What exactly is meant by "unconditional love"

[Scott Shahan]

I hear this phrase "unconditional love", and I was wondering where in scripture does it talk about unconditional love? I was talking to one of my professors today and he said that he has dropped the term "unconditional love" from his vocabulary. He said that there are "conditions" mentioned all over the place in Scripture. What brought this up was that I was looking at Matthew 25, the parable of the talents. Does this sentence seem right...God loves you not because of who you are but because of who He is. I have some people that say this to me. Does God love me regaurdless of what I am or what I have done or what I am doing now? So there is no "conditions" on God's Love? The parable of the talents looks like there is a condition put on the servants. If you don't use your talent the master will take it from you. I am just trying to figure out what is meant by the term "unconditional love of God". Is unconditional love somekind of universal love for all mankind? Thanks, PB'ers

Blessings

 

[BobVigneault]

Unconditional love is the same as electing love. In other words, it is a preference set upon another that is not conditioned on anything outside the one doing the electing.

God may set favors and blessings upon us that depend on our responses and his grace and mercy but this never effects his electing love because that love is unconditional.

 

[Scott Shahan]

Bob,


Romans 11:20 seems to imply that God’s electing love takes into account people’s faith/unbelief.

20 That is true. They were broken off because of their unbelief, but you stand fast through faith. So do not become proud, but fear.

 

[Scott Shahan]

In Matthew 25 the Parable of the talent does the servant have to do something with his talent in order to recieve the master's favor/love? so is there conditions put on God's love?

 

[BobVigneault]

That verse looks a lot better nestled in it's snug context Scott.

Paul is speaking to gentiles about Jews when he says:

11 So I ask, did they stumble in order that they might fall? By no means! Rather through their trespass salvation has come to the Gentiles, so as to make Israel jealous. 12 Now if their trespass means riches for the world, and if their failure means riches for the Gentiles, how much more will their full inclusion mean!

13 Now I am speaking to you Gentiles. Inasmuch then as I am an apostle to the Gentiles, I magnify my ministry 14 in order somehow to make my fellow Jews jealous, and thus save some of them. 15 For if their rejection means the reconciliation of the world, what will their acceptance mean but life from the dead? 16 If the dough offered as firstfruits is holy, so is the whole lump, and if the root is holy, so are the branches.

17 But if some of the branches were broken off, and you, although a wild olive shoot, were grafted in among the others and now share in the nourishing root of the olive tree, 18 do not be arrogant toward the branches. If you are, remember it is not you who support the root, but the root that supports you. 19 Then you will say, “Branches were broken off so that I might be grafted in.” 20 That is true. They were broken off because of their unbelief, but you stand fast through faith. So do not become proud, but fear. 21 For if God did not spare the natural branches, neither will he spare you. 22 Note then the kindness and the severity of God: severity toward those who have fallen, but God's kindness to you, provided you continue in his kindness. Otherwise you too will be cut off. 23 And even they, if they do not continue in their unbelief, will be grafted in, for God has the power to graft them in again. 24 For if you were cut from what is by nature a wild olive tree, and grafted, contrary to nature, into a cultivated olive tree, how much more will these, the natural branches, be grafted back into their own olive tree.

The ethnic Jews were rejected because they were not faithful to God's covenant and revelation, God set his preference (elected) on Gentiles who had satisfied no conditions previously. God still calls out his elect from the Jews and all the nations.

 

[BobVigneault]

You are mixing faith and faithfulness and it's creating some confusion for you. God establishes faith in his elect and we are justified by this faith, this vital connectedness with Christ Jesus. The servents who invested their talents did so because they KNEW their master. The elect KNOW God the Father through Jesus Christ because he has made himself known through faith. This relationship produces faithful living.

The servant who buried his coin did not know his master. There was no electing love shown to him. Believing his master was cruel and mean, he buried his coin. He was not faithful because he could not be faithful.

Faithfulness is not a condition for God's love, faithfulness is conditioned by God's love. God's love produces faithfulness. We love Him because He first loved us.

In Matthew 25 the Parable of the talent does the servant have to do somthing with his talent in order to recieve the master's favor/love? so is there conditions put on God's love?

 

[larryjf]

Romans 11:20 seems to imply that God’s electing love takes into account people’s faith/unbelief.

20 That is true. They were broken off because of their unbelief, but you stand fast through faith. So do not become proud, but fear.

Rom 11:2 tells us that God has not rejected His people, whom He foreknew (ie those whom God has unconditional love towards).

Rom 11:7 further tells us that the elect have obtained it...it is the "rest" that were hardened.

Paul's point in verse 20 is that the rejection of the Jews made room for the Gentiles. This is used as a warning to the Gentiles to remain faithful.

They were cut off because of unbelief...we are grafted in because of faith. Therefore let's not be prideful against the Jews as we stand by faith, and not by something that we have done to earn our place within the vine.

 

[Scott Shahan]

You are mixing faith and faithfulness and it's creating some confusion for you. God establishes faith in his elect and we are justified by this faith, this vital connectedness with Christ Jesus. The servents who invested their talents did so because they KNEW their master. The elect KNOW God the Father through Jesus Christ because he has made himself known through faith. This relationship produces faithful living.

The servant who buried his coin did not know his master. There was no electing love shown to him. Believing his master was cruel and mean, he buried his coin. He was not faithful because he could not be faithful.

Faithfulness is not a condition for God's love, faithfulness is conditioned by God's love. God's love produces faithfulness. We love Him because He first loved us.

In Matthew 25 the Parable of the talent does the servant have to do somthing with his talent in order to recieve the master's favor/love? so is there conditions put on God's love?

Well said, Bob "faithfulness is not a condition for God's love, faithfulness is conditioned by God's love". this is a quote by Bob that should be added to the "quotes" of people. Your right I was mixing faith and faithfulness, good discernment.

 

[Poimen]

Romans 5:8 "But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us."

1 John 4:19 "We love Him because He first loved us."

1 John 4:10 "In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins."

 

[Iconoclast]

God's love for His elect is eternal. He loves us IN Christ. It is not just that by eternal it is only future.
God has loved us before the world was. He is immutable so in the decree He purposed to love us,because He chose to. There was or is nothing in us to attract this love. He set His love upon us and we will be eternally rejoicing in this.