Does God love Satan?
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Asked July 01 2013
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Anonymous (via GotQuestions)
For follow-up discussion and general commentary on the topic. Comments are sorted chronologically.
becca b
This could be a great debate! The Bible doesn't answer this question so its up to our own interpretation and opinion on the matter and it is a tough question.
In my opinion, because Satan is a fallen angel, I imagine God is saddened by his fall. When we fall, and even those who never follow God and will not go to Heaven, God still loves us. His heart aches for us. This is why we go through trials...in hope we will be disciples and began to follow God. With Satan, we do not know exactly what happened to make him who he is, but God still made him.
Jack Gutknecht
No, God does not love Satan! John 3:16 may lead us to believe that God loves everybody (Satan is a person), but Psalm 5:5 says, "You [God] hate all workers of iniquity.”
If Satan is not a "worker of iniquity," then I don't know who is!
Shirley H
God is Love. Remember satan was a created being. His unfallen state is described in Ezekiel 28, the unseen ruler beyond all the pomp and pride of the king of Tyre. He was beautiful, perfect.
But he was ambitious beyond imagination. So, let's suppose, if satan were to repent, truly repent and accept Jesus as his Savior, would God who is all love, accept Him? If satan accepted the Holy Spirit, could he reconcile with God?
Would God in His Righteousness look at a truly repentant heart and refuse?
God can change hearts...1 Samuel 10:9. 1Kings 11:4, Solomon's heart was not perfect...
1Kings 8:61, says "Let your heart therefore be perfect with the Lord your God, to walk in His statutes, and keep His commandments as at this day."
God looks at hearts. 1Kings 8:39.
I think we really can't put limits on the Love of God...
Danny Hickman
God IS love the way water IS wet! There's no way to be in water and be anything but wet. All of God's INTENTIONS are based on love.
An all knowing God doesn't have the luxury of being surprised. If he could be caught off guard, then one of his actions might be a reaction. Knowing all things in advance, there is no reason for his mood to change concerning anything.
A couple of responders here used the scripture that says God hated Esau before Esau was even born. I think it is a misunderstanding of what is being said. That scripture isn't proof that God is capable of FEELING hatred toward unborn babies. Yet, that case can be made if you buy into that kind of reasoning.
The context of that scripture is that God CHOOSES us! Some he CHOOSES and some he doesn't. It isn't about how he FEELS, but what he DOES! And it's clear that his choice has nothing to do with what we do, because he makes the choice before we do anything. He did it with Moses and he did it with the Pharaoh of Egypt. "For this purpose I raised you... " (Ex 9:16).
God raises rebellious children for his own glory, not to have someone for which to hate.
Here it is: If you can believe that God has a plan to torture his creatures forevermore, then you can believe that he's capable of hating us.
Danny Hickman
I said earlier, "All of God's INTENTIONS are based on love."
Let's break that down: all of what God is planning is rooted in who he is.
God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him (1 Jn 4:16b). This is very informative, but it can be read as if it's written as romantic poetry. It says that God is the essence of love, that anyone who loves anyone else is doing so because they are in God (love) and God (love) is in them. That person is only expressing what is in them, which is the love that is of and from God. 1 John 4:8 says, 'Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love.'
To not love is to hate, there's no midrange emotion. But that isn't what we're being told in scripture; we're not being trained in how to FEEL about other people. Jesus teaches us to 'love our enemies' (Luke 6:27); but he doesn't stop there, he explains it. He says, "DO GOOD" to those who hate you. Love is what we do; it's about DOING, not about FEELING a certain way.
We are solidly "in the flesh." That's why we base our understanding of almost everything on feelings. We're told God hates certain things and people, and we reflexively think we're being told how God feels, when what it means is what God has done or is planning to do.
'Esau I have hated' means 'I didn't choose Esau,' not how God 'felt' about him.
It's enough to be like your teacher (Mt 10:25).
If God hates individuals, is it okay for us to do likewise? Would he teach us that?