[Mrs. Don-o]

In the book of Romans, St. Paul says that when we were still "enemies of God," Christ died for us. His love (and ours) is specifically directed toward those who are opposed to Him.

The person "opposed to God" should be the target of the Works of Mercy

• To instruct the ignorant;
• To counsel the doubtful;
• To admonish sinners;
• To pray for conversion of the offender

as well as to restrain their evildoing, to expose and counter their lies, to stop their aggression, to refuse them any cooperation, and to counteract their malice with goodness.

Some of us here were once those "deliberately opposed to God." That's exactly why the whole human race needed (and needs) a Savior.

[HiTech RedNeck]

What you have just stated is a philosophy shared across the entirety of small-o orthodox Christendom. Some may quibble on terminology or on philosophical details of causation, but this description of what plays out is dead on accurate, and scriptural. God would prefer the sinner accept salvation and repent than to end up damned forever.