God's Love is Unconditional?

John 3:16 NASB95

16 “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.

Focus: God’s love is unconditional in a sense that He desires us to be saved. Does not mean He overlooks our sins and wickedness.

Function: To bring a wholesome understanding of love of God.

CATCH FILLER WORDS

Opening

Most of us, if not all of us have heard the phrase “God’s unconditional love.”

This is a very gratifying saying.

We love this saying because it gives us the notion that God loves us regardless of what or who we are.

Not to mention we absolutely hate someone pointing out something that we’ve done wrong.

Even if we ourselves know it’s wrong, we hate being called out.

But is it true? That God’s love is unconditional? Is there a single Bible verse that can back up this theology?

Unconditional love of God

The go-to passage for this theology is Romans 8:38-39

Romans 8:38–39 NASB95

38 For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, 39 nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

This passage is powerful and such an affirming passage.

Nothing, not a single thing in existence can separate us from the love of God.

There are many preachers in our day and age who uses this passage to say that God’s love is unconditional.

Unconditional, in a way, that whatever you do, whatever you say, or whatever you don’t do, God still loves you.

But is that what Paul really meant? That we can live our lives no different than the unsaved heathen and God still loves us?

Paul ends this section of Romans with a key phrase, “nothing can separate us from the love of God, which is IN CHRIST JESUS OUR LORD.”

So the love of God can only be understood from the standpoint of Christ and the cross.

And for the contemporary definition of unconditional love to make sense, it has to agree with the cross.

But it doesn’t because our post-modern progressive understanding of “unconditional” means love without the demand for change.

So lets take a look at what the Cross, the death and resurrection of Jesus accomplished.

Jesus and the Cross

We all know that Jesus died on the cross for our sins. But what does that entail?

In the Garden of Eden, by the choices of Adam and Eve, there became and enmity between man and God.

Man had become sinful.

And man had come under the infinite wrath of God.

From the fall, about 4000 years later, the Son becomes incarnate, sheds His blood to atone for the sins of man.

What did this accomplish?

Through His blood, did we become sinless?

The answer is yes, but there is more.

The death of Jesus satisfied the wrath of God.

So when we receive Jesus, it’s not that we only become sinless, but it’s that the price for our sins have been paid.

So the love of God, which is in Christ that Paul spoke of is about the demonstration of His love for us that He Himself would atone for our sins and satisfy the wrath of the Father.

But there is more to this.

Back to Romans 8

Lets look at the entire clause of Romans 8 that we are in, not just two verses.

Romans 8:26-39

Romans 8:26–39 NASB95

26 In the same way the Spirit also helps our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words; 27 and He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He intercedes for the saints according to the will of God. 28 And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. 29 For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren; 30 and these whom He predestined, He also called; and these whom He called, He also justified; and these whom He justified, He also glorified. 31 What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who is against us? 32 He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him over for us all, how will He not also with Him freely give us all things? 33 Who will bring a charge against God’s elect? God is the one who justifies; 34 who is the one who condemns? Christ Jesus is He who died, yes, rather who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who also intercedes for us. 35 Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? 36 Just as it is written, “For Your sake we are being put to death all day long; We were considered as sheep to be slaughtered.” 37 But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us. 38 For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, 39 nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

In verse 28, Paul wrote exactly which group of people he is talking about. “those who love God.”

People who receive Jesus are the ones that love God.

So if we look at the entire clause, verses 38 and 39 are only applicable to those who love God.

So then is God’s love really unconditional?

Yes, yes it is. But it is not what you think it is.

See, in our post-modern, progressive culture, we think...

Unconditional love means whatever I do, you APPROVE.

And when you DISAPPROVE, you don’t love.

This is so far from the truth, it even hurts my head to think that so many in our world thinks this way.

If you love God by receiving His love, He chastises and disciplines you when you mess up!

Hebrews 12:5-7

Hebrews 12:5–7 NASB95

5 and you have forgotten the exhortation which is addressed to you as sons, “My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord, Nor faint when you are reproved by Him; 6 For those whom the Lord loves He disciplines, And He scourges every son whom He receives.” 7 It is for discipline that you endure; God deals with you as with sons; for what son is there whom his father does not discipline?

So if you are truly His children, you will notice God disciplining you!

You see, His discipline is because He loves you. Meaning, He does not let us live the way we live because He loves us!

The truth is that, if there is NO active discipline of God in your life, that’s when you gotta question if whether you are under God’s love or God’s wrath.

Romans 1:24 Speaks of God just giving people over for their sin to run its full course and receive His wrath on the day of judgment.

God unconditionally loves those who love Him. God chastises those He loves and is unapologetic about it, He is not sorry that He chastises us.

God unconditionally loves who who love Him

So how do you know you love God?

John 14:15, if you love God, you will keep His commandments.