Hi how are you all today? I am well and have arrived home today from a weekend away celebrating my son’s girlfriend’s birthday. It was a good weekend. How was your weekend?
This blog I want to discuss unconditional love. In Bible terms it is called agape love. It is the type of love that God loves each and every person with. It is a love that has no conditions. In relation to God and us it means we can’t do anything to make God love us more. We can do things to strengthen the relationship but not in regard to love.
So what does unconditional mean other than with no conditions attached? In the Merriem-Webster Dictionary it means absolute and not limited. This means that it can’t be greater than or less than. It is exactly right and has no limitations.
It doesn’t say I will be your friend if, or I will love you if you do this for me or I will love you only if or I will love you if you love me. No – it says I will love you even if. It is unlimited love.
The best example is God. In John3:16, it states that God so loved the world that He gave His only Son that whoever believes in Him will not perish but have everlasting life (NKJV).
God loved so He gave- unconditional love. The only conditional part of this verse is contained in the word believing. Whoever believes will be saved but whoever does not believe will not be saved. That is conditional.
Jesus dying on the cross for us showed unconditional love. Jesus died in faith not knowing whether His sacrifice would ever lead to you or any person being reconciled to the Father. Jesus loved so He sacrificed.
Unconditional love always demands a sacrifice. It is hard to love unconditionally when people hurt our feelings or wrong us or cause a rift in relationships. But we must if we are to mature in God. Maturing in God always requires sacrifice but it is worth it. God will never allow our sacrifice to go unrewarded or He would be going against Who He is.
David and Jonathan, king Saul’s son had an unconditional love relationship. This is clearly seen in the passage in 1 Samuel 20. Saul the king was jealous of David and tried to kill him a number of times. David advised Jonathan of this but he didn’t believe him. So they hatched a plan. Jonathan discovered his father did want to kill David so he came into the field and shot the arrows beyond David. This was the exchange prior to that in 2 Samuel 20: 13-17 in the English Standard Version Bible:
13 But should it please my father to do you harm, the Lord do so to Jonathan and more also if I do not disclose it to you and send you away, that you may go in safety. May the Lord be with you, as he has been with my father. 14 If I am still alive, show me the steadfast love of the Lord, that I may not die; 15 and do not cut offyour steadfast love from my house forever, when the Lord cuts off every one of the enemies of David from the face of the earth.” 16 And Jonathan made a covenant with the house of David, saying, “May the Lord take vengeance on David’s enemies.” 17 And Jonathan made David swear again by his love for him, for he loved him as he loved his own soul.
This is the example of unconditional love. There is no jealousy even though Jonathan should have been king, He knew that God had anointed David. There is legacy involved. They were to keep this going for both their households. They sacrificed for each other- Jonathan in that he risked being killed if his father found out and David as he may never see his friend again.
This is the love that should be demonstrated between a husband and wife but should also be demonstrated to the world by us Christ followers. It will be this love that wins the world to Jesus.
This week practice unconditional love like I will be and let me know how you go.
Bless you and keep living the life God intended for you.
Katen
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