Posted by
ValiantForTruth on Tuesday, February 12, 2008 2:33:38 PM
God's love of His Chosen People, Israel, is specifically depicted as conditional upon Israel's behavior –Mr. Prager
You say that God’s love toward his elect people is dependent on their behavior. As you say this is a god that would be a disappointment. Will we commend ourselves to God with our law keeping? God forbid!
Moses writes that blessing and cursing is dependent on obedience to the Law in Deuteronomy 28.
“All these blessings shall come upon you and overtake you, because you obey the voice of the LORD your God…But it shall come to pass, if you do not obey the voice of the LORD your God, to observe carefully all His commandments and His statutes which I command you today, that all these curses will come upon you and overtake you” [Deuteronomy 28: 2; 15]
Now we know that obedience to the Law is dependent on a heart that loves the Law. This is why Jeremiah says, ‘Circumcise your heart’ for what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh, God promised to do…
“I will put My law in their minds, and write it on their hearts” [Jeremiah 31:33]. And again, “I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you” [Ezekiel 36:26].
You reference God’s election of Israel and yet imply that the Bible knows nothing of unconditional love. Do you not know what Ezekiel 16 says of the holy city?
‘Thus says the Lord GOD to Jerusalem: “Your birth and your nativity are from the land of Canaan; your father was an Amorite and your mother a Hittite. As for your nativity, on the day you were born your navel cord was not cut, nor were you washed in water to cleanse you; you were not rubbed with salt nor wrapped in swaddling cloths. No eye pitied you, to do any of these things for you, to have compassion on you; but you were thrown out into the open field, when you yourself were loathed on the day you were born.
And when I passed by you and saw you struggling in your own blood, I said to you in your blood, ‘Live!’ Yes, I said to you in your blood, ‘Live!’ I made you thrive like a plant in the field; and you grew, matured, and became very beautiful.” Ezekiel 16:3-7]
God placed His affection on the nation of Israel, but not for anything worthy in her. This is but a picture of the unconditional love God has for His people, not only for the Jew but also for the nations. [Isaiah 49:6]
God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us…and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was given to us in Christ Jesus before time began…’ [Romans 5:8; 2 Timothy 1:9]