We hear a lot nowadays about “unconditional love,” but I’d like to make an observation that love is not unconditional. “We love because He first loved us.” That is the conditional source of our love. It comes to us first. It is a source, not a reward. This is the awesomeness of the God Who is Love. His is a love that is good for enemies. Romans 5:10. A love that is only good enough for friends is good enough to “go to church.” It is not good enough to be the church.

Such commitment is much higher than either romantic, erotic, or brotherly love. It exists on the plane of decision – of choosing. This is one reason why most find it so hard to love unconditionally – they are not living in the transparence, and the light, of the unconditional commitment of God. Yet the human race is being pushed towards it by the crisis of the contemporary world.

The Love of God is sourced in God. He Himself is the condition for it. To love like God is not a decision, but a revelation. Once we have the revelation, we just can’t help ourselves. And the gates of hell just have no chance against such a love.

— By Jay Ferris.