The Short Answer is Nothing ∙∙
Long ago, the LORD said: “I have loved you, my people, with an everlasting love. With unfailing love I have drawn you to myself.” – Jeremiah 31:3
Romans 5:8-10
8 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
9 Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from the wrath of God through Him.
10 For if, while we were enemies, we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life.
The Power of Unconditional Love
Unconditional love is a concept that transcends human limitations, representing affection and regard without boundaries or conditions. It is a love that remains steady, unchanging, and unwavering, no matter the circumstances. While the term “unconditional love” is not explicitly used in the Scriptures, it is beautifully captured by the Greek word agape. This word reflects the Father’s boundless love for humanity, “a love that exists irrespective of whether it is reciprocated.”
What Must We Do to Qualify for the Father’s Love?
What can we do to earn God’s love? The answer is profoundly simple: nothing. The Father’s love is not something we can qualify for or attain through our actions. It is rooted in His very nature, for “God is love.” The Father’s response to humanity’s sin is not rejection but love and forgiveness, made possible through the sacrificial death of His Son.
Before becoming His children, we were neither neutral nor passive in our relationship with Him. We were, in fact, His enemies, alienated and estranged from His Forever Family. Yet, even in our state of rebellion, the Father chose to love us. His love for us is not based on our worthiness but on His character and grace.
The Evidence of God’s Love
How can we truly grasp the Father’s love? The most unmistakable evidence of God’s love is shown in the death of our Lord Jesus Christ. His sacrifice on the cross is the ultimate expression of God’s unwavering love for humanity.
The wonder of Christ’s sacrifice is that He died for us not when we were righteous or deserving, but when we were alienated, weak, consumed by sin, and lost. As Barclay beautifully puts it, “Love can go no further than that.” This extraordinary act of selfless love shows the depth of the Father’s commitment to redeeming and restoring His creation.
A Love Beyond Comprehension
Unconditional love, as demonstrated by the Father, is a love that surpasses human understanding. It is a love that reaches out to those who do not deserve it, forgives the unworthy, and transforms the broken. This love is not based on our actions or worthiness; instead, it flows freely from the heart of God.
As Martin Luther King Jr. once said, “I refuse to accept the view that mankind is so tragically bound to the starless midnight of racism and war that the bright daybreak of peace and brotherhood can never become a reality . . . I believe that unarmed truth and unconditional love will have the final word.”
Similarly, Joyce Meyer reminds us, “The one thing everybody’s looking for is unconditional love. We all need somebody to love us just the way we are.”
The Father’s love is the ultimate expression of this truth, a love that invites us to rest in its embrace, confident that it will never fail or fade.
REFLECT & PRAY
The love of the Father is a deep and unwavering truth that goes beyond human comprehension. If He loved us while we were estranged from Him and living as His enemies, how much more can we trust in His love now that we are His cherished children?
Father, it is so difficult to fully grasp and accept that You love me just as I am. And yet, it is true. Thank You for Your unchanging and unconditional love.
INSIGHT
Chosen by Unconditional Love
The nation of Israel serves as a testament to the Father’s sovereign and unconditional love. God chose Abraham as the father of this nation, followed by his son Isaac, then Jacob, and finally Jacob’s twelve sons, who became the twelve tribes of Israel. As revealed in Deuteronomy 7, this choice was not based on their greatness or merit but solely on God’s love and faithfulness.
Deuteronomy 7:7-9: “The LORD did not set his heart on you and choose you because you were more numerous than other nations, for you were the smallest of all nations! Rather, it was simply that the LORD loves you, and he was keeping the oath he had sworn to your ancestors. That is why the LORD rescued you with such a strong hand from your slavery and from the oppressive hand of Pharaoh, king of Egypt. Understand, therefore, that the LORD your God is indeed God. He is the faithful God who keeps his covenant for a thousand generations and lavishes his unfailing love on those who love him and obey his commands.”
God’s love for Israel is described as deeply personal and everlasting. As seen in Zechariah 2:8: “For thus says the LORD of hosts… for he who touches you, touches the apple of His eye.”
The prophet Jeremiah elaborates in Jeremiah 31:3: “I have loved you with an everlasting love; therefore, I have continued my faithfulness to you.”
An Everlasting Covenant
The Father’s relationship with Israel is eternal and unbreakable. Jeremiah emphasizes that nothing can sever this bond, not even Israel’s failures or sins.
Jeremiah 31:35-37: “It is the LORD who provides the sun to light the day and the moon and stars to light the night, and who stirs the sea into roaring waves. His name is the LORD of Heaven’s Armies, and this is what he says: ‘I am as likely to reject my people Israel as I am to abolish the laws of nature!’ This is what the LORD says: ‘Just as the heavens cannot be measured and the foundations of the earth cannot be explored, so I will not consider casting them away for the evil they have done. I, the LORD, have spoken!’”
The short answer to whether this relationship can be broken is simple: nothing can sever it.
The Father’s Love for His Children
Just as God’s love for Israel is eternal, so is His love for His children through Christ. This relationship is unshakable and cannot be undone by any force or circumstance. Paul beautifully expresses this truth in his letter to the Romans.
Romans 8:35-39: “Can anything ever separate us from Christ’s love? And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow, not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. No power in the sky above or in the earth below, indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
The Unbreakable Bond
The Father’s love is a constant presence in our lives, characterized by its eternal, unchanging, and unconditional nature. This profound love is beautifully illustrated through His covenant relationship with Israel, which showcases His commitment and faithfulness throughout generations. Similarly, His relationship with His children, established through the grace of Christ, underscores the depth and breadth of His affection.
This unwavering love assures us that no matter the circumstances we face or the mistakes we make, nothing, absolutely nothing, can ever come between us and His love. This foundational truth serves as a powerful source of comfort, enveloping us in a sense of security. It reminds us that His love is not based on our failures or successes but is instead deeply rooted in His steadfast faithfulness and boundless grace. Through every trial and triumph, we can find solace in the knowledge that our Creator cherishes us.
Great is thy faithfulness – Thomas O. Chisholm
Great is thy faithfulness, O God, my Father;
There is no shadow of turning with thee.
Thou changest not, thy compassions, they fail not;
As thou hast been, thou forever wilt be.
Refrain:
Great is thy faithfulness,
Great is thy faithfulness,
Morning by morning new mercies I see.
All I have needed thy hand hast provided;
Great is thy faithfulness,
Lord unto me.
Summer and winter and springtime and harvest,
Sun, moon, and stars in their courses above
Join with all nature in manifold witness
To thy great faithfulness, mercy, and love. [Refrain]
Pardon for sin and a peace that endureth,
Thine own dear presence to cheer and to guide;
Strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow,
Blessings all mine and ten thousand beside. [Refrain]
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© Dr. H 2025
Dr H Reflections 