Understanding Love and Justice

1 John 4:7-10

The Scriptures say that God's love is unconditional and that His character is just. For Christ-followers, it is vital to understand both of these divine attributes in order to see how perfectly they mesh together. Truly knowing God in His fullness leads to stronger, deeper faith.

Whom does God love? He loves the whole world—there are no exceptions. (John 3:16) The Bible does not say that God loves only the deserving or the good; instead, it tells us in Colossians 1:21-22 that He offered us salvation while we were His enemies. Much more than simply an emotion, God's love is an unwavering commitment to what is in our best interest, and it is given unreservedly.

We know that God's love is unrestricted because we were its object before our birth, and even before the foundation of the world (Ephesians 1:4-5)—The Lord committed to loving us before we were formed. The way He cares for the world every day is further evidence of His unconditional love (Matthew 5:45b) and our tremendous value in His eyes. (Matthew 6:26) The highest expression of His perfect love is found at the Cross of Jesus Christ. Our loving Father sacrificed His precious Son for you and me, the utterly undeserving.

Before we can reconcile God's love with His judgment, we must first grasp this truth: God loves us unconditionally. His decision to love us has nothing to do with us and everything to do with Him. Demonstrate your gratefulness today by obeying God and showing love to others.