Agape, God’s kind of love, is unconditional. C. S. Lewis describes it in these terms: ‘Divine Gift-love…is wholly disinterested and desires what is simply best for the beloved.’
Not uninterested, but disinterested. With no desire for personal gain or benefit. The whole object of agape is the welfare of the one who receives love.
This is why we call it unconditional love. There are no strings attached, no obligations to return the love, no debts to pay.
So when a rebellious child or an ill-tempered old person comes through our doors, we show them the same concern and attention as we would to a charming young lady or a personable businessman (James 2:1-4).
This is how God loves us: unconditionally. There is nothing we can do to prove ourselves worthy of his love. We need only to accept it. He loves us, in plain terms, not because of what we are, but in spite of what we are.
This is the pattern for us–
Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another (1 John 4:11).
With no exception clauses or special provisions. Unconditionally. Constantly. A simple way to express this is to say, ‘I love you regardless.’
To read more on this topic see Living in the Image of God, Barry Chant (Miranda: Tabor, 2012 available in eBook and Paperback) from which this edited extract is taken.