Jeremiah 31:3 The LORD appeared to us in the past, saying: “I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with unfailing kindness.
God’s love is unconditional but His favour is conditional. God’s favour multiplies when we are compliant to the caveat, but there are no conditions attached to be covered by His love. He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous (Matthew 5:45). The Lord God brought Israel out of the slavery of Egypt with His mighty hand. He drowned the Pharaoh’s army in the Red Sea whereas His children walked on dry seabed. The Lord did astounding miracles not because the Hebrew slaves were sincere and solicitous. They were impatient and ungrateful. Their first reaction was never to pray but to grouch. After crossing the Red Sea the congregation basked under the springs of Elim for about two and a half months before they continued their journey in the desert heading toward Mount Sinai. In about three months after experiencing stunning miracles the whole community grumbled against Moses. “If only we had died by the LORD’s hand in Egypt! There we sat around pots of meat and ate all the food we wanted, but you have brought us out into this desert to starve this entire assembly to death” (Exodus 16:3).
While Manna was being baked in the divine kitchen, the murmuring throng was moaning for the scrapes that they ate in Egypt! God did not send wildfires to consume the complaining crowd. He sent manna without fail every morning and fed them for 40 years. We would punish our children by giving them a timeout but we will never starve them for their disobedience. God’s love is a trillion times more gracious. Israel tested the Lord over and over and depleted His favour but their callousness could not diminish His love.
God’s love is unconditional but conceit, carnality and callousness will erode His favour:
1. Conceit: Pride separates us from God. Success without Christ will most certainly turn into pride. God is against the proud as it corrupts their hearts with an independent and self-sufficient attitude. Pride doesn’t wear-out His love but it will suck-out His favour. Jesus displayed unconditional love on the cross by forgiving the murderers. What they did to Him did not deteriorate His love but it sure did depreciate His favour.
2. Carnality: Contamination and corruption of the world separates us from God. Worldliness drains godliness. God so loved the world but He hates worldliness. The worldly and carnal are not outside God’s love but they are certainly out of the radar of His favour.
- Callous: Callous separates us from God. Israel is addressed time and again as stiff necked because of the stubbornness in their heart. Stiffness of the neck is caused by sprain, slouching or stressed muscles. Looking down at something for prolonged periods of time causes stiffness. Similarly, pride looks down and belittles others causing spiritual stiffness and callousness.
Let us not confuse God’s love that is constant even to the wicked but God’s favour is sabotaged by our own pride, worldliness and callousness.
Romans 5:8 God shows His love for us in that while we were still sinners.
Prayer: Father of unending Love, your everlasting love is beyond my human comprehension. Impart your love into my heart. Amen.
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