> -----Original Message----- > From: John W. Redelfs [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] > Sent: Tuesday, November 04, 2003 8:18 PM > To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > Subject: RE: [ZION] Is God's Love Unconditional? >SNIP< > God's love is certainly unconditional in the sense that he loves all his > children, probably even Lucifer. But his willingness and ability > to bless > those he loves is predicated upon their cooperation and > obedience. He not > only will not force any man to heaven, he cannot. > > Is God's love unconditional? Yes or no depending on what you mean by > "unconditional."<
I may have posted too hastily and therefore didn't clarify well. Fact is, I think we agree. But, this whole issue gets so bolluxed-up (witness the confusing faith/works/grace piece in ths months Engisn) that I'll try one more time to explain myself. God's love for us is unconditional. Because he loves, he is ever-ready to go to bat for us. That is, he is ready to fogive us our errors when we are ready to acknowledge them and repent. It follows that he can't begin to bless us UNTIL we choose to be obedient, nor can be bestow more blessing on us unless we consistently heed His counsel. God's unconditional love has absolutely nothing to the with the heretical doctrine of "eat, drink, be merry and repent on your death" you wrote about so colorfully. No doubt God, because He loves us unconditionally, can, and probably does forgive someone who sincerely repents on his deathbed. But, God can not begin to bestow blessing -- okay, call them rewards if you insist -- until one has begun to live by His word. Finally, recall that Christ's unconditional love for us -- his grace -- guarantees all of us eternal life. What kind of eternal life we are given depends on His assessment of our faithfulness. I hope this is clearer than the earlier post. Ron ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// /// ZION LIST CHARTER: Please read it at /// /// http://www.zionsbest.com/charter.html /// ///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// --^---------------------------------------------------------------- This email was sent to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] EASY UNSUBSCRIBE click here: http://topica.com/u/?aaP9AU.bWix1n.YXJjaGl2 Or send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] TOPICA - Start your own email discussion group. FREE! http://www.topica.com/partner/tag02/create/index2.html --^----------------------------------------------------------------
