If I am responsible for my salvation then I make it happen; I gain it by my own initiative. Without me it doesn't happen. I am the key element. God and Jesus are powerless if I choose to thwart them.
In the midst of this type thinking, unconditional love will appear unthinkable, worse than unthinkable really. It will appear repugnant. It challenges every assumption and would lead inexorably to a complete overhaul of thinking. The popular expression, "There is no free lunch", says it all. Something "free" is either not really free, or it is worthless.
The man, however, who wasn't "raised in the Church" or been a "solid Christian" for decades is not generally so bold as to think that an earned Love will be adequate for them. On several occasions I have heard preachers and speakers suggest that the best Christians are often the ones who experienced the most sin in their lives, and therefore can appreciate the magnitude of God's Love best.
Those raised in the church may well think that they are loved because they have been God's own practically from birth, whereas the man who has sinned woefully knows from whence he has come with God's help. The heavy "sinner" labors under no illusion about the kind of Love God must give in order to meet his need. Unconditional Love is the only answer for that kind of wounded heart.
Source: http://knowingtodaysgod.com/articles/A%20Worthless%20Love.htm
2 comments:
As the "vilest offender" myself, I very much enjoyed this and found it a blessing.
Great post! You again are in the sphere of what I've been thinking.
Being in church my whole life, since 2 weeks old, I understand the comment, but am here to put another "spin" on it. I, for some reason, have been given a massive heart for God. I don't understand where it came from, so to speak, but I have been experiencing His unconditional love from the beginning. It is from this angle that I can see the flaws in human theology better. It is futile on this side of it, too. I have given more to the church and to God and received less, so to speak. My frustration comes from the older brothers perspective in the prodigal son story. "But God I have done all of this for you and I didn't get so much as a 'boo' from you, yet, these guys go lallygagging around and get the whole shebang! What's up here?" He responds to me, "You have been a recipient of my love the whole time, and everything I have is yours. You understand that love is all you need. These other guys, need me to show up, so that they see my work in their lives, otherwise they wouldn't know I existed. You already know this and are content with that." Well, sigh. Sometimes (all the time) He just knows how to put things in perspective.
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