A Critical Review of a Pop Religious Truism

Scripture clearly teaches that God's love (phileo, agape, aheb, ahabah, etc.) is unfailing, undeserved, and unilateral (completely one-sided in initiation). But is God's love without condition--I.E.: UN-conditional?

On this we should consider three things: 1) Where did this idea come from? 2) Is it consistent with Scripture? and 3) Could this be a modern packaging of the age old message of false prophecy?

On 1), the words unconditional and love are not used in Scripture in either the Old or New Testaments, nor do any of the church fathers use the phrase. Readers have pointed out that it was first used in 1751 in negative reference to the Moravian heresy (hat tip: Devin R.), and more recently by Erich Fromm in the 1930s to describe the matricentric complex (vs. patricentric; hat tip: Mark Long). But these are arcane references.

The phrase unconditional love entered mainstream, pop-culture English during the 1960s LSD drug culture. What the flower-children originally meant by unconditional love had to do with "love the one you are with" in the intimate revolution sense. But the phrase did not last long even among the hippies because it is inherently contradictory: to love is to care deeply about the condition of the one loved. But "under the influence" a lot of things made sense that didn't later. After the drugs wore off, psychology flirted with the pop-phrase in the 1970's in the "transactional analysis" fad, but this was ephemeral and quickly dropped from view. Just about then a few susceptible christian teachers stepped in and took the baton, and the rest is history.

With this dubious modern pedigree we must ask the obvious question: is this an idea that comes from above, or from below? (John 8:23)

On 2), is the implicit idea that the phrase asserts consistent with Scripture? If we take the phrase in its plain-sense meaning, certainly not. If unconditional can cohabit the same phrase as love without canceling it (when not on LSD, that is), then why did Jesus bother declaring the conditions? "You must be born again." etc.

Think about it. In a typical teaching of Jesus, much of what he said were the life-giving conditions of moving out-of a position of wrath and into a loving relationship with the Father. The catch-phrase unconditional love strips these words right out of our Savior's mouth. "Hey Jesus, you can't say that! Don't you know that God's agape love is unconditional!"

John 8:31-32 (NIV) , Jesus said, "If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free."
Get it? IF/THEN is a condition. So is UNLESS. And this is the kind of thing Jesus often said. Uh Oh!

On 3), we should consider the possibility that this new phrase might be a wolf in sheep's clothing. Could unconditional love be Satan's latest repackaging of the "peace, peace" message that has always been the essence of false prophecy? Of course, Satan would never be that clever, to deny the very words of God with a subtle twist of phrase? Would he?

Because of a Bible Study on our site which calls for repentance from witchcraft, we get a lot of "flames" from Wiccans and Pagans. A typical complaint is to lecture us that "God's love is unconditional", thus justifying witchcraft--or whatever--since "God loves everyone eternally no matter what they believe." By this way of thinking, "It makes no difference which 'god' you worship since God's unconditional love would never allow Him to send anyone to hell. Condemning people to hell is not exactly a loving thing to do for those so sent, is it? So, it does not matter what people think or believe or do. God's unconditional love means that we will all go to heaven."

Hearing this doctrine put forth with such piercing clarity from Pagans should give Christians pause in their enthusiasm to embrace it.

Often, when Christians say unconditional love we know they do not mean it in the exact, literal sense. So, we do not want to go overboard and say that anyone who uses the phrase is a universalist or heretic. We must look to the context and meaning for those who have not thought it through, giving them the benefit of the doubt. But, at the very least, we should be more circumspect about adoption of extra-biblical spurious terminology within the Church, and of teachers that unreflectingly jump on every bandwagon of pop phraseology that blows through.

God's love is truly amazing,  God's love is unilateral: He loves the unlovable and gives His glory to them. God's love is completely undeserved. God's love is unfailing for those in whom He delights: who respond to Him and receive His Son. But, God's love is clearly not "unconditional"; for wrath and eternal damnation will come to those who reject His Messiah and His Gospel. Let us be sure to be found in the position of receiving God's love, and not His judgment. Let us heed the conditions clearly set forth by our Lord so that we can be at peace with Him. And let us shout the message of these conditions from the rooftops so that others might be saved, rather than retreat into thinly veiled license, universalism, or anything else that "sets itself up against the knowledge of God" (2Cor 10:5).

Here are a few verses to salt your appetite for researching and considering this further.

Jer. 5:12-13 (NIV) "They have lied about the Lord; they said, 'He will do nothing! No harm will come to us; we will never see sword or famine.' The prophets are but wind and the word is not in them, "
J[b]er. 8:6-9 (NIV[/b]) "I have listened attentively, but they do not say what is right. No one repents of his wickedness, saying, 'What have I done?' , My people do not know the requirements of the Lord. How can you say, 'We are wise, ' Since they have rejected the word of the Lord, what kind of wisdom do they have?"

Jer. 23:16-18 (NIV) [/b]This is what the Lord Almighty says: "Do not listen to what the prophets are prophesying to you; they fill you with false hopes. They speak visions from their own minds, not from the mouth of the Lord. They keep saying to those who despise me, 'The Lord says: You will have peace.' And to all who follow the stubbornness of their hearts they say, 'No harm will come to you.' But which of them has stood in the council of the Lord to see or to hear his word? Who has listened and heard his word?"

[b]Jer. 23:21-22 (NIV) "I did not send these prophets, yet they have run with their message; I did not speak to them, yet they have prophesied. But if they had stood in my council, they would have proclaimed my words to my people and would have turned them from their evil ways and from their evil deeds."

Lam 2:14 (NIV) "The visions of your prophets were false and worthless; they did not expose your sin to ward off your captivity. The oracles they gave you were false and misleading."

Luke 3:7b (NIV) "You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath?"

John 3:36 (NIV) "Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God's wrath remains on him."

Rom 2:5,8 (NIV) But because of your stubbornness and your unrepentant heart, you are storing up wrath against yourself for the day of God's wrath, when his righteous judgment will be revealed,  For those who are self-seeking and who reject the truth and follow evil, there will be wrath and anger.

Eph 2:3 (NIV) All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our sinful nature and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature objects of wrath.

Eph 5:6 (NIV) Let no-one deceive you with empty words, for because of such things God's wrath comes on those who are disobedient.

1Co 2:13 (NIV) This is what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom but in words taught by the Spirit, expressing spiritual truths in spiritual words.

2 Tim 4:2-4 (TCN) Proclaim the Message, be ready in season and out of season, convince, rebuke, encourage, never failing to instruct with forbearance. For a time will come when people will not tolerate sound teaching. They will follow their own wishes, and, in their itching for novelty, procure themselves a crowd of teachers. They will turn a deaf ear to the Truth, and give their attention to legends instead.

Heb 13:9 (NIV) Do not be carried away by all kinds of strange teachings.

Luke 13:3 (DVP) [Jesus:] ", If you do not repent, then you will all perish, "

Source

Unfortunately, you have left us in the dark as to what you think. It is safe, perhaps, to assume you agree with the author. Do you think God's love can be ''undeserved'', yet conditional? Do we have to earn His love then? Where then is His grace?

you never told me clearly how to post video feeds here that link the other day was no good it was the same only story it would wonderful to have a short video made to show you how to do it
and i love your post are you a church minister (frosbel)

crossman9:

you never told me clearly how to post video feeds here that link the other day was no good it was the same only story it would wonderful to have a short video made to show you how to do it

I copied this explanation from - https://www.nairaland.com/nigeria/topic-143580.0.html


See below quote with instructions.

Yes, you can post YOUTUBE video on SMF forum manually if admin do not want to install a MOD plugin: Auto Embed Video/Audio Clips.

Copy from the youtube.com's embed file like this

Code:
"value= 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LDbR-yW8Pf0&hl=en"

Then paste on this    "Insert Flash" tag button as following proper code below:

Code:

[flash=425,344] 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LDbR-yW8Pf0&hl=en[/flash]

It will appear embedded youtube video on SMF posting itself.

Got it! Good luck!

Have been so busy, and I am known to give lengthy 'how to do ' explanations, which could end up confusing you more.

If you have any further questions, email me, and I will try to send something more detailed - b3headed@gmail.com

and i love your post are you a church minister (frosbel)

Not a church minister by miles 

I am just a very ordinary Christian like you, striving to enter the kingdom through the Narrow gate and growing unto perfection.

More importantly , I am liable to be wrong with some of the comments or statements I make , and very willing to be corrected if there is scripture to back it up.

Many thanks.

ECCLESIASTES 12 VS 12 But, my child, let me give you some further advice: Be careful, for writing books is endless, and much study wears you out.

I aint finna wear my body out by reading your thesis

5solas:

Unfortunately, you have left us in the dark as to what you think. It is safe, perhaps, to assume you agree with the author. Do you think God's love can be ''undeserved'', yet conditional? Do we have to earn His love then? Where then is His grace?

God's love is unconditional , in that he loved us and gave up his Son to die for our sins.

But his continued Love for us , eternally speaking, is based on our obedience to the gospel.


"If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father's commandments and abide in his love." - John 15:10

John 15:13
13 Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.
The love of God may be unconditional but for the christian it is not underservering, we niw deserved it because of Christ did for us on the cross and also when rose triumphantly from the dead. While on the cross and all the sin of all flesh was laid on Him He didn't love so He didn't get because the bible makes us to understand that the Father turned His face away from Jesus because His is so pure He cannot behold iniquity infact Jesus Christ didn't just bear the sins of all flesh on Him He became the embodiment of sin
Aramaic Bible in Plain English
(©2010) 2 Corinthians 5:21
For he who had not known sin made
himself to become sin in your place, that
we would become the righteousness of
God in him.

a thousand thanks you for your time frosbel

frosbel:

God's love is unconditional , in that he loved us and gave up his Son to die for our sins.

But his continued Love for us , eternally speaking, is based on our obedience to the gospel.


"If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father's commandments and abide in his love." - John 15:10

To help you out, God's love is unconditional and we cannot deserve it; however it does not overide His justice and those who die in unbelief will face His eternal wrath.

In my opinion the article serves only to lead people from the truth and I am amazed you brought it up.

newmi:

John 15:13
13 Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.
The love of God may be unconditional but for the christian it is not underservering, we niw deserved it because of Christ did for us on the cross and also when rose triumphantly from the dead. While on the cross and all the sin of all flesh was laid on Him He didn't love so He didn't get because the bible makes us to understand that the Father turned His face away from Jesus because His is so pure He cannot behold iniquity infact Jesus Christ didn't just bear the sins of all flesh on Him He became the embodiment of sin
Aramaic Bible in Plain English
(©2010) 2 Corinthians 5:21
For he who had not known sin made
himself to become sin in your place, that
we would become the righteousness of
God in him.

The bolded is against the whole tenor of scripture.

Rom. 5
6 ¶ For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the[b] ungodly[/b].
7 For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die.
8[b] But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us[/b].
9 Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him.
10 For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life.
1 John 4
10 Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.
19 We love him, because he first loved us.
Gal. 4:9
But now, after that ye have known God, or rather are known of God,…

5solas:

To help you out, God's love is unconditional and we cannot deserve it; however it does not overide His justice and those who die in unbelief will face His eternal wrath.

In my opinion the article serves only to lead people from the truth and I am amazed you brought it up.

Can you show me where in the bible, the word unconditional love is mentioned.

Of course God loves the world so much that he sent his ONLY Son to die for our sins , however to remain in his LOVE, we have to accept salvation and obey the gospel.

Not sure what is confusing to you !!

a God that loves you unconditionally is reserving the hottest parts of hades for you, if you as well do a little thing like lie about your weight. Common sense is not very common!

diluminati:

a God that loves you unconditionally is reserving the hottest parts of hades for you, if you as well do a little thing like lie about your weight. Common sense is not very common!

I suspect that you do not yet grasp , or refuse to grasp the enormity of sin, it's terrible consequences on humanity, it's ability to turn the nicest person into a demon and tarnish the beauty of what was once, and what would have been , a beautiful creation living on a beautiful earth in perfect peace and tranquillity .

With the aborted babies, murders, single mothers abandoned with children and no help from anywhere, with divorce rates sky rocketing, terrorism, disease and an endless list of evil and calamities, surely you should now understand and hopefully realise that SIN is no Joke.

For behind the influence of SIN is a most diabolical creature, a deceiver and destroyer he is called, who is at odds with the purposes of God , and seeks to cause as much mayhem and havoc as possible.

If you make yourself an ally of such evil and a being, you had it coming !!!!

Hell is for wicked people who align themselves with SIN and it's author, when they die, they simply share in his DOOM.

You cannot expect to hate GOD in this world and spend an eternity with him, does not make any sense.

diluminati:

a God that loves you unconditionally is reserving the hottest parts of hades for you, if you as well do a little thing like lie about your weight.  Common sense is not very common!

Lol. The bolded very well describes Frosbel's god, he holds the ''sword of damocles'' over your head and you must stand at attention the rest of your life or else , !   Thankfully God is nothing like that!

5solas:

Lol. The bolded very well describes Frosbel's god, he holds the ''sword of damocles'' over your head and you must stand at attention the rest of your life or else , !   Thankfully God is nothing like that!

the god you seem to cherish, is the one who accepts [b]wilful [/b]sin in the life of a believer, while he/she continues to verbally proclaim the name of Christ.

That's why Calvin murdered a man and tortured several others, yet in your eyes he was saved .

That you agree with an atheist , says it all.

frosbel:

the god you seem to cherish, is the one who accepts wilful [/b]sin in the life of a believer, while he/she continues to verbally proclaim the name of Christ.

That's why Calvin murdered a man and tortured several others, yet in your eyes he was saved .

[b]That you agree with an atheist , says it all.

I acknowledge the truth wherever I see it.

Birthdays are a tradition of this church but what I discovered next I found shocking and even to a “Catholics” this would be considered “Blasphemy” and a “Heresies” “Biblically” even to the “Catholic Church” it would be a shock and more than likely brand them as a group of “Heretics” for this? Which was during another “Birthday Celebration” which is another Pastor, it is none other than his Wife? (Pastor Anita Oyakhilome) her birthday is on the following (Date 26th February) which is her “Birthday Celebration”

This was on “T.V” I was watching it on Saturday afternoon a program they have called (Totally Addicted) as the end of the show was on the program start with the usual glorifying the person; in the church above the God of heaven? which was no big surprise in this church I was watching then giving praise to (Pastor Anita Oyakhilome) this time it was not as intense as (Pastor Chris Oyakhilome) it was like she was a lesser god than (Pastor Chris Oyakhilome) she was not the “Spiritual Barbie” of the Christian world like he is spiritual “ken to Barbie” like he was being presented at his birthday, which they as a church project him as the perfect poster boy for Christ; so he still is centre stage? But here is it comes they were calling her “Mama” singing songs to her, and dancing this was worship there is no other way to view this action even lol they call it respect?
Then other videos comes on and they were calling her “Mother” we love you “Over” and “Over” again and again, I have that video so there is proof, that they are worshiping her, and what I heard and seen next was shocking to say the least?
I can give this statement of my past so here it goes?
I was young child going to “Catholic Boy’s School” so even I understood this to be “Blasphemy”
They’re all shouted “Mama” we love you then some other group in the church start to say you are the best, there is no one like you, your wonderful then one group said: you are; wait for it you are our mother then (one group said you are the (Mother of God) I could not believe it? I was thinking there is no evil these people won’t sink to at all?

This is a screen shoot of a video they have post on you tube for her birthday I thought this is bad even lol I can’t find a direct scripture in the bible saying it is wrong, it does not have any to support it in scripture either; to say it is correct? Well I thought how can she be the mother of God, was she alive two thousand years ago? When she should be dead if she was the mother of God. So look this title up on YouTube (Happy Birthday Rev Anita) here is the Url: just in case you can’t find it?

So nearly two thousand years dead in the ground, how can a woman born some years ago now, so how can this woman (Pastor Anita Oyakhilome) be the mother of God) she is woman born and who has had children, here is the names of the (Sharon Oyakhilome) and (Carolyn Oyakhilome) and now you can see she is not a virgin I keep thinking these people are obsessed with respect, and self-worship there is no limit to their shame and how far they exalt them self over the word of God?

But notice the statement of the members of “Milton Keynes” in the United Kingdom branch, and read them saying we are your sons and daughters in “Christ Embassy” and there thanking her for the chance to take the gospel to the world did she commission them to take the gospel to the ends of the earth I though “Jesus” did this in (Matthew 28 and more how could she give birth to them spiritually maybe they meant, but notice there statements so I made a nice piece of art work depicting there many sins instead of “Marry Worship” it is (Pastor Anita Oyakhilome) in place of Marys face and now it is “Pastor Anita Worship” so I made it here in the traditional “Mary Queen of Heaven” to illustrate the point she is a “goddess” in their eyes.
but there is people in the history of the bible that made some rather eye opening statements about the children of Israel and it was Moses notice the text passage out of the Torah in the book of “Bamidbar” more commonly referred to as “in the wilderness” the book of Numbers he was complaining about the people bothering about meat so he said to God he did not give birth to them, they were a burden to him? So now this is clear as Chrystal how can a another person give birth to people i.e. members not even Moses practice such a hideous twist on truth, like these members said we are your sons and daughters did she gave birth to them how foolish are these people blind guides?
(NIV) Numbers 11:12 did I conceive all these people? Did I give them birth? Why do you tell me to carry them in my arms, as a nurse carries an infant, to the land you promised on oath to their forefathers?
This was during a TV broad cast in the church and half the day was covering this event on “love world TV” channel (588) Sky TV on the U.K broad cast
But if you have any doubt about my statements Google it and the truth will come alive to you?
Also look on put it in the search engine (Pastor Anita Oyakhilome) “Birthday Celebration”.
So you will see this is not just some person barking like a dog with no purpose; you will see the truth will shine out like the morning glory of God praise his holy name now and for ever? Amen.