Understanding God’s Unconditional Love • Deshen Daily

But God demonstrates his own love for us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. (Romans 5:8 NET)

God's love demonstrated for you. A picture showing God's hand holding ours in love

God’s most beloved title is Father, and His most cherished relationship with us is that of a Father and His children. He is the God of family. Furthermore, this divine family is held together by the Father’s unconditional, sacrificial, and eternal love.

Unconditional love is absolute love without strings attached, not depending on conditions met or unmet, and unlimited in its extravagance. God’s love is determined primarily by His character and choice and not by our traits, virtues, or works. Since such love is foreign to human societies, accepting it from God is often challenging for us.

A firm understanding of God’s unconditional love is the first step to believing and abiding in it. The Apostle Paul, by the unusual divine wisdom bestowed upon him, systematically explained God’s love in Romans 5. In verse 8, he says “but God demonstrates his own love for us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8 NET). This demonstration of God’s love reveals its unconditional nature: God’s most sacrificial act of love (Christ’s death) was done for the most undeserving of men (sinners). So, God gave heaven’s best to the earth’s worst.

But heaven’s best for earth’s worst is not limited to sinners at salvation. Although God’s unconditional love is most glaringly displayed when a sinner accepts Jesus, we must resist the temptation of restricting the love of God to the conversion experience. Sadly, we often talk about the love of God, mostly when preaching to the lost or in Sunday school! How sad, indeed! So, what happens to that love after we are saved and now children of God? Well, Paul has this to say:

He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? (Romans 8:32 ESV).

If God gave us heaven’s best in our worst condition, what will He do now that we are His children? The point here is not that God could do any better—because there is nothing better that He could potentially do. Instead of expecting better, the idea is that the same unconditional, sacrificial, and eternal love that saved us is still there in that financial crisis, health challenges, family problems, ministry headaches, etc. Keep your heart in the Father’s love.

Please meditate on all quoted scriptures above in light of this devotional.

Thinking about Christ’s love for you is an excellent way to rekindle God’s love in your heart. Please remember that the topic of the love of God is not exclusive to salvation messages or Sunday school classes for kids.

Ask the Spirit for a fresh outpouring of the love of God into your heart (Romans 5:5).