Q12: Whether or not God's Love is Unconditional

Question

Is God's Love Unconditional?

The LORD appeared of old [from afar] to me, saying, "Yes, I have loved you with an everlasting love; therefore with lovingkindness I have drawn you."

—Jeremiah 31:3 NKJV

Context

To understand God's love for His people and all of humanity, we need to search the Scriptures. How has God related to His covenant people, Israel, and how has God demonstrated His love to the whole world in Jesus Christ, Son of God, Saviour of the world?

Answer

God's Everlasting Love to Israel

God's love is 'everlasting' and He relates to His people with 'lovingkindness' (Jeremiah 31:3) and 'bands of love' (Hosea 11:4). God is good and His lovingkindness is everlasting (Psalm 106:1; 107:1; 118:1; cf., Psalm 136). God loves His people (Deuteronomy 4:37) and set His love on Israel in everlasting faithfulnness to His oath to the fathers (7:7-8). He is the faithful God who keeps His covenant (v 9). God had delivered Israel from slavery through Moses and was faithful to His people He loves. The Egyptians enslaved them, the Assyrians dispersed them and the Babylonians conquered them; the Syrians oppressed them, the Romans occupied, and later slaughtered, enslaved and expelled them; the Muslims subjugated them, political Christendom suppressed them, the Inquisition segregated, tortured and persecuted them; the Russians discriminated against them, nations rejected, exploited and expelled them, and Haman and Nazis sought to exterminate them; yet, the people of God are alive. Not many ancient peoples survived history; the Jews did. Their God has loved them with an everlasting love. Am Israel Chai (The People of Israel live/are alive). Even today religious and ideological extremism and hatred seek to eliminate the Jews. The words of the psalmist echo throughout history: 'Come, and let us cut them off from being a nation, that the name of Israel may be remembered no more' (Psalm 83:4).

Even in periods of their sinfulness, idolatry and rebellion, God would not abandon them and give up on them. He would discipline His people as a father disciplines his children; He would even punish them, yet always restore them. As long as the ordinances such as the sun and moon exist (without which life on earth would not be possible), Israel will exist as God's people (Jeremiah 31:35-37). 'God has not cast away His people whom He foreknew' (Romans 11:2a). God's love for Israel is everlasting. Individuals or families or even tribes who rebelled against God and rejected Him and His ordinances, lost their place in the world to come (e.g., Cain, Balaam or the sons of Korah—see Jude 11). Despite the apostasy of some Israelites, there would always be a faithful remnant (Romans 9:27-29; 11:5). God never stoped loving His people. He wouldn't tolerate their rebellion, yet remained patient and faithful. Even after executing His judgments for their sin and lack of repentance, God was faithful to His promises.

God's Eternal Love in Christ

God's eternal love for humanity was demonstrated by the sacrifical death of Jesus Christ on the cross. He died to save the world and did so because of God's love for all of humanity (John 3:16). He didn't come to condemn but to save (v 17). Christ died for each and every person (1 John 2:2). Anyone who calls on the name of the Lord can receive salvation from the cosequences of sin (Romans 10:13). Although the wages of sin is death, God's gift in Christ is eternal life (Romans 6:23). His gift of salvation and eternal life are by grace and through faith (Ephesians 2:8), not as a result of works (v 9), or anything we have done (Titus 3:5). It is His love (3:4; cf., Ephesians 2:4). Christ came to save sinners (1 Timothy 1:15). He was called a friend of sinners (Matthew 11:19; see Q6) and showed them God's love, compassion and acceptance (Matthew 9:9-13). He came to seek and save what was lost (Luke 19:1-10). Christ is the good shepherd who seeks out the lost sheep (Matthew 18:12-13; cf., 10:6; 15:24). God is the loving father who receives back his wayward son (Luke 15:11-24). We can't, and don't have to, earn God's love; it is freely and generously given! 'God is love' (1 John 4:16).

Yet despite God's eternal love in Christ (John 3:16-17), some choose to live in the darkness of sin and refuse to come into the light (vv 18-21). Those who choose wickedness over righteousness remain under God's wrath (v 36). God doesn't reject them; they reject God. God doesn't stop loving them; they refuse to accept His love for them. Jesus loved Judas to the end, as much as He loved the other disciples, yet Judas chose betrayal and it cost him everything, including eternity (John 13).

There are those who reject the 'love of the truth' and fall prey to demonic deception and destructive apostasy (2 Thessalonianns 2). There are those who fall into lawlessness, whose love grows cold and whose hatred becomes unrestrained, and therefore are being mislead by false prophets (Matthew 24:10-12). God's people must endure to the end (v 13). They must remain faithful to the apostolic gospel delivered by the apostles of Jesus Christ (Jude 17), keep themselves strong in faith and in the love of God (vv 20-21), who is able to keep them from stumbling (vv 24-25). His love towards us does not fail; our love towards Him shouldn't either. We must respond to His love by faith and humility and remain in His love by obedience and faithfulness.

Conclusion

God's love is unconditional in the sense that He loves us no matter what we have done and forgives anyone who comes to Him in repentance and with faith in Christ. God's love is not unconditional in the sense that we can mistreat Him anyway that suits us and still expect or demand blessing from Him. God's love can't save those who refuse to accept Him; His love provided salvation, yet it applies only to those who repent and believe. God loves every sinner who dies in his or her sins because they chose the darkness of sin over coming into the light.