Big Word Breakdown: Why Is God’s Love “Unconditional”?

February 25, 2015 / Nancy Ruth /

Background image © Depositphotos.com/ stekloduv

Theology is simply a big word meaning “the study of God.” You don’t have to wait until you are a teenager or an adult to start learning about God.

Pastors and others who have read a lot of books sometimes like to use fancy words when they talk about God-stuff. Once a month in our “Big Word Breakdown,” we’ll take one of those hard words and explain it for kids (and adults) in plain English.

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Today’s word is “unconditional.” What does it mean when we say God loves us unconditionally?

A “condition” is usually a sentence that uses the words “if” and “then.” For example, “IF you clean your room, THEN you can go outside to play.” In that situation, you cannot go outside to play unless you clean your room. When we stick the prefix “un-“ in front of a word, it means “not.” That makes “unconditional” mean “not with a condition” or “without any conditions.” What do you wish would happen unconditionally, or no matter what?

God’s love is unconditional because He loves us no matter what. Check this out. God loved us so much that He sent Jesus Christ, His one and only Son, to die, taking our punishment for the wrong things we do. He promises to always be with us and love us in other ways because of what Jesus did on the cross.

“Can anything separate us from Christ’s love? Can trouble or problems or persecution separate us from his love? If we have no food or clothes or face danger or even death, will that separate us from his love? As the Scriptures say,

‘For you we are in danger of death all the time.
People think we are worth no more than sheep to be killed.’

But in all these troubles we have complete victory through God, who has shown his love for us. Yes, I am sure that nothing can separate us from God’s love—not death, life, angels, or ruling spirits. I am sure that nothing now, nothing in the future, no powers, nothing above us or nothing below us—nothing in the whole created world—will ever be able to separate us from the love God has shown us in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 8:35-39 (ERV)

Wow! Now THAT is unconditional love.

If you have a big churchy word you’d like us to define, email Nancy directly at nancy@parentroadmin.com.

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