Romans 1:7

To all in Rome who are loved by God and called to be saints:

Grace and peace to you from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ.

(v7, NIV)

Called is one way to describe these people. Paul also addresses those who are loved by God. There's this aspect of love that Paul talks about here. These people are loved uniquely and differently than the way in which God loves everybody. It's true that God loves everybody. However, if you are a true child of God, you should know yourself as loved by God differently than the way God loves everybody. But, how does God love everybody?

But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.

(Matthew 5:44-45, NIV)

God loves his enemies. How do we know this? Well, God allows the sun to rise on the good and the evil. He loves both the good and the evil and evidence is that the rose for both. Why would God allow the sun to rise for the evil? These who are enemies of God deserve destruction and wrath, but God allowed the sun to rise on them. This shows that God loves his enemies.

Join with others in following my example, brothers, and take note of those who live according to the pattern we gave you. For, as I have often told you before and now say again even with tears, many live as enemies of the cross of Christ. Their destiny is destruction, their god is their stomach, and their glory is in their shame. Their mind is on earthly things.

(Philippians 3:17-19, NIV)

Are there really enemies of God? Some may object to the existence of enemies of God. Or, if there are enemies of God, they aren't people. They may say that maybe the enemies of God consist of devils and demons. Many people walk as enemies of God. Here in Philippians, Paul addresses his readers and encourages them to live a certain way. This he says in light of those who are enemies of the cross of Christ. This implies that there is a manner of living that makes you an enemy of God. There are in fact people who live as enemies of God. There are in fact many as Paul says here who live as enemies of God. It says here: "enemies of the cross of Christ". God sent his son to die on the cross for our sins. If you are enemies of the cross, are you not enemies of God? There do exist many who are enemies of God. But there is a way in which God loves everyone and God does love his enemies in a way.

"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

(John 3:16, NIV)

Many of you know John 3:16. This is another passage in which we see how God loves the world. God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only son. By this and through him, we may be saved. Though we are utterly depraved and deserving of death, the one and only true God lovingly made a way for us to be redeemed. For God so loved the world.