Pilgrim's Rock

Exalting God's Excellence
Strengthening God's People
   Login | Contact Pilgrim's Rock Search Our Website Icon
  • Home
  • Unbreakable Faith
  • Books
  • Blog
  • Webinars
  • Videos
  • About
  • Store

April 28, 2016 by Craig Biehl

God’s Conditional and Unconditional Love

God’s Conditional and Unconditional Love - Weekly Blog Post by Dr. Craig Biehl - pink rose

Believers in Christ relish the thought of God’s unconditional love as the basis of our salvation. Indeed, “God so loved the world that He gave His only Son” speaks of a love undeserved and founded on God’s character alone. Christ died for “sinners” and “enemies” (Romans 5:8, 10), for people “hostile” to God (Colossians 1:21), for those who seek for anything but God (Romans 3:11). His mercy does not give us what we deserve and His grace gives us what we do not deserve. And so we sing “Amazing grace, how sweet the sound, that saved a wretch like me.” God set His love on the unlovable.

God’s Love of Loveliness
God’s love to His people is also conditional, based on our loveliness. At first glance, a love that depends on something in us might appear contrary to God’ unconditional love toward the fallen and undeserving, but it actually stands beside it as the ultimate purpose and result of God’s unconditional love. For God so loved the unlovable to make them lovable. Through the saving work of Christ in fulfilling the perfect obedience required by God’s justice, and through His paying the infinite debt of our sin owed to His justice, Christ purchased for us His perfect righteousness, a righteousness imputed to us as we are united to Him through saving faith. And that righteousness constitutes the beauty of His saints: “He has clothed me with garments of salvation, He has wrapped me with a robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decks himself with a garland, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels” (Isaiah 61:10 NAS).

Conditional Love in Heaven
When God’s saving purpose of saving unworthy sinners is fully consummated in the new heavens and new earth, God will love us as lovely and loveable. His love to the saints will not be the unconditional love He exercised toward His fallen enemies, or a love of people despite their ungodliness. God’s love to His redeemed in heaven will rest on the beauty of saints covered in the righteousness of Christ. So, “when we’ve been there ten thousand years, bright shining as the sun,” we will forever reflect the beauty of God’s perfect holiness as it shines in and through us. Our loveliness in heaven will consist of the beauty of God’s perfect holiness given to us unconditionally, our permanent possession in Christ. God will forever delight in the excellence of our beauty as He delights in the excellence of the beauty of the Son that covers us and is in us, purchased by our Savior’s sinless life and death on the cross as our substitute.

Beauty and the Bride
The heart of the Gospel includes both the unconditional and conditional love of God, the former rooted in the perfect character of God alone, and the latter founded upon our beauty as covered in the righteousness of Christ. God set His love on the lost to secure a bride for His Son, and set out to accomplish His purpose by making the bride suitable for the bridegroom, covering her in the beauty of holiness that she might dwell with Him forever.

Click here to download a PDF of this article.

© 2016 Craig Biehl, author of God the Reason, The Box, The Infinite Merit of Christ, and Reading Religious Affections

 

God’s Conditional and Unconditional Love - Weekly Blog Post by Dr. Craig Biehl - pink rose

X

Yes, I Want a PDF of “God’s Conditional and Unconditional Love”


 

We respect your privacy. We’ll NEVER sell, rent, or share your email address. That’s more than a policy, it’s our guarantee!

Filed Under: Theology Tagged With: bride of Christ, conditional love, God's saving purpose, righteousness of Christ, unconditional love

Recent Posts

  • A Christmas Story
  • Vote for Your Neighbor
  • Baggage, Responsibility, and the Display of God’s Excellence
  • Hey Creationist, Prove It!
  • A Thanksgiving Proclamation

Archives

  • December 2021
  • October 2020
  • February 2019
  • January 2019
  • November 2018
  • September 2018
  • August 2018
  • July 2018
  • June 2018
  • May 2018
  • April 2018
  • March 2018
  • February 2018
  • January 2018
  • December 2017
  • November 2017
  • October 2017
  • September 2017
  • August 2017
  • July 2017
  • June 2017
  • May 2017
  • April 2017
  • March 2017
  • February 2017
  • January 2017
  • December 2016
  • November 2016
  • October 2016
  • September 2016
  • August 2016
  • July 2016
  • June 2016
  • May 2016
  • April 2016
  • March 2016
  • February 2016
  • January 2016
  • December 2015
  • November 2015
  • October 2015
  • September 2015
  • August 2015
  • November 2014

ABOUT PILGRIM'S ROCK

Pilgrim’s Rock exists to exalt the infinite excellence of God and the Gospel, boost joy, comfort, and faith in Christ and Scripture, and immunize believers against the unreasonable arguments of unbelief. Read More…

Pilgrim's Rock Money Back 60-Day Guarantee
SIGN UP FOR WEEKLY BLOG POSTS

First Name: (required)

Last Name:

Email: (required)

Recent Posts

  • A Christmas Story
  • Vote for Your Neighbor
  • Baggage, Responsibility, and the Display of God’s Excellence
  • Hey Creationist, Prove It!
  • A Thanksgiving Proclamation

We donate a portion of every course sale to HSLDA to protect your right to homeschool your children.
HSLDA Blue Logo
Pilgrim's Rock Logo
GAB Logo   Comodo SSLSectigo TrustLogo

Pilgrim's Rock™ LLC. © 2022 All rights reserved.      PO Box 27, Horsham PA 19044    215-646-1077      About Us   Privacy Policy   Terms & Conditions   Parental Consent Policy   Small Group Consent Policy  DONATE