Unconditional Love?

[Jonah2005bt]

Hi everyone! Hope your day turns out to be a wonderful day!

I was wondering, what exactly is Unconditional Love?

And what schriptures would explain Unconditional Love?

 

[Ed]

the best way to describe unconditional love is a love that is not deserved or warranted. For me unconditional love is something that flows out of you when people turn around and pretty much destroy your Christian walk, your faith, and even your character (Christian or not), but you still love them no matter what.

Also, unconditional love means unconditional forgiveness. For example, no matter how many times a person hurts you, you always forgive them and take them back. A "love" that tends to say: "Hurt me once shame on you. Hurt me twice, shame on me." is not unconditional love at all, but a love based on condition.

You know, no matter how many times we hurt Jesus he will always forgive us and take us back into his loving arms. If we learn to do that with our own brothers and sisters, then we have truly have "unconditional love."

 

[Rene]

Romans 5:
"6You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. 7Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die. 8But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us."

 

[Rene]

1 Corinthians 13:

4Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant 5or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; 6it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. 7 Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

 

[Jonah2005bt]

Thank you, Ed & Rene. That's good enough for me. Your saying, to Love to others as Jesus Love us.

My brother was asking me, because he couldn't find the exact words {Unconditional Love} in the Bible.

 

[Jonah2005bt]

That is also true and good to be reminded of. But that parabol even if he was not insinuating it was "impossible" it was very clear it would be a statistical improbibility which is still pretty condeming unless of course his parabols were in reference to thoes who are without him but then why specificly refer to rich people when all of us fall short without Jesus? But the bible and the holy spirit is all we have so we have to hope to God (literally) we are doing everything we can to stay off the wide path that leads to distruction, God knows I do things that the bible condems, I am working to live right as much as I can but sometimes christianity is a fearful existance. I agree the bible has to be taken in its entirety but its almost skitophrenic reading it sometimes, you read something and think whew im ok then read that if you do any of the many things on a laundry list of items your going to hell and some of the terms are vauge enough to keep you in doubt thats why I think there are some issues with translation specificly with the word porneia, anyways thats another topic.

So basicly, you're saying, that what Jesus was pretty much saying in Matthew 19:24 those who do not believe are condemed?

Meaning in that sense, they would be condemed?

 

[dchena]

Most people with kids, especially teenagers, will understand that it is possible to love someone regardless of the choices they make and still allow them to experience the consequences of those choices, good and bad.

Unconditional love can't be unconditional unless there are bad choices along the way, and it doesn't mean there won't be consequences to our own actions.

So we can be loved unconditionally by God, and still suffer the consequences of our own choices (condemnation).

 

[stephen]

Hi everyone! Hope your day turns out to be a wonderful day!

I was wondering, what exactly is Unconditional Love?

And what schriptures would explain Unconditional Love?

Unconditional Love....means love without boundaries. Without rules......this applys to all who have not yet met Jesus.

When we eventualy meet Jesus.....if we choose to follow Him, and we want to continue in His love and provision, deliverance, and life changing ministry to us ...we have to do what Jesus says

 

[Hekuran]

The phrase 'unconditional love' is not a biblical one, and perhaps the discussion above helps us see why.

Unconditional simply means without conditions - no strings attached.

I have just told my wife that I love her. I love her on condition that she never gets overweight, provides all my meals, shines my shoes, keeps me on the straight and narrow yet never nags me...

That's why I am typing this message alone from the shed at the bottom of the garden.

It is true that God's love for us does not depend on any merit on our part - that is the gospel of grace. But to receive God's love, or for God's love to live in us, there are conditions.

Love can only be complete in the context of a relationship, and in a relationship all sorts of responsibilities and expectations start to come into play. "If you love me, you will obey my commands".

Read all of 1 John to get an idea of the shape of living in God's love. It's not a black and white, yes or no, conditional or unconditional thing, it is a whole glorious kalidescope of colour and depth.

 

[rlowe]

agape love = unconditional love

An Analysis of
Agape Love
Part I - Incentives

The Bible speaks of different kinds of love. Perhaps the most dominant usage of the word "love" in Western society refers essentially to sexual love but is not found in the New Testament. One kind of love which the Bible does speak of is a friendship sort of love. This is expressed by the greek word "phileo". It is a preferential type of love and not much different than a person saying that they love chocolate icecream. "Agape" love however is the most common form of love in the Bible. It might be more likened to the sacrificial love a parent has for their child regardless of whether such love is reciprocated. It is the love which drives one to save the helpless, even driving one to help one's enemies. Phileo love tends to be focussed on how you feel about someone else. But Agape love focusses on how you can meet the other person's needs.
After his resurrection Jesus visited Peter who had denied him three times prior to the crucifixion. Peter, ashamed of his unfaithfulness, couldn't bring himself to acknowledge agape love towards Jesus. The exchange went as the following:

Jesus said to Simon Peter, "Simon son of John, do you truly love (agape) me more than these?"
"Yes, Lord," he said, "you know that I love (phileo)you."
Jesus said, "Feed my lambs."
Again Jesus said, "Simon son of John, do you truly love (agape) me?"
He answered, "Yes, Lord, you know that I love (phileo) you."
Jesus said, "Take care of my sheep."
The third time he said to him, "Simon son of John, do you love (phileo) me?"
Peter was hurt because Jesus asked him the third time, "Do you love (phileo) me?"
He said, "Lord, you know all things; you know that I love (phileo)you."
Jesus said, "Feed my sheep."
Peter could only admit to preferring Jesus as a friend, for he felt that he failed to demonstrate agape love towards him. However Jesus did provide a way for him to show his love - through obedience. One way our Agape love is revealed to the Lord is by our obedience. Jesus said, "Whoever has my commands and obeys them, he is the one who loves me." John 14:21
Agape Love is self-sacrificial.

John 15:13 "Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends."

What is implied is that such love is not based upon personal incentives. Such a person is not asking "what do I get out of it".

For more check-out Agape Love

 

[01redeemed]

God is Love

We really must know God to understand, at least to the best of our ability, what unconditional love is. And of course as we seek to know He reveals truth to us. To say that love is conditional is to say in a sense that God is conditional...This cannot be. He and love, which He is, in itself is unconditional! Praise and glory be unto Him forever!!!

 

[Paul83]

I have to agree with rlowe on John 15:13 being a good definition of unconditional love. We as believers in Christ are commanded to do the same.
I John 3:16
"Hereby perceive we the love of God, because He laid down His life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren."

The only way IMPO anybody can have unconditional love for others is thru the Holy Spirit (Romans 5:5)

 

[doinghiswill]

The Love of God

The Love of God<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-comfficeffice" />
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In the 19<SUP>th</SUP> and 20<SUP>th</SUP> Chapters of Exodus we see God calling out a people to be his own. In our day ‘the Law’(the ten commandments) seems to be a restrictive thing when in fact is was a great act of Love toward <?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-comffice:smarttags" /><st1lace w:st="on"><st1:country-region w:st="on">Israel</st1:country-region></st1lace> and us today. Our Father wanting to be close to us pointed out with perfection those things that would build a wall between us and him. His desire is to be close to us.
Jesus said, Mat 5:17 Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil.
Part of that ‘to fulfil’ is the calling of a people to himself.
As I look even in 1Cor13 I see in Pauls defining of love a call to separation to God.People who seek to live this way canot do it in their own strength they must have help from Jesus the one who sent the Holy Spirit to lead us into all truth.
I mean all the other gifts that come with that infilling is wonderful but I find at the end of the day, <SUP>12</SUP>We don't yet see things clearly. We're squinting in a fog, peering through a mist. But it won't be long before the weather clears and the sun shines bright! We'll see it all then, see it all as clearly as God sees us, knowing him directly just as he knows us!
<SUP>13</SUP>But for right now, until that completeness, we have three things to do to lead us toward that consummation: Trust steadily in God, hope unswervingly, love extravagantly. And the best of the three is love.

 

[Br. Bear]

The LORD hath appeared of old unto me, saying, Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee.
Jeremiah 31:3


Beloved,


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


Tell me the condition that He loves us with.... could it be a state of "so loved", could it be with an unsearchable richness, a pureness of graceful mercy and lovingkindness? John 3:16

Psalm 42:8 Yet the LORD will command His lovingkindness in the daytime, and in the night His song shall be with me, and my prayer unto the God of my life.


The LORD does not need our limitations to send forth His Love, neither will our ideas thwart His Love....


But let him that glorieth glory in this, that he understandeth and knoweth Me, that I am the LORD which exercise lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness, in the earth: for in these things I delight, saith the LORD. Jeremiah 9:24

What conditions does the Almighty need from us to excercise Himself towards us and all creation? For God is Love 1John 4:16

While we were yet sinners, yea, not because of anything we can do or any condition we can put upon Love, But God commendeth His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Romans 5:8


Beloved, we put conditions on each other, on ourselves and even try to do the same with the Lord. Tell me, is Holiness conditional?


He loves us because He is, yea, He calls Himself, "I AM", and needs no more condition to be Who He is than to just be, and as He is and is eternal, without beginning and end, the very Love that is found only in Him, has no need for the limitations of our fleshy minds.


The question of "what is unconditional love?" can best be answered in this.... Father, forgive them....Luke 23:34 as Christ Jesus was crucified for the sins of the world, not His own as He is and was and always will be the spotless Lamb of God.
In loving each other, we can love for Love's sake, that is, for the sake and glory of God, and we can continue in His Love and forgive when forgiveness is humanly impossible, just as we have been forgiven.

Jesus clearly told us to do the opposite to the normal, and to turn the other cheek, to love our enemies, to touch the untouchables and cleanse the unclean, to love the sinner and not the sin.


Where we so often go wrong is when we fail to remain In His Love, when we turn aside to follow our flesh and stop drinking from Him, the River that never runs dry... but all along, the unconditional Love of God in Jesus Christ the Lord continues, and can never be stopped.

Tell me... can you turn God on and off? No, I didn't think so. It would be more possible to turn the sun off that to stop His Love, for it is purely unconditional.

When we see just how holy He is in His great Love, we can begin to commune with Him and share In His Love, and our cup runneth over.

Love commands us to Love.

When we are told to love, notice there is no such words that say if you don't, God will stop loving you. Merely we are told to love. If we love Him, well, let us love one another, for Love is of God, Who gave without condition on His part to an ungrateful and unloving world.


SO, in loving one another, we can do likewise and continue IN His love, and love totally unconditionally.

Tell me the conditions a mountain stream flows and meets with other streams and they run as one to the sea becoming part of the ocean. (perhaps the stream says, "first, all you rocks and bends I must pass, you must flatten yourselves out and decrease in number... and only then I will flow past you!" or perhaps, "I will only run and join with other streams if they slow down and agree with me about the rocks being flatter"?)

Now tell me the conditions we need to love one another, being filled with His glorious Love.



Bless you ....><>




Br. Bear





Ephesians 3:14-19
For this cause I bow my knees
unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,
Of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named,
That He would grant you,
according to the riches of His glory,
to be strengthened with might by His Spirit in the inner man;
That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith;
that ye,
being rooted and grounded in Love,
May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth,
and length, and depth, and height;
And to know the Love of Christ,
which passeth knowledge,
that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God.

 

[Jonah2005bt]

But I always thought that True Love is Unconditional?

I will hate the sin my brother does, but not my brother.

True love is being devoted. True love is never ending & for it never dies, therefore it never gives up and it is always hoping.

True love is loving someone, even after he/she has hurt you. Love is always forgiving. {Matthew 6:12, Matthew 18:21-22}

True love is what comes from GOD & Jesus Christ, for HE teaches us what true love is all about.

GOD doesn't want us to war & fight with each other.

HE wants us to love one another, the way Jesus loves us!

Jesus even said that we are to love our enemies, and we are to pray for those who persecute us, so we may be true children of our Father in Heaven, The Almighty GOD. {Matthew 5:44}

If we just love those who love us then how can we say that GOD or Christ, Jesus is in us?

For it is HE who causes the sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. {Matthew 5:45}

Are not even the tax collectors doing that? {Matthew 5:46}

And if we greet only our brothers, what are we doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? {Matthew 5:47}

Jesus said that we are to be perfect as our Heavenly Father is perfect. {Matthew 5:48}

In other words, LOVE One Another. Be perfect in LOVE.

Remember too, love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
LOVE NEVER FAILS! {1 Corinthians 13:4-8}

The end of all things is so near. We must stay clear minded and self-controlled so that we can pray. Above all, love each other deeply, because Love Covers Over A Multitude Of Sins. {1 Peter 4:7 - 8}

Love always, your sister in Christ Jesus, *genesis!

 

[palms25]

Unconditional love may be difficult for us at times. But for God it is a walk in the park. For GOd is love and as we strive to become more Godly we become closer to love. THe old idea of a punishing God is not a GOd of unconditional love but rather one of very specific conditions which according to this old understanding many fail to meet. But God is not like this God demonstrates his unconditional love for us in many ways and when we can truly feel and bask in this love then we wil know we are loved. Knowing we are loved allows us to love others and for some, they can love all unconditionally. Christ was one such person.

 

[Jonah2005bt]

Please, before anyone corrects me, read this through.

I think that GOD always had a unconditional love for HIS people. I think in the days of The Old Testament, GOD (where we read about wars and HIS Ten Commandments) was disciplining HIS children who at the time were the Israelites.

I believe that HE was showing them just how powerful HE is and WHO HE really is, The One and Only - True GOD - Almighty GOD.

And that HE would save them from their {& our} imperfect ways, only if they would listen to HIM. {Deuteronomy 5:29}

I believe that GOD'S love for us all always was and always will be truly unconditional.

I look at sin like one looks at a disease that taken over the entire body, destroying it.

And I think GOD looks at sin in a similar way. For HE has NO DESIRE to kill wicked people, but rather see them turn away from their wicked desires, and do what is right in GOD'S eyes. {Ezekiel 33:11}

I believe that GOD was disciplining HIS people, get them ready for the day when Jesus was to come. {Genesis 3:15, Isaiah 53:1-12, John 5:39-47 and Acts 26:22-23}

And this is why HE sent HIS Beloved Son, Christ Jesus into our life to be the ransom of all our sins.

Jesus became our Savior and Teacher, through The One and Only - True GOD - {Jehovah} - The Almighty GOD. {John 3:15-16}

Love always your Sister in Christ Jesus, *genesis!

 

[palms25]

Its not always easy to reconcile the notions of sin with unconditional love. I quite like your analogy Jonah to a diseased body that needs to be cured but unfortunaltly this analogy comes up short when we consider what some believe to be the cure for the disease which (according to some) is eternal damnation!!
Hardly a cure i think u will agree, and certainly not consistent with the idea of a loving God.
So where does that leave us? Well im always reminded of the nature of creation and how we are created in Gods image. If God is love then so too are we and that doesnt leave much room for sin.
Certainly we have notions of right and wrong but these are what we have created and they are largely a statement of who we are. We have over the centuries changed our minds about right and wrong and I am sure we will continue to do so in the future. this leaves us with the rather challenging idea of God the impassionate observer. An analogy could be as one looking at kittens playing. As we watch them scramble and play and fight we dont have notions of right and wrong only of love. Could this be how God looks at us. There is not much a kitten can do to thwart our love and there is nothing we can do to thwart Gods love.

 

[Jonah2005bt]

Matthew 9:12-13

Its not always easy to reconcile the notions of sin with unconditional love. I quite like your analogy Jonah to a diseased body that needs to be cured but unfortunaltly this analogy comes up short when we consider what some believe to be the cure for the disease which (according to some) is eternal damnation!!
Hardly a cure i think u will agree, and certainly not consistent with the idea of a loving God.
So where does that leave us? Well im always reminded of the nature of creation and how we are created in Gods image. If God is love then so too are we and that doesnt leave much room for sin.
Certainly we have notions of right and wrong but these are what we have created and they are largely a statement of who we are. We have over the centuries changed our minds about right and wrong and I am sure we will continue to do so in the future. this leaves us with the rather challenging idea of God the impassionate observer. An analogy could be as one looking at kittens playing. As we watch them scramble and play and fight we dont have notions of right and wrong only of love. Could this be how God looks at us. There is not much a kitten can do to thwart our love and there is nothing we can do to thwart Gods love.

That's just it! If people would listen to GOD - to HIS Son Christ Jesus, then they would be getting better & stronger.

The ones that do not listen to GOD & HIS Son Christ Jesus, are the ones that may not get cured, unless they take medicine, The WORD of GOD, and follow the instructions. {Isaiah 40:31}

On hearing this, Jesus said, "It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. But go and learn what this means: 'I desire mercy, not sacrifice.' For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners." {Matthew 9:12-13}

Do you not know? Have you not heard?

The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth.
He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom.

He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak.

Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall;

but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint. {Isaiah 40:28-31}

And the words of the LORD are flawless, like silver refined in a furnace of clay, purified seven times. {Psalms 12:6, Psalms 19:7, Psalms 119:140 & Proverbs 30:5}

Love always, your sister in Christ Jesus, *genesis!

 

[El Hombre viejo]

Base your worth on Gods unconditional love for you!! :shade: