was preached to the crowd in the Book of Acts.
Not "Jesus loves you".

Without being convicted of sin first can the sinner ever really see the love of God in Christ Jesus?

"You are too delicate to tell the man that he is ill. You hope to heal the sick without their knowing it. You therefore flatter them. And what happens? They laugh at you. They dance upon their own graves and at last they die. Your delicacy is cruelty, your flatteries are poisons; you are a murderer. Shall we keep men in a fool’s paradise? Shall we lull them into soft slumber from which they will awake in hell? Are we to become helpers of their damnation by our smooth speeches? In the name of God we will not. "
C.H. Spurgeon.
Source
 

crossnote

Senior Member
Nov 24, 2012
30,770
3,679
113
#12
God is love, but conditional on those who embrace His Son, otherwise we would have to say God loves those He sends to hell. (True or False?)
 

Magenta

Senior Member
Jul 3, 2015
61,149
30,297
113
#13
God is love, but conditional on those who embrace His Son, otherwise we would have to say God loves those He sends to hell. (True or False?)
I would say God's love is unconditional, whereas salvation is not.

In fact, God is probably the only One truly capable of unconditional love.

Which reminds me of a conversation that I had with an avowed atheist,
who believed he was better than God because, as he said, he loved
unconditionally. Of course he was incapable of acknowledging that
you had to be someone special to him in the first place before he could
extend that "unconditional" love to you. His love was, in fact, conditional.
 

crossnote

Senior Member
Nov 24, 2012
30,770
3,679
113
#14
I would say God's love is unconditional, whereas salvation is not.
So would you say God doesn't save those whom He loves? (since He loves everyone unconditionally)
 

Magenta

Senior Member
Jul 3, 2015
61,149
30,297
113
#15
So would you say God doesn't save those whom He loves? (since He loves everyone unconditionally)
I think you understand fairly well the condition required for salvation.


Romans 5:8
:)
 

Mem

Senior Member
Sep 23, 2014
7,230
2,208
113
#16
Jeremiah 31:3 says, "...I have loved you with an everlasting love; therefore I have drawn you with loving devotion."
And Acts 2:39 says, "This promise belongs to you and your children and to all who are far off--to all whom the Lord our God will call to Himself."
ESV puts it, ..."(to) everyone whom the Lord our God calls to Himself" (and I've provided additional clarification in parentheses).

This promise belongs to everyone, but not everyone believes it enough to take possession of it as their very own.
 

Mem

Senior Member
Sep 23, 2014
7,230
2,208
113
#17
Think about it, everyone has been "drawn" to the cross. Is there anyone that hasn't? Is it only those that receive Jesus as Lord and Saviour the only one that have 'come' to the cross?
I say, No, all those that Peter, Paul, Steven, etc. preached to were "presented" with the cross, but some walked away rejecting it. Because of their deep aversion to even hearing about it, many didn't want to listen considering that His Name was forbidden to even be spoken of again in many places. Nevertheless, He is preached, and you might even say these were 'dragged' to it.
 

Live4Him3

Jesus is Lord
May 19, 2022
1,383
640
113
#20
God is love, but conditional on those who embrace His Son, otherwise we would have to say God loves those He sends to hell. (True or False?)
True.

This "God's love is unconditional" thing is definitely false.

You basically nailed the condition in your post that I quoted.