An Unpleasant Truth for Many
Chances are that most people will not like the title of this post. They won’t like it mostly because they are accustomed to hearing that God’s love is “unconditional.” Well, we're going to be frank: It’s not. This truth may be disturbing to you, but no pastor is authorized to hide the truth.
We're going to share the truth with you in this lesson. Let's start with what Jesus himself said:
The reason my Father loves me is that I lay down my life (John 10:17).
You can see from Jesus' words that the love God has for Jesus is conditional. Jesus has always had to keep himself in God’s good favor. Jesus maintains God’s love upon him by doing what God wants. For example, he went to the Cross. As Jesus said, he laid down his life. That’s one reason why God loves Jesus.
You Also Must Obey
Jesus has to remain in God’s love by meeting God's conditions. Jesus could have fallen out of grace when he was in the flesh. He would have fallen from grace if he had fallen into one of the powerful temptations the Devil sent his way—but Jesus didn’t fall into them. His victory became our example. Jesus became our role model.
If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love (John 15:10).
The principle of obedience for to remaining in God’s good grace applies to us too. You and I are subjected to temptations during the present time because we’re in the flesh. Just as Jesus obeyed God, we must obey Jesus. If we don’t obey him, we won’t remain in Jesus' love.
You are my friends if you do what I command (John 15:14).
God loved Jesus for good reason and Jesus loves us for good reason too! It's because we obey him. We do what he tells us.
So, again, there is no such thing as “unconditional” love in Christianity. It's a lie to say that God loves you regardless of what you do. God's love for Jesus was always conditioned by Jesus' behavior. Likewise, Jesus' love for you is conditioned by your behavior.
Jesus obeyed God in all things, thereby remaining in the love of God. Likewise, we must obey Christ in all things--and so we remain in Jesus' love. If we do not obey Jesus, Jesus will be greatly displeased with us.
We must persevere. We must do the will of God. Those who obey the Law are declared righteous.
But my righteous one will live by faith, and if he shrinks back, I take no pleasure in him (Hebrews 10:38; NET).
You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised (Hebrews 10:36).
God 'will repay each person according to what they have done.' To those who by persistence in doing good seek glory, honor and immortality, he will give eternal life... There will be trouble and distress for every human being who does evil... but glory, honor and peace for everyone who does good ... it is not those who hear the Law who are righteous in God’s sight, but it is those who obey the Law who will be declared righteous (Romans 2:6-7, 9-1013).
Hearing Prayers
God heard Jesus’ prayers not because he was obligated to hear them. He didn’t listen to Jesus’ cries just because Jesus was his Son. On the contrary, God showed no favoritism to Jesus. From a tender age, Jesus had to learn obedience through the punishments he got, just like any other child.
I will be his Father, and he will be my Son. When he does wrong, I will punish him with a rod wielded by men, with floggings inflicted by human hands (2 Samuel 7:14).
... the LORD himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel. He will be eating curds and honey when he knows enough to reject the wrong and choose the right, for before the boy knows enough to reject the wrong and choose the right, the land of the two kings you dread will be laid waste (Isaiah 7:14-16).
As Jesus grew up and learned how to keep his conscience clean, God would pay attention to Jesus’ prayers. But God listened because Jesus lived in reverent submission to God. God didn't heed Jesus' prayers for any other reason. It was because of Jesus' piety!
During the days of Jesus’ life on Earth, he offered up prayers and petitions with fervent cries and tears to the One who could save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverent submission (Hebrews 5:7).
Although he was a Son, he learned obedience from the things which he suffered (Hebrews 5:8; NASB).
In his careful keeping of God’s commandments, Jesus has given us an example to follow. Now, we must follow that example. We must keep a clear conscience and be obedient. If we are going to remain in Jesus' love (that is, if he's going to continue to support us, strengthen us, and save us), we must obey him.
God is Love
There is One God, and he is Love (1 John 4:8,16). This becomes clearer and clearer when you study God’s relationship to Jesus. For example, look at how God crowned Jesus with glory and honor. Isn't that evidence enough of God’s love? Consider the generosity, selflessness, benevolence, and kindness God had for Jesus in order to exalt Jesus and sit him at his right hand.
The Father revealed himself to Moses in a very specific way: He declared how loving he is! Listen to the way God self-disclosed himself here:
The LORD, the LORD, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion, and sin (Exodus 34:6).
I think that God is proud of 'abounding in love,' wouldn't you agree? And he should be proud of it! He truly is a God of Love.
God wants to be known as a patient and gracious God, and he deserves that reputation! But as it was with Jesus, so it must be for us. God’s love for someone depends on that person’s behavior. God’s love for Jesus depended on Jesus’ behavior—so dare anyone suggest that this same rule not apply to us?
Why God Was With Jesus
The following verse demonstrates that God’s love for Jesus is conditional. As Jesus remarked in John 10:17, there is a reason why the Father loves him. In the next verse, we must conclude that there’s a reason why God glorified Jesus, and that it’s because Jesus did God’s will unto death.
... we do see Jesus, who was made lower than the angels for a little while, now crowned with glory and honor because he suffered death (Hebrews 2:9).
Why did God respond to Jesus' needs? Why was God constantly answering Jesus’ prayers? Why did God help Jesus through thick and thin? Jesus felt the consolation of his God in his life, but there was a reason why God gave Jesus his consolation: It was because Jesus pleased God.
Jesus had to do what made God happy before God would console him. God placed that condition on Jesus’ life: That if he was going to be with Jesus, and not abandon him, the Lord Jesus had to do what pleased God. Focus on the word for in the next verse:
[Jesus said] 'The One who sent me is with me; he has not left me alone, for I always do what pleases him' (John 8:29).
Effects of God’s Love in Jesus
God's love has pushed all responsibility to Jesus. Because the Father loves Jesus, he has placed all things into Christ’s hands.
The Father loves the Son and has placed everything in his hands (John 3:35).
God's love causes him to show Jesus everything God is doing. That is, because God loves Jesus, he reveals everything he does to Jesus.
For the Father loves the Son and shows him all he does (John 5:20).
Because of God’s great love for Jesus, he gives Jesus everything Jesus asks of him. God answers all of Jesus’ prayers!
[Martha said to Jesus] I know that even now God will give you whatever you ask (John 11:22).
If these things are true, then how good it is to be close to Jesus! Jesus is the Son God loves. That’s one of the names the Bible gives us for Jesus. If you're near the Son God Loves, then you're in the love of God!
... giving joyful thanks to the Father... he has… brought us into the Kingdom of the Son he loves (Colossians 1:12-13).
We Too Get God’s Love
Because of God’s love for Jesus, we can also live in God's love. From God all love flows. And it flows through Jesus before it gets to us.
Remember this: God’s love is his most formidable means of converting us into heirs of the Kingdom. His love transforms us from the inside out.
The next two passages reveal that we are objects of God’s love through Jesus. In fact, we are the final objects of the love of God. He loves Jesus first, and then God loves us through Jesus.
Through our faith in Jesus Christ, we are destined to receive the precious love of God.
[Jesus said] I have made you [God] known to them, and will continue to make you known in order that the love you have for me may be in them [the disciples]... (John 17:26)
How about that? The love that God has for Jesus (which is a glory-giving love--that is, a love which lifts people up and exalts them) will be in us. That's the request of Jesus in his prayer to God, and God always answers Jesus' prayers.
Another way to explain this is that God will grant us authority to rule with Jesus! Why does God's love for someone lead to that person ruling? Because the love that God has for Jesus is what produced Jesus' glory! That's the effect of God's love.
One example of how God will give us the divine nature is found in 2 Peter. There it says that he will make us participants in the divine nature. We'll be deity! As Jesus said once: The Scriptures say 'you are gods' (John 10:34).
… [God] has granted to us his precious and magnificent promises, so that by them you may become partakers of the divine nature (2 Peter 1:4; NASB).
A Testimony to the World
One more thing: The World will see God’s love in us. They’ll be witnesses to it, to their shame. On that day, we will be vindicated.
[Jesus prayed to God] ... the World will know that you sent me and have loved them [the disciples] even as you have loved me (John 17:23).
The people of this World will know one day that the love that God had for Jesus is upon us. Yes, they'll see it. It will happen when we’re raptured, and God glorifies us with Christ. Then, when we are crowned with authority to reign on the Earth with our Lord, the World will take notice.
Those evil people who once mistreated us and maligned us will see us resurrected. And oh, what sweet vindication that will be for us! God will exalt us in the presence of our enemies. And then the unrighteousness will recognize that the Scriptures were true--God really is Love!
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