God’s Unconditional Love

God’s Word has a lot to say about love. Jesus stressed the two greatest commandments were to love God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength and loving others as we love ourselves. But most importantly, He wants us to know His love; God’s unconditional love.

Unconditional Love of God Meaning 

It’s difficult for our minds to comprehend the concept of unconditional love.  1 John 4:18 explains, “God is love.” But how can someone “be” love? 

We think of love as a noun- a strong affection for someone, or as a verb- to cherish and devote yourself to another. 

​The Bible, however, describes love as God’s nature- it’s who He is. 

He does everything with love. He created us with love and He disciplines us with love. 

God even gave us free will out of love. He wanted us to choose to love Him in return, not love Him because we feel compelled to do so.

This unfailing love led God to a solution for the sin problem that separates us from Him. Our heavenly Father loves us so much that He sent His own Son as a sacrifice so that we could experience an eternal life with Him.

God’s love is unconditional in that we cannot do anything to make Him love us more or to obtain it- it is a gift from God. He will even love us if we reject Him, but wants all to have a loving relationship with Him.

Why Does God Love Us Unconditionally? 

God’s great love is unconditional and undeserved. We disobey daily and frequently turn from Him; going our own way. Yet it does not affect His love for us. He loves us unconditionally because of who He is.

Will we suffer the consequences of our poor decisions? Most likely.

Will God judge us? Yes, but there is no fear for us, as His perfect love makes us right and holy in His eyes. Think about that for a minute…

We even have a beautiful promise to help us feel secure in this everlasting love-

“For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creations, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

Romans 8:38

When hard times and suffering come into our lives, God’s love is still surrounding us. Don’t measure His love for you by the things of the world you possess or the things you lack. 

He continuously pours His love into our lives, and wants us to not only comprehend it, but also to feel and experience it within our hearts.

How Do I Know God Loves Me Unconditionally?

Do you struggle to feel God’s love? Have you ever thought that God couldn’t possibly love you because of something in your past? Does guilt or shame have you guarding your heart; holding back on fully receiving His love?

You are in good company. Even the apostle Paul struggled with feelings of being worthy of God’s love.

“For I am the least of the apostles and do not even deserve to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God.” 1 Corinthians 15:9

Paul was comparing his sins against those of his brothers in Christ and believed himself unworthy of his calling. He had been an enemy of the church and worked tirelessly to eradicate it.

Yet- he gave all the credit to Jesus for changing his life:

“But by the grace of God I am what I am.” v 10.

God’s grace- the freely given loving kindness of God lavished upon someone who doesn’t deserve it- cleansed and forgave Paul. It completely changed him, as it does for each of us.

Don’t let the voices of others or the enemy affect your identity in Jesus. Know who you are in His eyes- cherished, adored, treasured, redeemed and protected.

How to Feel God’s Love

 If you want to feel His love, here are a few ways that can help:

●Sit quietly in His presence. Speak to Him of your doubts, fears, or weariness. Acknowledge His presence and His love for you. Listen for His response.

●Pray for Him to strengthen you with power from the Holy Spirit to grasp His love. Paul prayed the same:

“I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through His Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in our heart through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge- that you may be filled to the measure of all fullness of God.” Ephesians 3:16-19.

You are loved beyond all measure!!!!

●Read His Word, study the truths and promises you find so they become rooted in your heart.

●Make time in your day to see His loving presence in those around you and within His created world. Use your 5 senses to awaken your ability to see His love in action all around you.

●Write out Bible verses/inspirational quotes about His love for you and place them where you can see them, reminding yourself how loved you are.

●Journal your gratitude for all the ways He shows His love for you. 

How Much Does God Love Me?

I can’t think of a better Bible story to help us understand the loving characteristics of God than the Parable of the Prodigal Son.  We find it in Luke 15:11-32.

A man had two sons. The younger asks for his portion of the estate, and after receiving it, travels to a far country and wastes it on extravagant living.

After he spent it all, a famine arose, and he had nothing to eat. Realizing his foolish mistake, he made plans to return to his father. He rehearses a remorseful speech and plans to ask for a job as a servant.

“But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to the son, threw his arms around him and kissed him.” v20.

Before the son could recite his full apology, the father quickly restores and honors the lost son with the best robe, a ring and sandals. He plans a grand banquet to welcome home the wayward son.

This loving father was keeping an eye out for his son; watching and waiting for his return. When he sees him, he runs to him!

Jesus is giving us a beautiful picture of what unconditional love looks like. The father’s grace and love redeemed the lost son; no payment was required. 

Our loving Father longs to see us coming to Him, too. His compassion is new every morning; His love is constant and patient. He won’t force us to come, but rejoices when we do!

Bible Verses about Unconditional Love

The Bible expresses the unconditional love of God over and over. He wants us to understand what true love looks like and have a sense of peace that only His type of love can bring.

Read slowly through each verse and find inspiration to expand your knowledge of His love for you.

1 John 4:16

“And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love, lives in God, and God in them.”

1 John 4:18

“There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.”

Ephesians 2:8

“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith, and this is not from ourselves, it is the gift of God.”

Jeremiah 31:3

“The Lord appeared to us in the past, saying: ‘I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with unfailing kindness.”

John 3:16

“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”

John 15:13

“Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.”

Romans 5:5

“And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.”

1 John 3:1

“See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are.”

Psalms 36:7

“How priceless is your unfailing love, O God! People take refuge in the shadow of your wings.”

God’s Love For Us

I’m not sure we can fully grasp the enormity of God’s love for us in the here and now. But we can know His love for us; the Bible tells us how to experience it; giving us daily inspiration to come before our loving God without hesitation.

While researching verses for this post, I came across a verse about God’s love I had never quite grasped before. We find it in a prayer that Jesus prayed right before Judas betrays Him. (John 17:1-26.)

He prays for Himself, His disciples, and for us- His future believers. He prayed for you and for me.

We were on His mind as He prepared to show us what true sacrificial love looks like. He prays to His Father:

“May they [believers] be brought to complete unity to let the world know that You sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.” v23.

Jesus was praying for generations of believers yet to come to demonstrate how much God loves them- just as His Father loved Him.

God loves you as much as He loves His Son, Jesus.

What an incredible and overwhelming truth to anchor our lives to! There is no reason to doubt His divine love for you, as implausible as it may seem.

We never need to feel insignificant or unworthy, but bask daily in the warmth of His unconditional love for us.

Blessings of love!

AnnMarie

All Scripture is taken from the NIV unless specified otherwise.

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