The voice in me

Knowing God (Part 3): He Loves All People

Have you ever wondered how God looks at a broken, divided, and often rebellious world?
When we turn on the news or look at human history, it is easy to see the dark side of human nature. Yet from the very beginning, Scripture reveals a breathtaking truth: God’s heart has always beaten with an unconditional, persistent love for all people.
Understanding this aspect of His character changes how we see God, how we see ourselves, and how we treat everyone around us.

1. Created in His Image
In the opening chapters of Genesis, God does something extraordinary. When He creates humanity, He doesn’t just speak us into existence like the stars or the oceans—He imprints us with something unique.
He makes us in His own image (Imago Dei).
A reflection of His character, His creativity, and His spirit was woven into the very fabric of who we are. God did not give this distinction to any other part of creation. From day one, humanity was designed for dynamic fellowship with its Creator.

2. The Persistence of Sin—and the Promise of Grace
It didn’t take long for that harmony to shatter.
After Adam and Eve’s initial rebellion, human nature quickly spiraled down a dark path. Cain killed Abel. Lamech boasted of violence. By the time of Noah, human wicked consciousness was so severe that it grieved God’s heart. Yet, even in judgment, God’s mercy shone through: He preserved a remnant through Noah to give humanity a fresh start.
Even when sin crept back in after the flood, God’s global rescue mission never wavered. Out of the generations that followed, God called a man named Abram (Abraham) and made a covenant that revealed His ultimate goal for the whole world:
“I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing… and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.”
— Genesis 12:2–3
God didn’t choose one family to exclude everyone else. He chose Abraham’s lineage to be the channel through which He would eventually send a Savior for every single person on Earth.

3. Everyday Goodness: God’s Common Grace
Even now, while humanity waits to respond to Him, God continually demonstrates His baseline love and kindness to everyone without distinction.
In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus highlights this staggering truth about the Father’s daily care:
“For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.”
— Matthew 5:45
Think about that. The sun doesn’t shine only on believers’ farms; the rain doesn’t fall only on the righteous. God feeds, sustains, and gives life every day to people who ignore Him, curse Him, or doubt His existence.
Why? Because He is patient. He isn’t quick to write us off.
“The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.”
— 2 Peter 3:9
His generosity and patience are intentionally designed to draw us back to His heart. Every sunrise and every drop of rain is a subtle, grace-filled invitation to return home.

4. The Heart of the Creator: God IS Love
Everything God has done—from breathing life into Adam, to calling Abraham, to sending Jesus to die for our sins—stems from a foundational truth about His nature:
“Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.”
— 1 John 4:8
Love isn’t just an action God chooses to perform when we behave well; love is who He is. He cannot stop loving humanity any more than He can stop being God.
Through thousands of years of human failure, God meticulously laid the groundwork for Jesus to come. Through Christ, the promise given to Abraham was fulfilled: the door was thrown wide open for anyone—regardless of background, past mistakes, or heritage—to step into a restored, eternal relationship with Him.

Reflection Questions for You
1. How does knowing that every person is made in God’s image change the way you view people who are different from you or hard to love?
2. Where have you seen God’s “common grace” (His daily patience and goodness) active in your own life recently?