Where in the scriptures can we learn of the Lord’s unconditional love? You will not find any such thing. In truth there is one kind of love that God is and gives: selfless love and this kind of love is perfect love.
Love has been perfected among us in this: that we may have boldness in the day of judgment; because as He is, so are we in this world. There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love. We love Him because He first loved us. 1 John 4:17-19
1 Corinthians 13 gives us insight into the love God is and desires-
Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal. And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing.
Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
Love never fails.
This passage reveals what qualifies love and is very much conditional otherwise it is not love but a sounding gong. This kind of love was demonstrated for us to see how it looks when Jesus hung and died on the cross for those who were yet in sin.
For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. John 3:16-17
The love of God is anything but unconditional. His love requires selflessness and has intent and purpose: that we may be saved, transformed and made into the image of His Son. When we cling onto ‘unconditional love’ His love becomes about us.
The love of God is not about us, but is about His Son in us. This is significant to understand and why we live lives in preparing our bodies so the Son of glory may comfortably dwell.
For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you should abstain from sexual immorality; that each of you should know how to possess his own vessel in sanctification and honor, not in passion of lust, like the Gentiles who do not know God; that no one should take advantage of and defraud his brother in this matter, because the Lord is the avenger of all such, as we also forewarned you and testified. For God did not call us to uncleanness, but in holiness. Therefore he who rejects this does not reject man, but God, who has also given us His Holy Spirit. 1 Thess 4:3-8
