I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my loving eye on you. Psalm 32:8

Does God’s unconditional love for me mean it doesn’t matter if I occasionally give in to sin? Can we hear His heart of love when we hear His instructions?

I had been taught that God's love was endless for me (from childhood, I had a strong understanding that nothing, not even my sin, could separate me from the love of God); I felt I could count on His patience and continual forgiveness, and because of that I assumed that my actions didn’t really matter. This was an incorrect understanding of the verse, “His mercies are new every morning” (Lamentations 3:22-23). What I didn’t understand then was that His instructions are an expression of His love.

Many times I thought, “I’m going to forget God just for tonight and do my own thing (say yes to that temptation, rather than resist it) even though I know I shouldn’t. He understands, and He will forgive me in the morning.” I didn’t know that what He asked of me was only for my own good. I didn’t know that the things I wanted that were outside of His ways were ensnaring and destroying me and even my sense of His love for me.

I learned that when things are difficult and God isn’t answering in the way and timetable that I expect, His love, grace and forgiveness are not a free pass to give in occasionally to temptation. His abundant forgiveness and love is incomprehensible, but is not a license to sin (Romans 6:15-18).

I learned that God’s instructions regarding sin are more than just rules - they are a reflection of His character. He loves us so much and His highest desire for us is to be free. Now, when I see the verses instructing us to flee from sin, all I hear is love. Be free! Flee from things that will war against your soul and destroy you!

• God’s instructions ARE His love. And they are not burdensome. (1 John 5:3b)
• God’s love aims to lead us into repentance so that we may live in the fullness He has for us. (Romans 2:4)
• Our waywardness brings us pain, which Jesus came to heal. The very act of healing is an act of love. “This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.” (from 1 John 4:9-10) “I will heal their waywardness and love them freely.” Hosea 14:4a ¹
• We show Him we love Him by keeping His commands. It shows that we trust Him and we refuse to believe the lies of the tempter who tries to cast doubt in our minds about God’s character. “In fact, this is love for God: to keep his commands.” 1 John 5:3a

[1] See also Isaiah 57:18