Is God’s Love Unconditional?

I have heard from many throughout the years (teachers, preachers and friends…present church excluded) that God loves us unconditionally. Webster’s defines ‘unconditional’ as without conditions or reservations; absolute. While I have no problem agreeing that God’s love is absolute (perfect, complete, pure, not limited, real), I do have a problem with the position that His love is without conditions or reservations.

No where in Scripture can I find the proclamation to the world that says, “God loves you and has a plan for your life”, as a primer for this unconditional love I hear that God has for us. What I do see are commands to repent and believe, love God with all our heart, and treat one another as we ourselves want to be treated…but even these do not address the source or reason of God’s love toward dirty rotten scoundrels such as myself.

Going back to the definition of ‘unconditional’, it is pretty easy to understand what the definition is saying when it defines the meaning of that word as being without conditions, but I think the definition of being without reservations is one that should be considered when tempted to describe God’s love as unconditional. Is God’s love for the Christian without reservations? The first thing we should do is to study the word ‘reservation’. Obviously, we are not talking about the holding of a hotel room or a seat on an airplane. The last definition of the word reservation in Webster’s, though, is the one we should consider. In the context we are studying, Webster’s defines ‘reservations’ as a limiting condition. So, the question we must ask is, “Does God’s love toward us have any limiting conditions?”, or put another way, “Is there a condition upon which having not been met, God will not love us?”

I submit there is a limiting condition to God’s love, and that condition is whether or not the wrath of God toward me was satisfied in the person and work of Jesus Christ. I submit that God’s love is not unconditional, even after I am saved by grace through faith. My right standing before the Father is and always will be based upon my position in Christ, and will therefore will always be based upon Christ’s work in my behalf.

God’s love is most certainly conditional. It is reserved for those whom Christ died, and no one else. If it was unconditional, then Christ died for no reason.

The logical result from this truth is that, not only is His love toward us conditional, but His forgiveness is also conditional.

Out of the anguish of his soul he shall see and be satisfied; by his knowledge shall the righteous one, my servant, make many to be accounted righteous, and he shall bear their iniquities. – Is. 53:11

In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace – Eph. 1:7