God is relational, not transactional. What do I mean by that? Well, the Bible says that God is love. He loves the whole world and not just a few. God, who is the Father, Son and Holy Spirit has always been relational within their union and communion in the Trinity. The Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit have always been mutually indwelling and mutually loving each other within their one being. God, who created all things through Jesus Christ, has always loved the whole world—all of humanity and all of creation. God is not a contract-God.

Conditional Love

The teaching that God will love us only if we repent and believe is just that—a conditional kind of love. It’s not really love at all. It’s a legal, transactional or contractual kind of “love” where God will only love us if we repent, believe and obey. God is not that kind of God. He is not a contract-God.

It’s All About Loving Relationships

The truth of the matter is, God has always been concerned about loving relationships—not legal transactions or contracts. That’s who God is. He is love. We have always been loved by God. This is exactly the picture being portrayed in the parable of the lost son. Jesus himself gave this parable to reveal to us who the Father really is. The father in the parable both loved his sons—whether good or bad. Although the younger son committed a grievous offense, what was foremost in the mind of the father was that his son was back! The Father was patiently waiting for the son to come back home and when he returned the father was overjoyed! That’s love! The father did not wait for the younger son’s apology before accepting him back. That’s love.

The same is true with the older son. Despite his bad attitude and resentment against his younger brother, the father both loved his two sons. This is not about transactions or contracts before one get’s saved.

God’s Great Love

In fact, when the father saw his younger son afar off, he ran to meet him, hugged him and kissed him! He was overjoyed to see his lost son back again! Regardless of his sins he loved his son all the way. No conditions! Just pure godly love of a father to his son. He immediately organized a party to celebrate the return of his lost son. That’s great love!

God’s Love Not Transactional

That’s how God the Father loves us too! While we were still sinners, the Father allowed Christ to die for us (Rom. 5:8)! He is not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance (2 Pet.3:9). That’s great love! That’s unconditional love. Not a transactional, legal or contractual kind of love–which is no love at all. God doesn’t love us only when we’re good. He loved us even when we were still “bad” and unbelievers. Even before we believed, he already loved us. He doesn’t love us only when we believe. And all of us are all sinners—all of us were unbelievers before we became believers. God loves us all the way all the time! All of us! How great is the Father’s love for all of us!

For Further Study:

• It’s a Relationship Not a Contract!
• Is God’s Forgiveness Conditional? (August 9, 2010)
• Is God’s Forgiveness Conditional? (August 20, 2011)

Updated 3/14/2020