God’s Love is Not JUST Unconditional

Recently I have noticed some friends of mine struggle with the tension of God’s grace and His demand for holiness in the Believer’s life. Ephesians 2:8-9 is clear when it says, “It is by grace you have been saved through faith and not from yourselves, it is a gift of God, not by works so that no one can boast.” Scripture is clear that God’s love is unconditional. However if that is where we stop, concerning God’s love for us, we miss the blessing of the fact that God’s love is also transformational.

In James 2:17 we are told that “Faith without works is dead.” Reading Ephesians 2 and James 2 out of context could confuse some to think these two sections of Scripture contradict each other. However, James is not stating our salvation requires works, he is stating that works that glorify Jesus is EVIDENCE of one’s salvation. When a Believer reflects on what Jesus has done for them by taking our sin debt via the cross and the empty tomb, our response should be one of awe, thankfulness, loving Jesus back maximally. Jesus is clear that the only we can love Him back is through our obedience to Him (John 14:15). The love we give back to Jesus through our obedience is not trying to earn salvation, but it is our ONLY way to express love back to Jesus who loves us most.

Let’s examine John 14:15-17.  Jesus said, “If you love me, keep my commands. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever— the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you.” I love this passage for several reasons. One, we can see all three parts of the Trinity in this passage. Second, Jesus has given us a blueprint for lives saturated with love, joy, and peace that happen more fully for those who love Jesus through their obedience to His Word. And finally, we see that God gives us the person of the Holy Spirit at the time of salvation who leads, guides, directs, and shows us how to love Jesus as we seek Him in our daily loves. Isn’t that remarkable? Jesus says you can’t really obey God without God (The Holy Spirit).  We can’t even love God without God showing us how as we seek Him. It truly all begins and ends with God.

God’s love is certainly unconditional, but it is so much more than that. His love is transformative. Believers receive His love and the gift of salvation without any prerequisites. However, to enjoy the abundant life Christ promises in John 10:10, we must seek Him consistently. Remember Jesus’ words in Matthew 7:7-8, “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened.” Those who earnestly seek Jesus will find the Holy Spirit will lavish on them, “…love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control” Galatians 5:22-23.