Love That Waits
Because many see the dangers of the concept of unconditional love, they attempt to teach that God’s love is unconditional while maintaining that salvation is conditional. Their mistake is that they do not see that a conditional salvation is anathema to unconditional love.
How can unconditional love plan a salvation unless there is a condition by which salvation would be needed? How can unconditional love plan anything that would require conditions at all? First of all, a conditional love formulated by unconditional love would require unconditional love to wait–patiently wait. Unconditional love has no need for patience or long-suffering forbearance. Unconditional love has no need for faith. Yet we are told in the Spirit of Prophecy that God waits to bestow His forgiving, pardoning love.
Unbelievers do not comprehend that liberty is possible with conditional love. And yet the freedom from the bondage of sin can only come by faith in the righteous merits of Christ. Faith is a condition of love! Love waits patiently to see if the condition of faith will be met by those to whom love is commended.
“When Satan was triumphing as the prince of the world, when he claimed the world as his kingdom, when we were all marred and corrupted with sin, God sent his messenger from heaven, even his only-begotten Son, to proclaim to all the inhabitants of the world: I have found a ransom. I have made a way of escape for all the perishing. I have your emancipation papers provided for you, sealed by the Lord of heaven and earth. You may have freedom upon the condition of faith in Him who is able to save unto the uttermost all who come unto God by Him. A ransom has been provided at infinite cost, and it is not because there is any flaw in the title which has been purchased for lost souls that they do not accept it. It is not because the mercy, the grace, the love of the Father and the Son are not ample, and have not been freely bestowed, that they do not rejoice in pardoning love, but it is because of their unbelief, because of their choice of the world, that they are not comforted with the grace of God. It is their love of disobedience, their pleasure in sin, their enjoyment of rebellion, that have blunted their perceptions until they fail to discern the things which make for their peace. If they are lost, it will be because they will not come unto Christ that they might have life.
“God waits to bestow the blessing of forgiveness of sins, of pardon for iniquity, of the gift of righteousness, upon all who will believe in his love and accept of his salvation. Christ is ready to say to the repenting sinner: ‘Take away the filthy garments from him. . . . Behold, I have caused thine iniquity to pass from thee, and I will clothe thee with change of raiment. And I said, Let them set a fair miter upon his head. So they set a fair miter upon his head, and clothed him with garments.’ ‘Thus saith the Lord of hosts: If thou wilt walk in my ways, and if thou wilt keep my charge, then thou shalt also judge my house, and shalt also keep my courts, and I will give thee places to walk among these that stand by.’ Christ is the connecting link between God and man. The blood of Jesus Christ is the eloquent plea that speaks in behalf of sinners. The blood of Jesus Christ cleanseth us from all sin.” (Ellen White, Signs of the Times, June 6, 1895, emphasis added.)