I have been advocating for what I consider to be the best synonym for the word love, that is, helpfulness. God is helpfulness by nature and since he cannot deny himself he could never help anyone any more or any less that he does.
But I don’t mean to imply that God has no tender affections and feelings associated with his love. He does. Think of it this way: while God’s helpfulness is indiscriminate and showered equally on everyone, he does not choose to feel the same way towards everyone. His affections and a special sense of his presence is reserved for those who act on his help and live to please him. Here’s how Jesus put it:
“If anyone loves me, he will obey my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and take up residence with him.” John 14:23 (NET)
