“Though the mountains be shaken
and the hills be removed yet my unfailing love for you will not be shaken nor my covenant of peace be removed,” says the Lord, who has compassionon you.”
Isaiah 54:10 (NIV)
Everyone has something that they hope will remain steadfast and unfailing. We all hope to have unfailing health, unfailing youth, unfailing financial security, unfailing relationships, and unfailing prowess in some sport or skill.
God doesn’t promise that all things will be unfailing and steadfast. In fact, most of His promises in scripture are conditional promises. Our relationship with God is a covenantal relationship, where God prescribes ways to abide in Him, so that we can live a life of peace and well being.
Throughout scripture, God declares to His people that if they do what He asks, they will reap certain results. The conditional promises of God are the groundwork of our faith, leading to obedience, prayer, and seeking first His will, in order to experience His blessings in our lives.
There are multiple verses in scripture that start out with “If”…. and finish with “then”. Those “IF-THEN”promises span across the old and new testament. As Christians, we look to Jesus, who gave the following promises out of many others:
If you seek first God’s kingdom and His righteousness, then all these things will be given to you as well.
If you remain in Me and my words remain in you, then ask for whatever you want and it will be done for you.
If you forgive other people when they sin against you, then your heavenly Father will also forgive you.
God always has a covenant system of conditions for His people to abide in. His conditional promises do not mean that He loves us more when we abide in Him, or less when we don’t. It’s a common deception to believe that God loves us less or more, based on what we do. His love is steadfast and the conditions He gives us, are a formula to give us peace, joy and to benefit us for eternity.
One thing that is not conditional in the many promises of God, is His unfailing, unchanging, steadfast love for us. God loves each of us without any conditions. There is absolutely nothing we can ever do, to cause God to love us any less.
Jesus talked about His father’s love for us, and one of the most popular scriptures was spoken from His own lips:
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son…” (John 3:16)
He also said, “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love.” (John 15:9)
We can live with total assurance that God loves the world unconditionally. He demonstrated that love through His son, and it was all done before anyone could do anything to earn it or deserve it.
God still loves people, whether they respond in faith to Him or not. He loves us whether we turn towards Him or wander far away from Him.
It was this unfailing, unconditional love of God that kept drawing me back, whenever I wandered away from Him, at different times in my life. If everyone knew how much God actually loves them, this world would be a totally different place.
The church has a mission to the world, which is to demonstrate the unconditional love God has for all people. I believe we all need reminding that only God’s love can change a human heart. It’s the kindness and love of God, that brings a godly type of sorrow, which leads to repentance, true peace and eternal life. (2 Corinthians 7:10)
No one really changes from the outside in, but only from the inside out, and human hearts change in realizing the relentless and unfailing love, God has for us. The greatest revelation of this kind of love is in
the life, death and resurrection of Jesus, His son.
Lord, we pray for the grace to reflect your unfailing love and peace to the world, each day. Thank you for loving us without conditions, and help us to be your light in the world. Amen
