Absolutely Unlimited!

Unconditional is defined as being “not limited in any way: complete and absolute,” by Dictionary.com. So when we speak of unconditional love we have love not limited in any way or complete and absolute love. Complete indicates one hundred percent one sided. Love independent of the reciprocation of the emotion or action from the other side.

Therefore, when we are told Jesus’ love is unconditional, it is complete and unlimited.  Try to process that! This means there is nothing we can do to make Christ love us more. “His grace is sufficient for us,” is a common statement but a complex one.

Ephesians 2:3b-6 (ESV) reminds us, we….

…were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us,  even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved—  and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus,

We are moved as believers from being children of wrath to being alive in Christ because of the great love Jesus showed us – to the point that he has seated us in the heavenly places! Wow, what an amazing statement!

  

Now if this love He has shown us is so boundless, infinite even, can He love us less when we sin?  Infinity minus one is still infinity, just as infinity plus one is still infinity.  He loves completely and nothing we add or subtract changes that love. 

That age old question then pops up, how then shall we live?  Seeking to model Jesus not out of things we do rather out of obedient hearts – 

“All well and good” you say.

“We've heard this before.”

However, let your hearts be open to the challenge of where we replace love with rules without even realizing we have done so.….places such as having quiet time, praying before meals, having accountability partners …

The list may contain a small fraction of the legalism infusing its way into our lives, depending on our motivations.

But Jesus…

      …..set us free! 

So let us grow up in Christ with a heart motivated by the desire to obey and model the very Christ who gave us life.  Let us be willing to examine our hearts and see where rules reign and submit those rules to our loving Heavenly Father and allow Him to bring our behavior into check ~ out of love.

Precious Jesus, grant us deeper and deeper understanding of what it means

   to be 

        the unconditionally beloved.