Beyond Performance: Understanding God's Unconditional Love
Discovering the Fundamental Nature of God's Relationship with Humanity
God never changes. His character shows in both the Old and New Testaments. God is consistent. In the book of Hosea, we see God working His redemptive plan. He reaches out to the undeserving, even not desiring, person in terrible need. That is the same story as John 3:16, where God loves the world and offers salvation to everyone.
Think of Romans 5:6-8 where God loves and saves those too weak to save themselves, the ungodly, and those that are still living in sin. God knows who you are and where you are.
God’s love for us is not contingent on our actions or identity. He loves us simply because of who He is. God is love. Love is His very essence. He loved us, knowing we would sin, even before the world began, and continued to love all humanity after the fall. His love is not earned; it is a reflection of His nature.
God is Love
And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him. 1 John 4:16.
Notice: God is love. The question is, have we known and believed the love that God has for us? I have struggled to believe that God loves me, just like I am. I especially doubted that He liked me. But the Scripture is clear. He loves. He is love. His love is undeserved. It is just who He is.
God loves freely. that is how God loved Israel Hosea 14:4. That is how He loves you.
God is Faithful
Even when we are unfaithful, God remains faithful. II Timothy 2:13 This is a fundamental aspect of His character. God never lies and cannot lie. His love for us is eternal, unconditional, and undeserved. This unwavering faithfulness is a testament to His love for us.
The entire Bible story is of God loving us, seeking us, saving us, and never giving up.
Sin destroys, and God restores.
God wants a deeper relationship with us.
God loves you with forever love.
Our Goal
Our goal should be to know God. We know Him through Jesus and the work of the Holy Spirit using His Word in our lives.
Most of us only know a caricature of God. We need to get into the Word and learn who He really is. Hosea is a good place to start.
God desires a relationship with us. Our goal should be to know Him better and deeper than ever.
Let’s learn to revel in His love.
Quotes
"God's love is not a carefully measured and studied decision; it is spontaneous, unpredictable, and free." Brennan Manning
"The love of God is one of the great realities of the universe, a pillar upon which the hope of the world rests. But it is a personal, intimate thing too. God does not love populations, He loves people. He loves not masses, but men." A.W. Tozer
"God's love is not based on the performance of the receiver." Philip Yancey