I
have read and listened to diverse views about the unconditional feature of
God’s love. On one hand, there is a group of Bible Scholars who believe God’s
love is unconditional. And on the other hand, we have some Bible scholars who
oppose the fact that God’s love is unconditional. When you study these two
views, you will discover that both views have some element of truth.
To
have balance and a better understanding of the unconditional feature of God’s
love, it is important to understand what the unconditional feature of God’s
love means.
The
unconditional feature of God’s love implies that God’s love is given to man
unconditionally without any prior prerequisite to whether the man deserves it
or not.
Please,
take note of the word “GIVEN”. It is one thing for something (in this case,
God’s love) to be “GIVEN”. But it is another thing for it to be “RECEIVED”. For
not until what is given is received, the transaction is incomplete.
God’s
love is given to man unconditionally, but for it to benefit the receiver, it is
not without conditions.
The
following scripture points to the fact that God’s love came to man
unconditionally:
But
God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ
died for us.
Romans
5:8
Herein
is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be
the propitiation for our sins.
1
John 4:10
You
can see that God’s love came to us, even when we don’t deserve it. That is the
unconditional feature of God’s love on display.
However,
it is important to understand that God’s love is not without a condition if it
must benefit a man. The popular Bible verse reads: “For God so
loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever BELIEVETH
in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16).
For a
man to benefit from God’s love, He must BELIEVE in Jesus Christ. That is a
condition that is required from a man who must enjoy the benefits of God’s
love.
This
condition is further explained in Romans 10:9 that reads: “That if thou
shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart
that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.”
There
are some believers who think that because of God’s unconditional love, they can
go on living anyhow and make a habit of sinning continuously, breaking God’s
law. That is a deception that you mustn’t fall into. God’s unconditional love
is not without an obligation from your end if it must benefit you.
Yes,
God’s love came to us unconditionally. But we must meet the condition of
believing in Jesus Christ and repenting (turning away) from our evil ways as
seen in the following scripture:
And
the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every
where to repent:
Acts
17:30
For
the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, Teaching us
that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly,
righteously, and godly, in this present world;
Titus
2:11-12
God’s
love can be illustrated as God stretching His hand unconditionally to help
drowning men from their sins. However, for a drowning man to be saved, he must
of necessity meet the CONDITION of stretching out his hand back to God to be
helped.
It is
important to know that God’s love is not without an obligation. It is not
without demand or responsibility. It is not a call to relinquish your
responsibility to God. God’s love demands a corresponding response from the man
who has been given the love. For without a corresponding response to God’s
love, you can’t get the full benefit of the love.
Take
for example; when it rains, it rains on all, but the man who benefits from the
rain is the individual who has a need for water, who takes the pains to get a bucket
to hold the water. The rain came unconditionally to everyone (both to the good
and bad), but it only benefits the one who responded appropriately to the rain.
There
is a parable in Matthew 22:1-14 that was said by our Lord Jesus Christ that
clearly shows the “UNCONDITIONAL GIVING” and the “CONDITIONAL RECEIVING” of
God’s love.
1 And Jesus answered and spake unto them again
by parables, and said,
2 The kingdom of
heaven is like unto a certain king, which made a marriage for his son,
3 And sent forth
his servants to call them that were bidden to the wedding: and they would not
come.
4 Again, he sent
forth other servants, saying, Tell them which are bidden, Behold, I have
prepared my dinner: my oxen and my fatlings are killed, and all things are
ready: come unto the marriage.
5 But they made
light of it, and went their ways, one to his farm, another to his merchandise:
6 And the remnant took his servants, and entreated them spitefully, and slew
them.
7 But when the
king heard thereof, he was wroth: and he sent forth his armies, and destroyed
those murderers, and burned up their city.
8 Then saith he
to his servants, The wedding is ready, but they which were bidden were not
worthy.
9 Go ye therefore
into the highways, and as many as ye shall find, bid to the marriage.
10 So those
servants went out into the highways, and gathered together all as many as they
found, both bad and good: and the wedding was furnished with guests.
11 And when the
king came in to see the guests, he saw there a man which had not on a wedding
garment:
12 And he saith
unto him, Friend, how camest thou in hither not having a wedding garment? And
he was speechless.
13 Then said the
king to the servants, Bind him hand and foot, and take him away, and cast him
into outer darkness; there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
14 For many are called, but few are chosen.
Matthew 22:1-14
The
story clearly depicts how our Heavenly Father shows His love to humanity. Verse
9 down to verse 14 shows how an open invitation was made to all. That is the
unconditional love of the Father on display. However, reading verses 11 and 12,
we find a man who was not putting on the wedding garment that was required for
the occasion. He was deprived of enjoying the feast for this reason. This is
how God’s love is given to all men.
The
invitation is made freely (unconditionally) to all men, however, you are
required to put away your old garment of sin and put on the garment of holiness
and righteousness, if you must remain in the banquet hall of God’s love.
The
parable is a warning to those who take God’s unconditional love and the invitation
to His kingdom for granted. The man in Matthew 22 who took God’s benevolence of
His grace for granted was severely punished.
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