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The Love of God is NOT Unconditional

 
 
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The Love of God
Is Not Unconditional

by Dr Matt Moody, Ph.D.

The God of the Bible does unconditionally Love all of His children; however, how that Love manifests is different for those children who consistently obey Him, in contrast to those children who consistently disobey Him.

For example, when His obedient children honor this principle, the receive God's promise:

Draw near unto me
and I will draw near unto you;
seek
me diligently and ye shall find me; ask,
and ye shall receive; knock, and it shall be opened unto you.
(James 4:8; Matt. 21:22; Luke 11:9-10)

God the Father generously gives Loving Kindness to all His children, because He IS our Father, and He wants the very best for each of His children. So, throughout mortal life, you and I will notice that His Kindness and Generosity will appear at time when we have made mistakes, and even when we have rebelliously sinned against His commandments.

Nevertheless, in terms of God the Father's Judgments about who shall be Saved from Sin and inherit Eternal Life, God has set forth specific conditions that must be met.

When God makes a promise: He keeps His promise 100% of the time, with no exceptions. Which is why specific conditions tied to inheriting Eternal Life and gaining entrance into His Kingdom of Heaven, are conditions that are immovable and unchangeable.

What would appear to be "exceptions to the rule," all come within the category of Sincere, Heartfelt Repentance, and the miracle of God's forgiveness, through the Atonement of His Son, the Lord, Jesus Christ:

"Then came Peter ... and said,
Lord, how oft shall my brother
sin against me, and I forgive him?
till seven times?
Jesus saith unto him,
I say not unto thee, Until seven times: but,
Until seventy times seven."
(Matt. 18:21-22).

Faith in the Lord, Jesus Christ and Repentance and Forgiveness through His mighty Atonement, are the Life Lines that Save us from a "mulitude of sins." Here are the promises of God through His prophets:

"if any of you do err from the truth, and one convert him; Let him know,
that he which converteth the sinner from the error of his way shall
save a soul from death, and shall hide a multitude of sins."
(James 5:19-20)

"But the end of all things is at hand: be ye therefore sober,
and watch unto prayer.
And above all things have
fervent charity among yourselves: for charity
shall cover the multitude of sins. Use
hospitality one to another
without grudging."
(
1 Peter 4:7-9)

Because God has set conditions in regard to Salvation from Sin, Inheriting Eternal Life, and Entrance into His Kingdom of Heaven, that precisely why the Son, Jesus Christ has decribed the way to eternal life with these words:

"strait is the gate, and narrow is the way,
which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it."
(Matt. 7:14)

The strait and narrow way is indeed "strait ... and narrow" because God keeps His promises 100% of the time.

By simply reading the Bible—comprehensively and honestly—there are many conditions that God has set in terms of Salvation from Sin, Inheriting Eternal Life, and gaining Entrance into God's Kingdom of Heaven.

During His mortal ministry, Christ Himself established the following Conditions:

#1) Believe in Christ — "God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. ... but he that believeth not is condemned already, ... he that believeth not the Son shall not see life" (John 3:15-18, 36). "And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day" (John 6:40). "I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved ... I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep" (John 10:9-11).

#2) Be Born Again — "Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. ... Ye must be born again" (John 3:5, 7).

#3) Become Converted — "Except ye be converted ... ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven" (Matt. 18:3). Christ clarified the meaning of conversion in the example of Peter, who believed that Jesus was the Christ (Matt. 16:16), but was not yet "converted" (Luke 22:32-34).

#4) Be Humble and Childlike — "Except ye ... become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven. Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven" (Matt. 18:3-4). "Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child shall in no wise enter therein" (Luke 18:17).

#5) Believe in the Father — "He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life" (John 5:24).

#6) Do the Will of the Father — "Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven" (Matt. 7:21). "I seek not mine own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent me" (John 5:30). "For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me" (John 6:38).

#7) Hear and Follow Christ — "My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: And I give unto them eternal life" (John 10:27-28). "He that heareth my word ... hath everlasting life" (John 5:24). "Good Master, what good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life? ... Jesus said unto him, ... come and follow me" (Matt. 19:16, 21).

#8) Be Baptized — "He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned" (Mark 16:16). "He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also ... If ye love me, keep my commandments" (John 14:12, 15). "Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost" (Matt. 28:19). "Grant that these my two sons may sit ... in thy kingdom. But Jesus answered and said, ... Are ye able to drink of the cup that I shall drink of, and to be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with?" (Matt. 20:21-22).

#9) Eat of the Bread of Life — "I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world" (John 6:51).

#10) Drink of Living Water — "But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst ... a well of water springing up into everlasting life" (John 4:10-14).

#11) Partake of His Flesh and Blood — "Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you. Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day. ... He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, dwelleth in me, and I in him" (John 6:53-56). "I am the true vine ... Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing" (John 15:1-5).

#12) Love God and Neighbor — "Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life? ... Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbour as thyself. ... this do, and thou shalt live" (Luke 10:25-28). "And he turned to the woman, and said unto Simon, Seest thou this woman? I entered into thine house, thou gavest me no water for my feet: but she hath washed my feet with tears, and wiped them with the hairs of her head. ... Wherefore I say unto thee, Her sins, which are many, are forgiven; for she loved much: but to whom little is forgiven, the same loveth little. And he said unto her, Thy sins are forgiven. ... Thy faith hath saved thee" (Luke 7:44, 47-50). The woman's expression of love, and her faith are as two sides of one coin; thus, Obeying the Great Commandments & Believing in Christ are inseparable.

#13) Show Charity — "Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world ... Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me. Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire ... Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me. And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal" (Matt. 25:34, 40-41, 45-46).

#14) Love your Enemies — "Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven" (Matt. 5:44-45).

#15) Endure to the End — "And ye shall be hated of all men for my name's sake: but he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved" (Mark 13:13). "For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places. ... Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted ... and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name's sake. ... But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved" (Matt. 24:7-13). "Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven" (Matt. 5:10).

#16) Done Good — "Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice, And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation" (John 5:28-29). "Jesus saith unto him, ... I speak not of myself: but the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works... Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also" (John 14:9-12). "And Jesus answered and said unto them, My mother and my brethren are these which hear the word of God, and do it" (Luke 6:21).

Within the context of God's ultimate and eternal purposes—the highest fulfllment of which is conditional—now, let's explore what the scriptures specifically say about God's Love:

"If ye keep my commandments, [then] ye shall abide in my love; even as I have
kept my Father’s commandments, and abide in his love.”

(John 15:10)

"If you keep not my commandments, [then] the love of the Father
shall not continue with you.”

"If a man love me, [then] he will keep my words:
and my Father will love him.”
(John 14:28)

"I love them that love me; and those
that seek me ... shall find me.”

(Proverbs 8:17)

"God is no respecter of persons: But in every nation he that
feareth him, and worketh righteousness,
is accepted [loved] by him.”
(Acts 10:34–35)

"The Lord loveth those who will have
him to be their God.”

"He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them,
he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall
be loved of my Father, and I will love him,
and will manifest myself to him.”

(John 14:28)

In terms of God's Love, He has set forth How and Why His Love is given, and God has also given promises in terms of Who shall received His Richest Blessings of Love.

Notice how God's Blessings are given, based upon Conditions::

"If thou wilt walk in my ways, to keep my statutes and my commandments, …
then I will lengthen thy days."
(1 Kings 3:14)

"If thou wilt walk in my statutes, and execute my judgments,
and keep all my commandments to walk in them;
then will I perform my word with thee."
(1 Kings 6:12)

"I, the Lord, am bound when ye do what I say;
but when ye do not what I say, ye have no promise."

"There is a law, irrevocably decreed before the foundations of this world,
upon which all blessings are predicated. When we obtain any blessing
from God, it is by obedience to that law upon which it is predicated."

Curiously, the idea of Unconditional Love was first established in 1934 by atheist, Erich Fromm and was further developed in 1956 by another atheist, Carl Rogers, who wrote of Unconditional Positive Regard.

 

 

"For by grace are ye saved THROUGH FAITH [emphasis added];
and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God"
(Eph. 2:8).

The words "through faith" affirm what Jesus taught in John 3:16 — we must have faith in Christ to be saved by God's Grace.

Paul explained: "Being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: By whom we have access by faith into this grace" (Romans 5:1-2).

Again Eph. 2:8 includes an essential element: "For by grace are ye saved through faith; and not of yourselves."

Jesus taught: "I am the true vine ... As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine ... He that abides in me, and I in him, the same brings forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing" (John 15:1-5).

We "access" God's Saving Grace through faith in our Savior. And "abiding in the true vine" is the foundational way we manifest faith in Jesus Christ.

Notice how the alleged "Free Ticket to Heaven" is simply given by Grace alone, with no mention of the words "through faith." This is just one among hundreds of misinterpretations originating from the Most Misinterpreted Verse in the Bible: Ephesians 2:8-9.


Related Articles:
Covenant Context of Salvation
Faith in Christ: Our Side of the Saving Covenant
Faithfulness in Following the Savior Opens Access to God's Grace

Solving Bible Conundrum created by Misinterpretation of the Epistles of Paul

 

The Journey

For this is the Journey that mortals make:
To find themselves. If they fail in this, it matters little
whatever else they may achieve: Money, Fame, Revenge, Pleasure.
When they end the Journey, they can put them all into
a bin marked "ashes." They mean nothing.
But if one has found that she has within her
a divine soul, if she has discovered the principles
upon which the fulfillment of that soul is based, and
if she implements those principles, then she has a mansion
within which she can live with dignity
and joy each day of her life.

* * * * * * *

The Greatest Prize
for Life's labors isn't
in material possessions
or impressive accomplishments,
but in the progress of personal character.
You labor for your own becoming, this is your richest reward.
Who You Become is your greatest possession,
make it your Masterpiece!

(Changing Your Stripes, 2nd Edition, page 274)
 

The book, "Changing Your Stripes" presents principles for getting out of
the ditch in which you've been dumped (the difficulties of which you are a victim), and
the ditch in which you've jumped (the difficulties for which you volunteer).

"Mastering a challenging situation
is ultimately a matter of
mastering yourself!"

- Matt Moody 

"Changing Your Stripes," teaches you the principles that lead to lasting change,
making you a new kind of creature capable of communicating
with calm, even as storms of contention swirl.

If these principles resonate and ring true,
then . . . this book is for you!


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