by: Minister Gail Adams
Is God’s love for us unconditional and inseparable?
A few weeks ago, before the dawn broke through the heavens, with its early morning light, I tiptoed into my daughter’s room to retrieve a personal item she had borrowed from me. I expected to enter a dark room but instead I was greeted by a 'glow' of light coming from a set of Marquee letters brightly spelling the word love. Retrieving my phone, I eased myself down on my daughter’s bed and took a picture of it.
Admiring the pic, I felt a warm peace descending upon me and knew a message was coming forth from the Holy Spirit. As I sat quietly listening, he spoke and the words “God’s love” came to my mind along with what Paul said about being inseparable from the love of God. Paul in (Romans 8:37-38) said that nothing, “Will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord”. Paul unwavering in his resolve held, God’s love is not interrupted by any spiritual or physical circumstances of life or by what we do thus, in support of his belief he said, “Nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
Undeniably, “God is love” (1 John 4:8, 16), and “God is a Spirit” (John 4:24). We are also told in (1 John 1:5) by the Apostle John that “God is light” and in Him there is “no darkness" at all. We see that his love and light are inseparable. Love is an expressive gift sent from heaven extended to all mankind from God who is described by scripture to be a spiritual light. God put all of his love in the living word that was made flesh and called it his Son. Jesus the light of the world was sent as an expression of God’s love to offer salvation freely to anyone who believes in Him. “For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life” (John 3:16). There are many views or beliefs about God’s love.
Many in Christianity share the view below:
“God is Love, and His love is very different from human love. God's love is unconditional, and it's not based on feelings or emotions. He doesn't love us because we're lovable or because we make Him feel good; He loves us because He is love. He created us to have a loving relationship with Him, and He sacrificed His own Son (who also willingly died for us) to restore that relationship”. (Source Quote Taken From: http://www.allaboutgod.com/god-is-love.htm
Did God who spoke through Christ his Son ever say directly or indirectly, he loves us unconditionally to the point where nothing can separate us from his love?
To answer this question, we need a tangible (observable) representation of love which is intangible (invisible). The lit Marquees spelling the word love will be our tangible symbol used to illustrate some key points about the light of God’s love. First, His love as light does not accommodate the darkness. Second, His love as light does not blend in with darkness, nor is absorb by the darkness. Third, His love as light reveals the darkness. Fourth, darkness becomes a shadow or a dark area or shape withdrawing or separating from His love as light.
As oil and water do not mix, God’s love and darkness does not mix. His love which is his nature is pure light and cannot be tainted or united with darkness.
Unconditional love is identified as love without any limitations or love without conditions. Unconditional love accepts the individual apart from his or her behaviors regardless if the individual may demonstrate behaviors that are intolerable in certain situations. In Christianity, the term unconditional love is a popular one frequently cited by pastors and laypeople alike but surprisingly, the word is not found in the bible. So, why does Christianity constantly present and exaggerate this concept as if it is a biblical truth?
I hear some of you screaming, hold on a minute are you implying that God loving us unconditionally is not a biblical truth!!? Hold your anger in check, keep reading, and then you decide for yourself.
In Christendom perhaps there is no phrase so misinterpreted as "unconditional love."
Many take Paul’s saying, “Nothing can separate us from God’s love to literally mean it is unconditional while deliberately overlooking what Christ taught about love. God did extend love to the world by offering the gift of eternal life called salvation to all men, a gift originally only extended to the Jews. However, that invitation is not given unconditionally but comes with conditions. You must live a righteous life upon receiving salvation through Jesus to obtain eternal life.
Furthermore, Scripture does not show that JESUS TAUGHT UNCONDITIONAL LOVE THE WAY PAUL PHRASES IT. Jesus said, “If you keep My commandments, you will remain in My love, just as I have kept My Father's commandments and remain in His love” (John 15:10). Based on Jesus’ statement in this passage, God’s love is exclusive not inclusive. Exclusive is defined as: Excluding items or members that do not meet certain conditions, criteria’s, or contractual obligations.
Jesus taught that love gives rise to a contractual obligation which if breached gives rise to being separated from Him.
Jesus without a doubt identifies the contractual obligation is for us to keep His commandments in order to remain in His love. Does what Jesus tells us in John 15:10 applies to staying in God’s love also? Absolutely! He said,
“The one who loves me will be loved by my Father” and I too will love them and show myself to them" (John 14:21). You see, what Paul said about being inseparable from God’s love places no obligation or accountability on mankind to do anything but places all obligation and accountability on God to do everything possible to help man remain in Him. On the contrary, Jesus makes man obligated and accountable to keep His commandments in order to remain in Him and the Father.
Jesus in (John 14:21) and (John 15:10) revealed how to stay in His and God’s love. First, to be loved by the Father we must first demonstrate evidence of our love for Christ. The evidence of our love is observed in our obedience to the laws of Christ. Next, we cannot bypass Christ's love to experience God’s love since He is the open door way to obtain God’s love. Jesus said, "Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching". My Father will love them and we will come to them and make our home with them (John 14:23). “I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me” (John 14:6).
Many of you will disagree with what I am about to say.
But I will shame the devil and speak the truth.
God has never loved man unconditionally.
It is a belief that has transcended down through the ages by men who pervert or twist Scripture in their efforts to make it accommodate lifestyles contrary to God’s word as seen in the examples below.
Pastor Troy Sanders open gay preacher said, a number of church leaders come down rather hard on the LGBT community. There is a very different theology than what we believe in from what the oppressive theology the Church is known for. The Gospel of Jesus Christ hinders on truth and I am a gender loving man and I cannot preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ and not walk in truth around my sexuality. (http://loldarian.blogspot.com/2010/09/ac360-ted-haggard-pastor-troy-sanders.html) This Pastor’s belief greatly differs on the topic of homogeneous and heterogeneous relationships as seen in (Genesis 2:21-24, Mark 10:8, Leviticus 18:22, Romans 1 26-27).
From: ApostleJamesI@aol.com Date: Thu, 7 Jun 2001 22:07:57 EDT Subject: Your statement on Polygamy To: truthspeaks@answering-christianity.com ”Great article for the most part. I am a born-again Christian and a pastor who not only supports the Biblical teaching of polygamy but I also practice it. I have two wives and seven children so far".... His belief greatly clashes with scripture as seen in Deuteronomy 17:17, "He shall not multiply wives for himself, or else his heart will turn away; nor shall he greatly increase silver and gold for himself.” Jesus said, “For this reason a man shall leave his father and his mother, and be joined to his wife; and they shall become one flesh.” (Genesis 2:21-24, Mark 10:8) God certainly has not had a changes of heart about a man having only one wife or that marriage is between a man and a women.
”Twisting scripture to accommodate sinful lifestyles will not alter or change God’s commandments nor will you remain in His love.”
The Old Testament is a powerful reference point which we read and have learned from God’s dealings with the Jews that his love is not unconditional as sin and disobedience divides or separate us from the love and presence of God.
In (Isaiah 59:2), God speaking through the Prophet said to Israel, “But your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, And your sins have hidden His face from you so that He does not hear.” What God said to the Jews about sin separating them from Him without question rings true today. “We know that God does not listen to sinners, but He does listen to the one who worships Him and does His will.” (John 9:31) Love and obedience are connected at the hip in God’s eyesight.
So many Christians are living middle of the road, halfway there, straddle the fence lifestyles and preaching that God loves them even if their sins are repulsive to him. "God is light and in him there is no darkness". Scripture tells us, “The LORD detests the way of the wicked, but he loves those who pursue righteousness.” (Proverbs 15:9) Read this scripture again and meditate on it day and night for it clearly states who God loves. ”HE LOVES THOSE WHO PURSUE RIGHTEOUSNESS”! Pursue is a verb it means to practice or engage in something.
Both Old and New Testaments provide stories, parables, and sayings that clearly tell us that God will never love us unconditionally. He said, “I love those who love me, and those who seek me find me” (Proverbs 8:17). Christ said, “The one who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love them and show myself to them”* (John 14:23).
If you are in sin and not keeping God’s commandments then you do not love Him nor are you remained in His love.
He said, “Whoever does not love Me does not keep My words” (John 14:24). The word that you hear is not My own, but it is from the Father who sent Me. “The one who loves Me will be loved by My Father” (John 14:21). “If you keep My commandments, you will remain in My love just as I have kept My Father's commandments and remain in His love” (John 15:10).
Too many saints are caught in the devil’s snare, blinded by sin, partaking in the pleasures of sin while rephrasing scripture to accommodate and minimize the true nature and outcome of sin by deceptive preaching and teaching that God loves us unconditionally and we are inseparable from his love. Yet, Jesus tells us that God does not love us unconditionally.
Why is this constantly being preached!?
Although many claim to love the teachings of Christ they are not able to accept his message that leaves no room for unrighteousness in one's lives. So sin yet abounds!
Jesus answer to those who cannot accept His word and cannot commit to keeping His commandments is the same answer he gave to the Pharisee and Sadducee who could not accept His words. “Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.” (John 8:44)
Satan continues to deceive men to call evil good, and good evil, promising freedom in sin as they twist and pervert the scriptures teaching God loves us no matter what we do.
Know this saints, God’s love is an extension of Him the light, and the light of God's love does not cross over into the realm of darkness or accommodate darkness.
If you believe you are in God’s love walking in the darkness of sin, that belief is a fatal illusion.
The Prophets before Jesus preached obedience and love, when Jesus started his ministry he preached the same and his disciples after his resurrection preached obedience and love. Jesus said, “So why do you keep calling me 'Lord, Lord ' when you don't do what I say?” (Luke 6:46) Jesus was very serious about believers keeping his commandments, you think?
Satan is the God of this world and he will use any material and worldly influence to trick one into believing they are blessed and highly favored while walking in sin.
Peter gave some good advice to the saints during his time that we can apply in our lives today, “Be sober-minded and alert. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.” (1 Peter 5:8) There's nothing sobering about self-deception using scripture out of context about God’s love for us. This why those falling to Satan's deception are being devoured.
Read my “WORDS” God’s love comes with a contractual obligation that must be met to remain in His love. The truth about God’s love is set in a clear light and in full strength with no compromises.
Jesus said, “If you keep My commandments, you will remain in My love just as I have kept My Father's commandments and remain in His love".
Examine your life today with transparency to determine if are remaining in God’s love. My prayer always is that we continue to grow in grace, truth, wisdom and walk in love towards one another. Help others benefit from this truth by sharing this message. God bless you!
©March2017 Minister: Gail Adams, Pamela Johnson