Is God's love conditional or unconditional?
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Asked July 01 2013
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Anonymous (via GotQuestions)
For follow-up discussion and general commentary on the topic. Comments are sorted chronologically.
Tom M
John 14:21 (NASB) 21. "He who has My commandments and keeps them is the one who loves Me; and he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and will disclose Myself to him."
Jesus seemed to think in 30AD that obedience is the key to being loved by God as one of His. Our times change but not His. See vv 15-17 as well.
Romeo Rizardo
Hello friend! It seems that you only see or discuss one side of GOD's love as being unconditional. How about the conditional love of GOD in entering Heaven, which is the most important thing that every Christian believer should know and understand and do in order to enter heaven? Can you tell us more on that please? Because the grace of GOD has been given to all, no doubt, no question, no argument about it.
Everyone, I mean all, are saved by GOD when HE died on that cross paying for the penalty of our sins (specially the original one), but that is only the first stage of our salvation. I believe that we're saved in the first place to be born again, and have a new start, new beginning, new life in the SPIRIT of GOD. Remember all are dead in the SPIRIT of GOD unless one is born again. So will you agree with me if I say that the Love of GOD is both unconditional and conditional? Unconditional on the grace but conditional on the faith in HIS SON our LORD JESUS CHRIST?
Lauren Kennison
I have asked several Pastors to answer an offshoot of this question, namely "Does (or more accurately 'will' God love those who are in Hell?" Not one so far chose to try to answer the question, saying they did not know. For that I give them credit.
Logically it seems to me (for I don't know of a Bible verse covering this) that if God is actually able to forget the confessed sins of a Believer, then He probably is able to forget those who enter Hell. I'm not saying He hates them, just that His unconditional love is no longer necessary and stops at that point, making it "conditional." I am aware of the many New Testament verses seeming to disprove this stance. But almost all N.T. verses are aimed at and meant for Believers - not the general public.
Janet Austin
Hi Lauren and others,
I think of it this way: God‘s love is unconditional but the benefits of His love is conditional.
Think through this example: you love a person very much but they don’t love you in return. You don’t stop loving them even though you are broken-hearted. You live in your home and they live in theirs. You don’t invite them into your home because they would disrupt things since they don’t love you. They never come to love you so time passes and nothing changes, and you continue to love them from afar.
Hope that helps.
George Fitt
Biblical "love" is misunderstood. In Scripture, agape "love" is not a feeling or emotion. Agape love is a sacrificial act.
"Agape love is unconcerned with the self and concerned with the greatest good of another."
Agape love from God is conditional. God is long suffering, slow to anger, merciful, delighting in lovingkindness, justice and righteousness in the earth.
However, He has limits and then He becomes angry and wrathful, since He does not tolerate sin. It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God (Hebrews 10:31).
So, the condition for receiving God's love is not what we do or fail to do, but what our nation does or fails to do - the collective sin of us all.