Does the Bible Teach “Unconditional Love”?

Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

The phrase, “unconditional love” is well known and used by mostly Christians. The concept is particularly used regarding those who would want to affirm man in his sinful condition, and in particular the sin of homosexuality. The idea being that God is just all-embracing of people regardless of their spiritual condition, because of His love. Nothing could be further from the truth! In fact, while God is indeed love, He is also holy and righteous, and demands the same from those who would claim to know Him. The way is strait and narrow (Matthew 7:13-14), hard to find, and God Himself rejects those that reject Him and His holy ways. He is not all-inclusive by any stretch of the imagination.

Firstly, the phrase cannot be found in the Bible. It is a man-made phrase. Does the Bible teach it though? We will have to look at a range of Scriptures.

God’s Love

There is no doubt that God is a God of love. The following Scriptures denote God’s love:

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”

(John 3:16 KJV)

The above Scripture which sums up the Gospel message in one verse reveals that God is loving, that He loved the world, and that this same love was the motivation in sending Christ to the cross.

“But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”

(Romans 5:8)

This Scripture reveals that even while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

“He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?”

(Romans 8:32)

“He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.”

(1 John 4:8)

“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)

God wants all men to be saved:

“The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.”

(2 Peter 3:9)

Jesus loved the rich young ruler when he was essentially about to reject Him:

“Then Jesus beholding him loved him, and said unto him, One thing thou lackest: go thy way, sell whatsoever thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, take up the cross, and follow me.”

(Mark 10:21)

Scripture would indicate that man has a special place in God’s heart for this reason, that he is made in the image of God:

“So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.”

(Genesis 1:27)

It also reveals, however, that later God regretted creating man due to his wickedness:

“And it repented the LORD that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart.”

(Genesis 6:6)

God’s Wrath

God’s love is a revelation, but so is His wrath!

“For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness.”

(Romans 1:18)

In John chapter three, the same chapter that tells us about God’s love to save the world through His Son, reveals His wrath for rejecting His Son:

“He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.”

(John 3:36)

“God judgeth the righteous, and God is angry with the wicked every day.”

(Psalms 7:11)

God Can Also Hate

“The foolish shall not stand in thy sight: thou hatest all workers of iniquity.”

(Psalms 5:5)

“The LORD trieth the righteous: but the wicked and him that loveth violence his soul hateth.”

(Psalms 11:5)

“As it is written, Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated.”

(Romans 9:13)

“All their wickedness is in Gilgal: for there I hated them: for the wickedness of their doings I will drive them out of mine house, I will love them no more: all their princes are revolters.”

(Hosea 9:15)

It has to be noted also that when God hates it is not on human terms: man’s hate is sinful in nature but with God it is not sinful, as He is holy and righteous. Our hate comes from our fallen sinful nature.

Selective Love

There are Scriptures that indicate that God’s love is only directed towards certain people and that it is indeed conditional:

“He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him.”

(John 14:21)

“For the Father himself loveth you, because ye have loved me, and have believed that I came out from God.”

(John 16:20)

“As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent.”

(Revelation 3:19)

God Rejects Sinners!

“And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient.”

(Romans 1:28)

The word reprobate means rejected and God has rejected sinful mankind handing him over to his lusts!

God rejects them because they reject Him! Mankind is rejected, not accepted by Him.

Under the coming Antichrist reign God will send strong delusion to those who reject His truth, resulting in the damnation of their souls:

“And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved.

And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie:

That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.”

(2 Thessalonians 2:10-12)

Also, in the book of Revelation He will pour out His wrath without mixture!

“And the third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand,

The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb.”

(Revelation 14:9-10)

To present a lightweight God who is all-inclusive, is wrong and does not present the God of the Bible.

He destroyed the whole earth with a flood, and destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah with fire and brimstone from heaven. This must be considered along with His divine love that sent Christ to the cross, and carefully orchestrated His plan for our lives and our salvation.

Conclusion

Can we conclude that God accepts and approves everyone? Absolutely not!

What can we conclude then? That the Almighty God has a general love for His creation, but rejects and is angry with what they have become and what they are doing.

He specifically loves and accepts those who are true to His word, who love and believe in Him and keep His commandments.

So, does the Bible teach unconditional love?

No, it does not appear that it does, but seems like another twist of man upon God’s holy word.

The phrase has connotations of God accepting people when in truth He rejects them.

Man has no right to water down God’s word to suit himself.

It is a dangerous doctrine because it can cause a person to think that they are accepted by God when in fact they are on their way to hell.

God will put sinners in hell as He is righteous and them unrighteous, but He takes no pleasure in doing so:

“Say unto them, As I live, saith the Lord GOD, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way and live: turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways; for why will ye die, O house of Israel?”

(Ezekiel 33:11)