There are those who would preach and praise God for His boundless love and grace. For both of those I am eternally thankful. However, some use words like reckless and unconditional to describe these attributes of God. These words go beyond the scope of what the Bible says. God is certainly not reckless with anything He does, and there are conditions in the Bible. Here are a few for your consideration.
“John answered and said, ‘A man can receive nothing unless it has been given him from heaven’” (John 3:27). John was speaking about revelation and knowledge of the Christ. We understand that to be true by seeking heavenly truths in God’s word (2 Pet. 1:3; 2 John 9; 2 Tim. 3:16-17; Jas. 1:17).
“And he said, ‘Well, how could I, unless someone guides me?’ And he invited Philip to come up and sit with him” (Acts 8:31). The Ethiopian needed one to explain the prophecy more clearly to him. We understand that unless we understand clearly what God expects of us, we will be in the same position (John 6:45; Matt. 28:19; Jer. 10:23; Rom. 10:14-15).
“Also if anyone competes as an athlete, he does not win the prize unless he competes according to the rules” (2 Tim. 2:5). This is a basic principal and is applicable in our obedience to God as well (John 3:5; Matt. 18:3; Luke 13:3, 5; John 15:10; Rev. 2:5).
“So Jesus said to them, ‘Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in yourselves’” (John 6:53). There is great sacrifice required to serve the Lord (Rom. 12:1; Gal. 2:20).
“For I say to you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven” (Matt. 5:20). We know that our righteousness cannot be simply an outward show (Phil. 1:27; 2 Pet. 3:11; Eph. 4:1).
“Unless the LORD builds the house, They labor in vain who build it; Unless the LORD guards the city, The watchman keeps awake in vain” (Psa. 127:1). Just as Christ said He would build His church so are we built up as a spiritual house with our foundation in God (Col. 2:7; 1 Pet. 2:5; Heb. 3:4).
These are some clear examples of conditions in the Bible. If God’s love and grace were truly recklessly unconditional, then it wouldn’t matter what I did. There are no conditions. Clear reason and a reading of the Scriptures like these and many others teach that there are conditions. “If the LORD had not been my help, My soul would soon have dwelt in the abode of silence” (Psa. 94:17). “I tell you, no, but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish” (Luke 13:5).