On the subject of love.............
No, I do not think God expects us to return His love with our love (that kinda sounds like a "control freak." lol!) - I think God deeply desires us to return His love with our love. Love cannot be controlled or manipulated - it must be freely given and freely received - no strings, no expectations.
Yes, we are to freely love God, others and ourselves with no conditions - just like God loves us and all people - saved and unsaved.
All is well, indeed.
I would like to clarify something about "expectations." Although love is freely given and received, covenants are agreements with expectations. So, because God loves us and we love Him, we enter into covenant with each other and part of that covenant is that we love all people - saved and unsaved.
Please add scripture to support what you are saying.
Hello TT,
God's love is freely given and received because NOTHING separates us from His Love - He never retracts it - His love has no conditions, no expectations - just simply deeply loves us and deeply desires us to love Him, too.
Romans 8:38-39 King James Version (KJV)
38 For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come,
39 Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Jeremiah 31:3 King James Version (KJV)
3 The Lord hath appeared of old unto me, saying, Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee.
God's love for us and our love for Him leads us into covenant which is an agreement with expectations of behavior and certain works. These works are NOT for salvation, they are relational works dependent on a loving relationship between God and us.
Deuteronomy 7:8 King James Version (KJV)
8 But because the Lord loved you, and because he would keep the oath which he had sworn unto your fathers, hath the Lord brought you out with a mighty hand, and redeemed you out of the house of bondmen, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt.
Deuteronomy 10:12-13 King James Version (KJV)
12 And now, Israel, what doth the Lord thy God require of thee, but to fear the Lord thy God, to walk in all his ways, and to love him, and to serve the Lord thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul,
13 To keep the commandments of the Lord, and his statutes, which I command thee this day for thy good?
Also, love for all people (saved and unsaved) is included....
John 13:34-35 King James Version (KJV)
34 A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.
35 By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.
Deuteronomy 10:19 King James Version (KJV)
19 Love ye therefore the stranger: for ye were strangers in the land of Egypt.
I usually don't add supporting scripture because it makes for a very long post.