"God's firm foundation stands, bearing this seal, 'The Lord knows who are his', and 'Let everyone who names the name of the Lord depart from evil."

The first statement of this verse, i.e., "The Lord knows who are his", has been such a comfort to me personally over the years, but without the qualifying statement which follows, i.e., "Let everyone who names the name of the Lord depart from evil", we can get a false sense of security, thinking that God has no conditions laid down for our entering into that position with him.

Yet it seems very clear to me from reading the scriptures over many years, looking to the mighty Spirit of our God in me to do what Jesus told us was to be one of his prime functions in our lives, i.e., guiding us into all truth (John 16:13), that even the often called "unconditional" love of God can never be ours unless we first are willing to respond, in complete faith and trust, to what he has clearly told us he has done for us in Christ Jesus, and in the process, acknowledging our desperate need of salvation and of the new birth, which Jesus spoke of as being essential for us if we are to ever enter the Kingdom of God. (John 3:3&5) And, most importantely, by us then walking in the power of his Spirit; the one who enables us to fulfill the other condition laid down by Jesus in John 14:21-24, i.e., obedience to his word.

Sadly, very often we seem to focus on our version of love in relation to our God. i.e., how we feel about him. It is very easy to forget the absolutely vital ingredient of us having a heart totally committed to obeying his every word by "the power at work within us which is able to do far more abundantly than we could ever think or ask". (Eph 3:20) Amazing grace!!