Unconditional Love; Conditional Promises

SCRIPTURE: Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of your evil behavior. But now he has reconciled you by Christ’s physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation— if you continue in your faith, established and firm, and do not move from the hope held out in the gospel. Colossians 1:21-23 NIV

THOUGHT: How can God’s love be unconditional, yet, as Paul tells the Colossians, this reconciliation with God is conditional upon us continuing in our faith, unwavering from the hope of the gospel? The image that pops up for me is of the sun, light streaming toward me until blocked by clouds or the turn of the earth. God’s unconditional love, like the sun, is a constant source of streaming light and warmth. Just as James said, “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning (James 1:17 NKJV).” The sun does not change because a storm breaks or night falls, or even because we close our eyes. We must trust that it is there so when conditions change, we don’t give up hope.

It is our faith in God, established and firm, that gets us through shadows, storms and darkness and back into the light again. Giving up hope only leads to more shadows – more alienation from the source of light that we desperately need.

SONG: Great is Thy Faithfulness https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WvtaGtTeMpI

PRAYER: Thank you God, that though I was once alienated from you, you were never far from me. Continue to bring me more deeply into your love – expand my faith so that even in the darkest night or worst storm I don’t waver.