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I need to find a Bible verse that states that God loves me as a person, as an individual. Many verses refer to God's love for the world, for the church, for the nation. No verse specifically says that God loves me. Not as part of a group, not as part of a church, not as part of the world, but as me! The Bible tells me that God loves the 'building', but not each individual brick.

Many, many commentators infer God's love for individuals. But as far as I can see, the Bible does not say it!

What is the biblical basis for the common Christian belief that God loves individuals?

curiousdannii
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Ralft
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4 Answers4

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First, does God love any individuals particularly?

Job believed that he would stand face to face with God, who would hear his complaint and grant him justice. God appeared and spoke to him, and vindicated him before his friends, and blessed him with an abundant life.

God promised Abram a son, a nation, and influence throughout the whole world. He gave him a new name, Abraham. God guided him from his old home to a new one, and showed him respect by letting him know about his plan to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah.

God had mercy on Leah and opened her womb, because Jacob loved Rachel more than her.

God appeared to Moses, granted him kingly authority, displayed his glory to him and spoke to him like a man speaks to his friend.

God granted Hannah a son, Samuel, in response to her urgent prayers.

God provided food miraculously to Elijah, sent angels to assist him, and spoke to him from a mountain top.

Jesus wept when he saw how grieved Mary and Martha were over the death of their brother, Lazarus.

God's history with man shows that he grants particular mercies much prized by those who received them. He granted the desires of their hearts. He often deals with them as individuals, not as a collective. Patient, kind, gentle, humble - just as He has defined true love in 1 Corinthians 13, so He has expressed this love to individuals.

"Jacob I have loved, but Esau I have hated." God is very particular.

Revelation 3:19-22 says:

Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest and repent. Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me.

To the one who is victorious, I will give the right to sit with me on my throne, just as I was victorious and sat down with my Father on his throne. Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches.”

This is the end of the letter to the church at Laodicea. You can interpret it as only being directed to a group, but some believe that it is both directed to the church and to individuals. While some preterists might say that this was completely fulfilled among the believers of that church many years ago, historicists and others believe that the church of Laodicea stands for the end-times church, in apostasy. A disordered and disfunctional church can no longer be relied upon to faithfully deliver God's message to his people, so he must speak to individual Christians directly. This is God's message to all the faithful who persevere, directed to each personally, not just the church corporately.

Yes, if you overcome in faith, God loves you. God spoke his love directly to people of faith long ago. He will speak to you as well.

Paul Chernoch
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    Except, your Romans 9 quote about Jacob and Esau isn't about the people in particular, but about the nations they lead (similar to how Jacob was called Israel, and the nation itself was referred to as Israel, even though it was Jacob's new name). God did not literally hate Esau—in fact the Bible doesn't indicate Esau's final destination or his status with God at the end of his life. Rather, the hate he mentions was restricted specifically to which line God picked to be the chosen people from which to bring forth Jesus. – WeakButStrong Feb 21 '17 at 00:44
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    A quick survey of opinions about the Romans 9 quote shows people divided over whether individual or national salvation is being discussed, or both at the same time. Definitely worth further study. – Paul Chernoch Feb 21 '17 at 01:09
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    It pretty much falls out that Calvinists think it's individual salvation, in line with their mind-bending laser focus on double predestination, and they see in the hated/loved dichotomy this perfect resonance with that theology; while on the other hand non-Calvinists (who may not go so far as to identify as Arminians) believe that election is corporate, and functions as a class: "all those who are in Christ, will be saved". Non-Calvinists don't have any reason to think it's even about salvation at all, but about which line Abraham's seed would come from, and that it's about Christ. – WeakButStrong Feb 21 '17 at 01:12
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This seems, in some ways, a question of semantics - I mean, it's hard to know what you'd accept. I think inference is arguably a stronger basis for the Christian belief than this passage and I doubt the belief is founded on this passage, but perhaps it will suffice for you:

He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him. Judas saith unto him, not Iscariot, Lord, how is it that thou wilt manifest thyself unto us, and not unto the world? Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him. (John 14:21-23)

Lee Woofenden
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Au101
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  • Welcome to Christianity.SE, and thanks for taking the site tour. Thanks also for offering an answer here. For more on what this site is all about, see: How we are different than other sites. – Lee Woofenden Feb 21 '17 at 05:39

  • 1 John 4:19 We love him, because he first loved us.

    Eph 2:4 But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, 5 Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)

    1 John 4:10 Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. 11 Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another.

    John 15:9 As the Father hath loved Me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my love.

     – Al Brown Dec 08 '23 at 06:31

  • Romans 5:5 And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us… 8 But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

    John 16:27 For the Father himself loveth you, because ye have loved me, and have believed that I came out from God.

     – Al Brown Dec 08 '23 at 06:31
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I believe John 3:16 is on the point:

For God so loved the world that He have His only begotten Son, and whosoever shall believeth on Him shall not perish, but have everlasting life.

The salvation of any and all is accomplished through Christ, whom was given by God because of his love.

Lee Woofenden
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David W
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  • Welcome to Christianity.SE. For a quick overview, please take the Site Tour. For more on what this site is all about, see: How we are different than other sites. Thanks also for offering an answer here. – Lee Woofenden Feb 21 '17 at 05:40
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    This still doesn't answer the question about love for individuals. Donating one's son in an attempt to save humankind doesn't imply having any particular feelings about a given human. – Patrick Stevens Feb 21 '17 at 07:01
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    @PatrickStevens I respecfully but emphatically disagree. To attempt to segregate the love of mankind from the love of each individual soul is to manufacture a semantic argument that I really don't think benefits anyone, and I think is drawn more from linguistic subtleties than theological perspectives. Have a great day. – David W Feb 21 '17 at 13:54
  • @DavidW Thanks for the reply. I'd like to know why you think this. My objection is captured, I think, by the following analogy: I may love another human, but I don't love any of the organs (or even the cells) which make that human up. Indeed, I find quite a lot of the organs rather disgusting, and I have no feelings at all about the cells. I'm capable of feeling strong emotions about a collection of things without feeling anything for an individual of the collection. – Patrick Stevens Feb 21 '17 at 19:00
  • @PatrickStevens I believe the analogy is fundamentally flawed because humanity, collectively, is comprised of...humans. God breathed life into each and every one of them; each one is a distinct, eternal soul. The physical body is comprised of organs and cells which, individually, are not on a par with the broader creation, but exist as an element of the body, not living on their own. The Psalmist in Psalms 139:13 stated "For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb." He created in His image each and every soul that has ever lived. – David W Feb 21 '17 at 20:22
  • My Biblical knowledge is not good enough to address your answer, which seems coherent to me if the Bible says that having a soul makes one special. I think your original answer to this question would be improved if you added this explanation of why it is not the case in this particular instance that "human is to humanity as organ is to human, demonstrating that there's no particularly good reason for any humanity-loving being to also love individual humans". – Patrick Stevens Feb 21 '17 at 21:01
  • @PatrickStevens Thanks for the feedback. As far as the vital importance of the soul, Genesis 2:7 states "And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul." That's a vital part of God's sovereign authorship over life. Also, the love He holds for us is in spite of our detestable nature: Romans 5:8 points out that "But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us." He loves His fallen creation. – David W Feb 21 '17 at 21:51
  • @PatrickStevens There is just so much evidence for his love for each person. What about Luke 12:6 “Are not five sparrows sold for two copper coins? not one of them is forgotten before God. But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Do not fear therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows." Or 2 Peter 3:9 "The Lord is not slow to fulfill His promise as some understand slowness, but is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance. " Jesus said in John 17:3 that He came that we may know God. He came to make the relationship attainable. – rewolf Aug 28 '17 at 03:29
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    @rewolf The verse from Peter is precisely the kind of evidence that should have appeared in an answer at the time! I'm fine with the answer being "yes", but none of the SE answers at the time actually justified that to my satisfaction. – Patrick Stevens Aug 28 '17 at 11:46
  • @PatrickStevens no worries :) Not sure why this question was closed.. – rewolf Aug 29 '17 at 02:02
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In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. (Genesis 1:1)

Need I say more?

I mean, He did create us, and an environment suitable for us.

Life itself is evidence of God's love towards us. Before we were even born, before we knew life, He knew us, and still created us.

Let me add:

But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. (Romans 5:8, KJV)

Lee Woofenden
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Absolute Truth
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  • Welcome to Christianity.SE. For a quick overview, please take the Site Tour. For more on what this site is all about, see: How we are different than other sites. And for some tips on writing good answers here, see: What makes a good supported answer? – Lee Woofenden Feb 20 '17 at 23:37
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    I think these are precisely the kind of quotes that the OP is referring to when he says that we "infer God's love for individuals." – brianpck Feb 21 '17 at 01:20
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    I can create an environment suitable for something without caring for its welfare at all. For example, out of simple curiosity. (An omniscient being presumably has no curiosity, but surely could have more interesting reasons other than sentiment for creating something.) Another example: I buy a potted plant because I find it aesthetically pleasing, rather than because I particularly care about its wellbeing; if it dies, I have no qualms at all about buying another one. – Patrick Stevens Feb 21 '17 at 07:00