unconditional love
Usenet/Netnews Moderator
>Newsgroups: bit.listserv.christia
>From: zh3...@sol1.solinet.net (Darra R. Combs)
>Subject: unconditional love
>Organization: UTexas Mail-to-News Gateway
>Date: 7 Oct 1994 07:37:59 -0500
I have been trying to understand the real character of unconditional
love. Can anyone here explain it? You could do it from a
person-to-person or a God-to-person angle. If this kind of love is not
based on what a person does, then what in them inspires this kind of
feeling? What is it that God loves in us? And how can we, who are
imperfect, love perfectly, as he does?
It seems that unconditional love has very low expectations, or maybe none
at all. Is that how it works?
Thanks for the insight. It can't hurt for us to think about love for a
while.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Darra R. Combs (706)823-5078
darra_...@solinet.net Augusta GA
=========================================================================
Tom H Sathre
> love. Can anyone here explain it? You could do it from a
> person-to-person or a God-to-person angle. If this kind of love is not
> based on what a person does, then what in them inspires this kind of
> feeling? What is it that God loves in us? And how can we, who are
> imperfect, love perfectly, as he does?
>
This is Tom Sathre. I'm glad you're back.
How about an example of unconditional love? (I can't explain it.) High
on most lists of Bible verses to be memorized, is John 3:16. That and
its context say that Jesus came into our world (1) to redeem it (2)
sacrificially and (3) without us even being willing to accept Him.
> It seems that unconditional love has very low expectations, or maybe none
> at all. Is that how it works?
>
My favorite 3 are loving (1) redemptively (2) sacrifically and (3)
without conditions. (I realize that Christ was the redeemer; we can love
redemptively by being a tool of His.) In a sense, the expectations of
the Lord are for the result of His love, and those expectations are
quite high. However, He loved us while we were still sinners.
Usenet/Netnews Moderator
>Newsgroups: bit.listserv.christia
>From: tm...@Lehigh.EDU (TRAVIS MITCHELL NELSON)
>Subject: Re: unconditional love
>Date: 11 Oct 1994 18:38:55 -0400
>Organization: Lehigh University
>>From: zh3...@sol1.solinet.net (Darra R. Combs)
>
>I have been trying to understand the real character of unconditional
>love. Can anyone here explain it? You could do it from a
>person-to-person or a God-to-person angle. If this kind of love is not
>based on what a person does, then what in them inspires this kind of
>feeling? What is it that God loves in us? And how can we, who are
>imperfect, love perfectly, as he does?
>
>It seems that unconditional love has very low expectations, or maybe none
>at all. Is that how it works?
>
>Thanks for the insight. It can't hurt for us to think about love for a
>while.
Dear Darra,
I think we need to start off a little differently. I don't think that
our love from God is unconditional. If it was, it wouldn't be up to
us to accept or reject it. It IS unmerited, as in we don't deserve
it.
God's love for us is based on the fact that we're His creation, just
as my mother's love for me is based on the fact that I am her son.
Nothing I do can change the fact that my Mom loves me (though she
doesn't necessarily like the things I do), nor can anything I do make
her love me more. Similarly, Nothing you can do will make God love
you more, nor will it change the fact that He loves you, though you
CAN choose to reject that love, just as you CAN choose not to allow
your parents to love you.
As for us, I don't think we're capable of "perfect" love, all we can
do is pray and strive for it.
As for expectations, I think perhaps that is not necessarily the right
word to use either. I think all, that love DESIRES is to be loved in
return. In Luke 15 you can see that God's love is only depends upon
the fact that we acknowlege that we belong with Him.
I hope this has helped, Darra, please let me know if it has or not.
Thanks.
Love is Christ,
Travis
##############################################################################
# Travis Mitchell Nelson | "A man who was merely a man and said the sort of #
# (tm...@Lehigh.EDU) | things Jesus said would not be a great moral #
# Box 17 Lehigh Univ. | teacher. He would either be a lunatic -on a level #
# 29 Trembley Drive | the man who says he is a poached egg- or else he #
# Bethlehem, PA 18015 | would be the Devil of Hell. You must make your #
William Dow
i liked your post on unconditional love, and i think i agreed with almost
everything in it. however, i'd have to disagree with you when you say
that unconditional is not the word to use. it is exactly the word to use
for God's love for us. He loves us no matter what we do, even if we
choose to deny His love, He still loves us no less. did the father love
the prodigal son any less when the latter left him? i don't think he
did, because he was still overjoyed to see him when he came back. i do
agree that whether or not we reap(the terribly undeserved) rewards of
God's love depends on whether or not we accept it, but whether or not we
accept His love has no bearing on whter or not He loves us.
does that make any sense?
i would also agree with you that humans are incapable of unconditional
love, on the whole, but perhaps capable of it at certain times? what do
you think?
yours
bill