God's love is unmerited, not unconditional

[Johnny4ChristJesus]

When people claim God's love is unconditional, they are really defining unmerited--not unconditional--love. Unmerited love is not limited in any way.

God shows man unmerited love. This unmerited love is consistent across all men and across both the Old and New Testaments. In contrast, unconditional love is not extended in either the Old or New Testaments.

(1) Unlike unconditional love, unmerited love can be extended to some more and some less ("Jacob I loved, Esau I hated"--Rom 9:13//vessels of wrath versus vessels of mercy--Rom 9:22-23//God choosing David over his brothers, because God looks at the heart--1 Sam 16:7//God turning some over to a reprobate mind or sending a strong delusion who received not the love of the Truth--2 Thes 2:10-12//God casting those not found written in the Book of Life into the lake of fire--Rev 20:15//God giving eternal torment to those who worship the beast and who receive the mark of the beast--Rev 14:11); .

(2) Unlike unconditional love, unmerited love can have conditions attached to continue to receive it ("If you keep My commandments you will remain in My love, even as I have kept My Father's commandments, and abide in His love"--John 15:9-10//"If you live after the flesh, you shall die, but if you through the Spirit mortify the deeds of the body, you shall live--Romans 8:13//"He who overcomes"--Rev 2 & 3//"He who endures to the end--Matt 24:13).

(3) Unlike unconditional love, unmerited love can allow for permanent consequences for not receiving the acts of that love. Rev 20:15, Rev 14:11

 

[Hank77]

(1) Unlike unconditional love, unmerited love can be extended to some more and some less

What makes you think that unconditional love means equal?

What is agape love?

 

[Sarah G]

Source: Is God's love conditional or unconditional?

Question: "Is God's love conditional or unconditional?"

Answer: God’s love, as described in the Bible, is clearly unconditional in that His love is expressed toward the objects of His love (that is, His people) despite their disposition toward Him. In other words, God loves because it His nature to love (1 John 4:8), and that love moves Him toward benevolent action. The unconditional nature of God’s love is most clearly seen in the gospel. The gospel message is basically a story of divine rescue. As God considers the plight of His rebellious people, He determines to save them from their sin, and this determination is based on His love (Ephesians 1:4-5). Listen to the Apostle Paul’s words from his letter to the Romans:

“You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:6-8).

Reading through the book of Romans, we learn that we are alienated from God due to our sin. We are at enmity with God, and His wrath is being revealed against the ungodly for their unrighteousness (Romans 1:18-20). We reject God, and God gives us over to our sin. We also learn that we have all sinned and fallen short of God’s glory (Romans 3:23) and that none of us seek God, none of us do what is right before His eyes (Romans 3:10-18).

Despite this hostility and enmity we have toward God (for which God would be perfectly just to utterly destroy us), God reveals His love toward us in the giving of His Son, Jesus Christ, as the propitiation (that is, the appeasement of God’s righteous wrath) for our sins. God did not wait for us to better ourselves as a condition of atoning for our sin. Rather, God condescended to become a man and live among His people (John 1:14). God experienced our humanity—everything it means to be a human being—and then offered Himself willingly as a substitutionary atonement for our sin.

This divine rescue resulted in a gracious act of self-sacrifice. As Jesus says in John’s gospel, “Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends” (John 15:13). That is precisely what God, in Christ, has done. The unconditional nature of God’s love is made clear in two more passages from Scripture:

“But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved” (Ephesians 2:4-5).

"This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins" (1 John 4:9-10).

It is important to note that God’s love is a love that initiates; it is never a response. That is precisely what makes it unconditional. If God’s love were conditional, then we would have to do something to earn or merit it. We would have to somehow appease His wrath and cleanse ourselves of our sin before God would be able to love us. But that is not the biblical message. The biblical message—the gospel—is that God, motivated by love, moved unconditionally to save His people from their sin.

Recommended Resource: The Difficult Doctrine of the Love of God by D.A. Carson

 

[Johnny4ChristJesus]

What makes you think that unconditional love means equal?

What is agape love?

What makes you think it shouldn't be equal if it is unconditional?

 

[Johnny4ChristJesus]

Source: Is God's love conditional or unconditional?

Question: "Is God's love conditional or unconditional?"

Answer: God’s love, as described in the Bible, is clearly unconditional in that His love is expressed toward the objects of His love (that is, His people) despite their disposition toward Him. In other words, God loves because it His nature to love (1 John 4:8), and that love moves Him toward benevolent action. The unconditional nature of God’s love is most clearly seen in the gospel. The gospel message is basically a story of divine rescue. As God considers the plight of His rebellious people, He determines to save them from their sin, and this determination is based on His love (Ephesians 1:4-5). Listen to the Apostle Paul’s words from his letter to the Romans:

“You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:6-8).

Reading through the book of Romans, we learn that we are alienated from God due to our sin. We are at enmity with God, and His wrath is being revealed against the ungodly for their unrighteousness (Romans 1:18-20). We reject God, and God gives us over to our sin. We also learn that we have all sinned and fallen short of God’s glory (Romans 3:23) and that none of us seek God, none of us do what is right before His eyes (Romans 3:10-18).

Despite this hostility and enmity we have toward God (for which God would be perfectly just to utterly destroy us), God reveals His love toward us in the giving of His Son, Jesus Christ, as the propitiation (that is, the appeasement of God’s righteous wrath) for our sins. God did not wait for us to better ourselves as a condition of atoning for our sin. Rather, God condescended to become a man and live among His people (John 1:14). God experienced our humanity—everything it means to be a human being—and then offered Himself willingly as a substitutionary atonement for our sin.

This divine rescue resulted in a gracious act of self-sacrifice. As Jesus says in John’s gospel, “Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends” (John 15:13). That is precisely what God, in Christ, has done. The unconditional nature of God’s love is made clear in two more passages from Scripture:

“But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved” (Ephesians 2:4-5).

"This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins" (1 John 4:9-10).

It is important to note that God’s love is a love that initiates; it is never a response. That is precisely what makes it unconditional. If God’s love were conditional, then we would have to do something to earn or merit it. We would have to somehow appease His wrath and cleanse ourselves of our sin before God would be able to love us. But that is not the biblical message. The biblical message—the gospel—is that God, motivated by love, moved unconditionally to save His people from their sin.

Recommended Resource: The Difficult Doctrine of the Love of God by D.A. Carson

Thank you for taking the time to post this, Sarah. I agree with all the Scriptures, always! But, not one of them says God's great love is unconditional. The statement in the last paragraph "if God's love were conditional" only takes into account the pre-conditions, not the post-conditions. I agree there are no pre-conditions for us--in that we cannot earn God's amazing love. And, I agree that "earning God's love" is not the Biblical Gospel. I agree that we were completely depraved and that only prevenient love on God's part--both at the cross and also subsequently--could bring us into such an amazing relationship with Him.

What you said in the end is exactly my point, though: God, motivated by His GREAT love for His creation and His desire to save those who would love Him back, acted. But, it wasn't unconditional. To be saved from the consequences of sin, there is a requirement (condition) that we choose to believe. Jesus paid the price; but anyone who doesn't believe the Gospel message, can't access what Jesus did for them. (John 3:16, etc) That is conditional. Those who worship the beast or receive the mark of the beast, can't access what Jesus did. (Rev 14:9-11)

Jesus Himself talked about "remaining in His love" or becoming a withered branch and being burned (John 15).

 

[1watchman]

What makes you think that unconditional love means equal?

What is agape love?

Agape love is not emotion, but settled devotion; and is contrasted in John 21:15-17 with Phileo which speaks of fondness. Peter had not surrendered fully to the Lord in devotion at that time.

 

[omega2xx]

When people claim God's love is unconditional, they are really defining unmerited--not unconditional--love. Unmerited love is not limited in any way.

God shows man unmerited love. This unmerited love is consistent across all men and across both the Old and New Testaments. In contrast, unconditional love is not extended in either the Old or New Testaments.

(1) Unlike unconditional love, unmerited love can be extended to some more and some less ("Jacob I loved, Esau I hated"--Rom 9:13//vessels of wrath versus vessels of mercy--Rom 9:22-23//God choosing David over his brothers, because God looks at the heart--1 Sam 16:7//God turning some over to a reprobate mind or sending a strong delusion who received not the love of the Truth--2 Thes 2:10-12//God casting those not found written in the Book of Life into the lake of fire--Rev 20:15//God giving eternal torment to those who worship the beast and who receive the mark of the beast--Rev 14:11); .

(2) Unlike unconditional love, unmerited love can have conditions attached to continue to receive it ("If you keep My commandments you will remain in My love, even as I have kept My Father's commandments, and abide in His love"--John 15:9-10//"If you live after the flesh, you shall die, but if you through the Spirit mortify the deeds of the body, you shall live--Romans 8:13//"He who overcomes"--Rev 2 & 3//"He who endures to the end--Matt 24:13).

(3) Unlike unconditional love, unmerited love can allow for permanent consequences for not receiving the acts of that love. Rev 20:15, Rev 14:11

Agape love never fails. That makes it unconditional.

That we receive it in spite of our sins, makes it unmerited.