Many minister's state that God love's us unconditionally.
But is that true? Before you jump to "yes!" Consider this possibility taken from the covenant stories of the bible...
It's only true in a general sense because God imposes no conditions on people or even nations in his invitation to be in a relationship with him.
They do not have to be the chosen people only.
For example God had a covenant (a contract) with the descendants of Esau.
He told Moses not to fight with them because he would not give the Israelites "so much as a foot of their land" (Deut.
2:1ff).
That's a condition placed on God's relationship to his beloved Moses, isn't it? Though God does not impose discriminating conditions on who he invites to abide with him...
once you accept the invitation...
God only relates to you in a covenant...
a religious contract...
under which both you and he must perform as agreed.
And there are no covenants or contracts without conditions binding on both parties.
So it's fair to say that God loves us unconditionally only in the sense that all are welcome to be with him.
But when he presents his contract as in...
"keep my Commandments"...
and you agree in order to receive the benefits God has promised in the covenant...
and which he must deliver (see for example Psalm 44)...
then you are in a relationship with conditions.
And you must not violate those conditions...
because all contracts...
religious and civil...
have penalty clauses for violating the conditions of the contract or covenant...
as Adam and Eve and even Moses found out.
The importance of conditions in any relationship...
whether it's a sacramental contract such as a marriage covenant...
or whether it's a commercial contract such as a home mortgage...
is that it makes completely clear how each party is to act toward the other.
And what will happen if they don't.