The idea that the God of Arminianism is some sort of "bro", whose love is essentially a soft "wuv" is patently silly.
For Arminianism, and even for Evangelical Universalism, the love of God is very tough and can include the infliction of plenty of suffering on those being loved.
There are three central claims that have to be emphasized. First, God's love will not be satisfied with man's sinful condition and it is that very love that will get in our faces so long as we rebel. That is tough love, not soft love. Read The Problem of Pain by Lewis and ask yourself if the God protrayed there is a "cool, hip, and relevant dude."
Second, you can't have love unless the one who loves prefers reformation to continued punishment, and aims that punishment at the reformation of transformation of persons. If all I want for some person is for them to be punished, I don't love that person. This is compatible with the possibility that persons will continue to rebel and God will continue to get in their faces for all eternity. It's just that, if it were up to God, God would bring it about that the person repent.
Third, God's love is directed toward all persons. If "God loves the world" doesn't mean God loves every person, it means God loves every lost person. The reduction of "all" or "the world" to the elect seems simply contrary to intent of Scripture.
These three considerations rule out Calvinism. However, the God described here is not a humanized, soft, "good buddy" of the human race.
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{{For Arminianism, and even for Evangelical Universalism, the love of God is very tough and can include the infliction of plenty of suffering on those being loved.}}
A point that Calvinists should have no trouble accepting either. (It's certainly a routine theme in both Testaments.)
As for me, the pain of my selfishness is such that in the past few years I have frequently begged God to just kill me and get it over with. But I also know that this is another form of my selfishness again. Sometimes, odd as it sounds, it's easier to hate one's self than to hate one's sin--even when one actually does reject one's sin. Love really does make all the difference. {s}
JRP
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